‘Barlow’s imagination appears unlimited, almost attuned to a parallel world.’ New York Times
Three novellas, all of them about mammals, and all based on fact. Firstly a story about a man who eats furniture for a living, which takes as its basis the old sideshow profession of ‘eating’; it describes the relationship between a magnificent, larger-than-life performer and his more restrained, melancholy apprentice. Next, a tale about a winged cat named Thomas-Bessie.
The mutant cat wanders through a series of events, and has a series of owners, its presence illuminating the lives and characters of these owners. The third story is a romance between two pie makers, set in the Yorkshire village of Gomersal. This is based on a true account of a wedding in the village, at which 32 donkeys (plus a huge crowd of people) attended.
The novellas:
‘Eating Mammals’
‘The Possession of Thomas-Bessie’
‘The Donkey Wedding at Gomersal’
Publishers:
US - Perennial/HarperCollins; UK - Fourth Estate; Russia - AST; Italy - Baldini, Castoldi, Dalai.
The BookNotes
Reviews
Home