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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Barely any
A childhood drowning and its aftermath; not graphic
Language
Barely any
Occasionally archaic literary prose; mild
Sexual Content
Barely any
Brief sexual content in the context of memory
Substance Use
Barely any
Social drinking
Emotional Intensity
Some
Grief, memory, and the way the past lives within us — psychologically intense literary fiction
What this book is about
Max Morden retreats to a seaside village after his wife's death from cancer, and finds himself consumed by memories of a childhood summer there — particularly a family whose tragedy has haunted him for decades. Banville's Booker Prize winner is difficult, beautiful, and almost unbearably sad, written in prose that demands and rewards attention.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Grief and loss themes
Demanding literary prose
Reader Verification
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