This title is currently out of stock. Leave us your email address, we’d let you know when it’s in stock again!
-
A note on book covers: while we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
Close Quarters
Close Quarters
Couldn't load pickup availability
The second volume of William Golding's Sea Trilogy.
In a wilderness of heat, stillness and sea mists, a ball is held on a ship becalmed halfway to Australia. In this surreal, fête-like atmosphere the passengers dance and flirt, while beneath them thickets of weed like green hair spread over the hull. The sequel to Rites of Passage, Close Quarters, the second volume in Golding's acclaimed sea trilogy, is imbued with his extraordinary sense of menace. Half-mad with fear, with drink, with love and opium, everyone on this leaky, unsound hulk is 'going to pieces'. And in a nightmarish climax, the very planks seem to twist themselves alive as the ship begins to come apart at the seams.
'It tells an utterly absorbing tale, in language of immense force and subtlety.' Financial Times
'No living writer has represented the fragility of man's experience so marvellously as Golding.' AS Byatt
'A stunning piece of writing, as exciting as any thriller.' Sunday Times
Details of Book
Related Collections:
A note on book covers: while we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
-
One Line Summary
Surreal maritime drama of madness, fear, and chaos.
-
Who is this book for?
If you enjoy immersive and intense storytelling, Close Quarters offers a vivid exploration of human fragility amid the chaos of a dying ship. Golding's language is powerful and lyrical, drawing you into a world where reality seems to unravel, practically pulsating amidst rising menace. It's a gripping read for those who appreciate psychological depth set against a maritime backdrop.