{"title":"Barbara Comyns","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the whimsical and haunting world of \u003cem\u003eBarbara Comyns\u003c\/em\u003e, a distinctive voice in British literature whose works have captivated readers for decades. Known for her peculiar blend of surrealism and stark realism, Comyns crafts narratives that are both enchanting and unsettling. Her characters are often quirky and endearing, navigated through stories that combine the mundane with the fantastical.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmong her acclaimed novels, \u003cem\u003eOur Spoons Came From Woolworths\u003c\/em\u003e presents a semi-autobiographical tale that follows a young woman's struggles in bohemian London. Comyns' writing shines through its simplicity, capturing the essence of her protagonist’s trials with humour and warmth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Vet's Daughter\u003c\/em\u003e is another masterpiece where Comyns weaves a gothic story imbued with magical realism. This book delves into the life of a young girl discovering her own mystical abilities amidst an oppressive familial setting, creating an atmosphere of both dread and wonder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWho Was Changed and Who Was Dead\u003c\/em\u003e offers a daring exploration of a small village struck by a mysterious tragedy. The novel blends dark comedy with a poignant examination of human nature, showcasing Comyns' unique ability to balance the eerie with the mundane.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBarbara Comyns' novels reside at the intersection of \u003cstrong\u003eGeneral Fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e, captivating audiences with their unique narrative styles and richly drawn characters. Her storytelling continues to resonate, offering readers an extraordinary escape into her imaginative worlds.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"who-was-changed-and-who-was-dead-by-barbara-comyns-9781911547846","title":"Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the beginning of June, the river floods, ducks swim through the drawing-room windows, and Ebin Willoweed rows his daughters around the submerged garden. But the flood is only the beginning of the village's troubles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAll of a sudden, the miller goes mad and drowns himself in the river. As the village is afflicted by a mysterious virus, the villagers begin dying one by one. The newspaper asks, 'Who will be smitten by the fatal madness next?'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eComyns' unique voice weaves a text as wonderful as it is horrible, as beautiful as it is cruel. Originally published in England in 1954, this overlooked small masterpiece is a twisted pandemic tragicomic gem.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46534365446380,"sku":"9781911547846","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/16232743482868.jpg?v=1749429299"},{"product_id":"our-spoons-came-from-woolworths-by-barbara-comyns-9781844089277","title":"Our Spoons Came From Woolworths","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePretty, unworldly Sophia is twenty-one years old and hastily married to a young painter called Charles. An artist's model with an eccentric collection of pets, she is ill-equipped to cope with the bohemian London of the 1930s, where poverty, babies (however much loved) and husband conspire to torment her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHoping to add some spice to her life, Sophia takes up with Peregrine, a dismal, ageing critic, and comes to regret her marriage - and her affair. But in this case virtue is more than its own reward, for repentance brings an abrupt end to the cycle of unsold pictures, unpaid bills and unwashed dishes...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOur Spoons Came From Woolworths\u003c\/em\u003e by Barbara Comyns is a vivid account of a young woman's struggle in pursuit of happiness amidst the challenges of bohemian life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46998547693804,"sku":"9781844089277","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/15706013482844.jpg?v=1763220162"},{"product_id":"the-vets-daughter-by-barbara-comyns-9781844088386","title":"The Vet's Daughter","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrowing up in Edwardian south London, Alice Rowlands longs for romance and excitement, for a release from a life that is dreary, restrictive and lonely. Her father, a vet, is harsh and domineering; his new girlfriend brash and lascivious.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAlice seeks refuge in memories and fantasies, in her rapturous longing for Nicholas, a handsome young sailor, and in the blossoming of what she perceives as her occult powers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA series of strange events unfolds that leads her, dressed in bridal white, to a scene of ecstatic triumph and disaster among the crowds on Clapham Common.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Vet's Daughter\u003c\/em\u003e is a uniquely vivid, witty and touching story of love and mystery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette New Zealand Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46998808396012,"sku":"9781844088386","price":31.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/15697103482844.jpg?v=1763231584"},{"product_id":"the-vets-daughter-by-barbara-comyns-9780349019666","title":"The Vet's Daughter","description":"\u003cb\u003e'A small Gothic masterpiece . . . I have read it many times, and with every re-read I marvel again at its many qualities' \u003c\/b\u003eSARAH WATERS\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A wonderful and original novel' \u003c\/b\u003eALAN HOLLINGHURST\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'The strange off-beat talent of Barbara Comyns [whose] innocent eye observes with child-like simplicity the most fantastic or the most ominous occurrence' \u003c\/b\u003eGRAHAM GREENE \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Quite simply, Comyns writes like no one else'\u003c\/b\u003e MAGGIE O'FARRELL\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eI comforted myself with the knowledge that at least I wasn't earthbound like most people.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn a house full of screeching animals in Edwardian South London, Alice lives in the shadow of her domineering father. Longing to escape, she retreats ever deeper into a world of memories, fantasies and rapturous longings - until she discovers an extraordinary secret power of her own. But the strange events that unfold lead her, dressed in bridal white, to a scene of ecstatic triumph and disaster among the crowds on Clapham Common.  \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBlackly funny and indelibly haunting, The Vet's Daughter combines shocking realism with a visionary edge.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eINTRODUCED BY JANE GARDAM","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47289036275948,"sku":"9780349019666","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/7db51d16d831cdf84a05896bf2b7671a.jpg?v=1770601893"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/barbara-comyns.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}