{"product_id":"the-cormorant-9781939140371","title":"The Cormorant","description":"' An] artful first novel, reminiscent of the tales of Poe . . . Gregory uses a low-key style and subtle lyricism to build an atmosphere of nightmarish horror in a tale that could become a classic.' - \u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e ' A] first-class terror story with a relentless focus that would have made Edgar Allan Poe proud.' - \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e ' N]o summary can do justice to the subtlety of Gregory's first novel, with its fresh, vivid, sensual prose and its superb descriptive and evocative power. An extraordinary novel - original, compelling, brilliant.' - \u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'A work of tremendous self-assurance that leaves the reader with a lingering sense of unease and announces the arrival of a considerable new talent.' - \u003ci\u003eBritish Book News\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e A young family receives a welcome surprise when old Uncle Ian dies and leaves them a cottage in north Wales. For Ian's nephew and his wife Ann, it seems a stroke of incredible good fortune, enabling them to leave their unfulfilling lives in the city for a newfound freedom in the remote seaside cottage. There's just one catch. Uncle Ian's will has a strange condition: the couple must care for his pet cormorant or forfeit the bequest. They think nothing of it at first: Uncle Ian was eccentric, and the bird is amusing in a way. But when the cormorant begins to show a violent and malevolent side, they soon find that Uncle Ian's gift may not be a blessing, but a curse. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Stephen Gregory's first novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Cormorant\u003c\/i\u003e (1986), received widespread critical acclaim, winning the prestigious Somerset Maugham Award and earning comparisons to the works of Poe. This edition includes a new introduction by the author, in which he reveals how this enduring and haunting tale had its origins in his own experiences during a bleak Welsh winter.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Valancourt Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50650125795602,"sku":"9781939140371","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_1b82f1cd-6387-4851-ab55-128bbb7e82fb.jpg?v=1733283261","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-cormorant-9781939140371","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}