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