The sensational debut novel by Adam Thorpe, now regarded as a 20th century classic.

If you believe English fiction is jaded, you must read Adam Thorpe... Tender, precise, tragicomic and unsentimental. -- Hilary Mantel Independent on Sunday We arent used to the many deep matters Thorpe touches on, not to such a thorough grasp of the complex nature of our rural past, and through it, of all existence itself... Suddenly English lives again -- John Fowles Guardian These stories sing like psalms, robust and vibrant - a poet's novel and a celebration that no social historian would dare attempt Observer A superb and moving meditation on history, fate and the nature of time, Ulverton is at once a traditional fiction and a wholly successful testing of the limits of literary art -- John Banville Spanning three centuries and encompassing a startling variety of lives, this debut novel from poet Adam Thorpe is nothing less than a bravura performance... With Ulverton, Thorpe has woven his own enticing 'secret web'. This is no mere promising first novel, but a major work, heralding a brillant new voice in British fiction Washington Post

Adam Thorpe was born in Paris in 1956. His first novel, Ulverton, was published in 1992, and he has written nine others - most recently Flight - as well as six collections of poetry and two collections of stories. His new translation of Madame Bovary has just been published by Vintage. He lives in France with his wife and family.