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Lanark

A Life in Four Books
Series: Canons
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( 7,797 ratings, 767 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Lanark by Alasdair Gray is a surreal blend of fantasy and realism that follows the lives of two characters, Lanark and Duncan Thaw, navigating alternate realities and a dystopian world. The narrative intricately weaves themes of identity, politics, and alienation, exploring personal and existential crises. Through its inventive and multi-layered storytelling, the book challenges conventional narrative structures.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate uniquely structured narratives and vivid characters. Blending elements of realism with dystopian fantasy, it offers a thought-provoking exploration of identity, society, and personal struggle. Fans of intricate storytelling and philosophical themes will likely find it a captivating read.

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This cornerstone epic is now available as a beautiful Canon with an introduction by William Boyd.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'Probably the greatest novel of the century' Observer

Lanark, a modern vision of hell, is set in the disintegrating cities of Unthank and Glasgow, and tells the interwoven stories of Lanark and Duncan Thaw. A work of extraordinary imagination and wide range, its playful narrative techniques convey a profound message, both personal and political, about humankind's inability to love, and yet our compulsion to go on trying.

First published in 1981, Lanark immediately established Gray as one of Britain's leading writers.

Series: Canons

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Lanark by Alasdair Gray is highly praised as a groundbreaking work in Scottish literature, often hailed as marking a new era. Critics admire its blend of surrealism and realism, comparing its imaginative scope to the works of Salvador Dali and Jonathon Swift. It is described as a masterpiece of vivid imagination and political satire, altering the literary landscape and significantly expanding the possibilities of fiction.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781782117148

Publisher: Canongate Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 September 2016

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Canongate Canons

Edition: Main - Canons Edition Re-Issue

Contributors:

  • Introduction by William Boyd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 427g

Pages: 592

About the Author

Since 1981, when Lanark was published by Canongate, Alasdair Gray has published twenty books, most of them novels and short stories. In his own words, 'Alasdair Gray is a fat, spectacled, balding, increasingly old Glaswegian pedestrian who has mainly lived by writing and designing books, most of them fiction.'

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