Mrs Osmond

Description

A rich historical novel about the aftermath of betrayal, from the Booker prize-winner 'What was freedom, she thought, other than the right to exercise one's choices?' Isabel Osmond, a spirited, intelligent young heiress, flees to London after being betrayed by her husband, to be with her beloved cousin Ralph on his deathbed. After a sombre, silent existence at her husband's Roman palazzo, Isabel's daring escape to London reawakens her youthful quest for freedom and independence, as old suitors resurface and loyal friends remind her of happier times. But soon Isabel must decide whether to return to Rome to face up to the web of deceit in which she has become entangled, or to strike out on her own once more.

John Banville was born in Wexford, Ireland, in 1945. He is the author of fifteen previous novels including The Sea, which won the 2005 Man Booker Prize. In 2011 he was awarded the Franz Kafka Prize, in 2013 he was awarded the Irish PEN Award for Outstanding Achievement in Irish Literature, and in 2014 he won the Prince of Asturias Award, Spain's most important literary prize. He lives in Dublin.

A worthy sequel... His book is not only an impressive recreation of James's atmospheres and pacing, but also full of minor cliff-hangers and page-turning suspenses that keep you guessing * Observer * A brilliant feat of literary ventriloquism... Richly enjoyable and enthralling, this exercise in creative empathy is a sequel of very high finish * Sunday Times * John Banville is one of the best novelists in English, and an expert ventriloquist, among other things . . . Mrs Osmond is both a remarkable novel in its own right and a superb pastiche -- Edmund White * Guardian * It's brilliant. It's John Banville camouflaged as Henry James - it's very, very interesting -- Cillian Murphy, star of Peaky Blinders and Dunkirk Written with near-Jamesian elegance * Mail on Sunday * John Banville has long been the most distinctive Irish novelist of his generation * Irish Independent * This is a superbly written novel ... Mrs Osmond represents an important contribution to Banville's impressive oeuvre * Evening Standard * John Banville is simply the finest writer at work today, a prolific prose stylist whose work has only deepened in quality throughout his career -- John Boyne * Irish Times * Banville is one of the writers I admire the most - few people can create an image as beautifully or precisely -- Hanya Yanagihara, author of the Booker-shortlisted 'A Little Life' This engrossing and often beautiful novel is a true work of art that rewards careful reading * Daily Telegraph on 'Blue Guitar' * The Booker prize winning author - widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in English today - has produced what many already consider a literary masterpiece * Sunday Independent on 'Ancient Light' * Banville's sequel to Henry James's "Portrait of a Lady" follows Isabel Archer back to Rome and the possible end of her marriage * New York Times Books of the Year * An astonishing act of literary ventriloquism * Observer Books of the Year * Uncannily good at replicating James's style, it pays appealing tribute to his genius * Sunday Times Books of the Year * John Banville channelled Henry James in the Portrait of a Lady sequel * Guardian Books of the Year *