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The Offing

A BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick

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The Offing

By: Benjamin Myers
Narrated by: Ralph Ineson
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Bloomsbury presents The Offing by Benjamin Myers, read by Ralph Ineson.

FROM THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE GALLOWS POLE COMES A POWERFUL NEW NOVEL
A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR
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‘What a radical thing, these days, to have written a book so full of warmth and kindness ... Gorgeous’ – Max Porter, author of Lanny

‘Glorious ... Leaves an indelible impression ... A moving and subtle novel in many ways, infused with a love of the minute pleasures in life, and the lasting regrets’ – Scotland on Sunday
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One summer following the Second World War, Robert Appleyard sets out on foot from his Durham village. Sixteen and the son of a coal miner, he makes his way across the northern countryside until he reaches the former smuggling village of Robin Hood’s Bay. There he meets Dulcie, an eccentric, worldly, older woman who lives in a ramshackle cottage facing out to sea.

Staying with Dulcie, Robert’s life opens into one of rich food, sea-swimming, sunburn and poetry. The two come from different worlds, yet as the summer months pass, they form an unlikely friendship that will profoundly alter their futures.
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An i Book of the Year
A Reading Agency Book of the Year
A BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick
A BBC Radio 4 'Book at Bedtime'
An Observer Pick for 2019(P)2019 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Fiction Feel-Good Heartfelt
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Critic reviews

This quiet, lyrical novel confirms a powerful new voice
This is a poetic book with a winning generosity of spirit, moving from a folksy celebration of the rural north to a revelation of the broader horizons that can come from reading and some serious culture
It’s a poignant story, and Myers’ descriptions of the countryside are wonderful
One of the most interesting, restless writers of his generation … Unfurling at the unhurried pace of a fern, it’s an evocatively lyrical paean to the countryside – deeply felt and closely observed
A draft of cool, clear water, it feels like a cleansing book ... He’s such a good and brave writer … there’s a lot of heart in this book ... I was comparing it to some Ted Hughes poetry and it’s so much more hopeful than that … there’s light in this landscape ... A very original writer and has pushed the form in all kinds of ways
Every page is studded with descriptive jewels … Deeply attuned to the natural world … Poetic … This book is a sensual pleasure … It’s about the forever things: good food, and art, and friendship, and how those pleasures can redeem us, even during the harshest of times
Quietly gripping … Written with Myers’s customary grit and brio … A welcome advance, one that sees Myers effortlessly extending his range
What a radical thing, these days, to have written a book so full of warmth and kindness. Two complaints: it made me hungry, especially their first meal. It made me want to swim so badly. It’s gorgeous (MAX PORTER)
A keenly observed and heartfelt appreciation of landscape and place
Myers’ prose and poetry makes a celebration of the "new Ondaatje" a far less preposterous mantle than it may seem
Glorious ... Leaves an indelible impression ... A moving and subtle novel in many ways, infused with a love of the minute pleasures in life, and the lasting regrets
Imbued with all the evocative rhythms of the passing seasons. This is what folk music would look like if it came in the written form
Book by book, over the past decade, Ben Myers has proved himself to be one of the most singular, moving and crucial voices of our times, making The Offing one of the must-read books of the year (DAVID PEACE)
It reminds me of a time when David Bowie could serve up something new with almost every album ... the book portrays an uncanny feminine touch and though the trip is gentle, there are deep undercurrents in this heart of a new rural darkness
A tender, tragic but warming story of love and living amid the flux of time, the sea and the seasons, The Offing is both beautiful and beautifully told. Through its pages, Myers carefully and thoughtfully reaffirms the values and riches of human connection, freedom and the joy of living on your own terms (ROB COWEN, award-winning author of Common Ground)

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All stars
Most relevant
A painfully simple story, lovingly told. A few slightly over the top bits of descriptive narrative but generally beautifully written. A moving and evocative coming of age novel set against the backdrop of a soon to disappear English way of life and countryside.

Beautiful

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We all need a person like this in our lives to help us see and seize our potential. Glorious!

Evocative.

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This novel makes for a wonderful audio-book, especially as it is performed here by the chocolate-brandy-voiced Ralph Ineson. Whilst it is book-ended by the adult Robert, the meat of the novel deals with young Robert’s key friendship with a much older woman; Dulcie. It charts the gradual forging of the same and the rich interplay and learning by both. What struck me was the honesty of both characters and the regard for the other. The novel is warming, welcoming and delights the listener - springing surprises and well as some sadness. This is a novel of discovery, growth and redemption. In some ways it is instructive; just wallow in the way the characters explore the keys of friendship in their conversations. The novel is poetic (in more than one sense) and the sense of place and seasons is extremely well achieved. It is perfectly understandable that this is now a motion picture in waiting. If I have any reservations they are few and do not deserve to take away the fact that this is a special novel that will please any listener who selects this title. On the strength of this novel’s writing, I have just bought Myers’ new novel, ‘Cuddy’. Buy ‘The Offing’ and enjoy it.

Beautifully Told and Memorable

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I’m addicted to this author now downloading my 3rd book in a week. Both book so far are very different and both equally brilliant.

Brilliant easy listen

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Adored this book. The language and voice of Dolci is a delight and reason enough to revisit this book in the near future. I bought this on a whim but I hope my recommendation can help others find it.

Outstanding personality tale

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