“The intensity of the descriptions and the strong sense of place reminded me of Iris Murdoch at times. Beautifully written, evocative of a spiritually desolate post-war England, it’s both unsettling and irresistibly readable. Only 120 pages, but it punches well above its weight.” (The Independent)
The Harlequin is a story about the aftermath of war, the psychological disjuncture that follows any traumatic event, and the difficulties of effecting a return to normal society. It is a story about telling the truth, about men and women, the misogyny at the heart of Britain’s class hierarchies and institutions. The long shadow of Arthur Machen’s ‘The Bowmen’ hovers over this book. Above all, The Harlequin is the story of Dennis Beaumont, a man of high ideals who goes badly astray.
The Harlequin won the Novella Award in 2015 and is published by Scottish independent publisher Sandstone Press. You can buy it from bookshop.org.