Alone
by Carlota Gurt
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Pub Date 20 Apr 2023 | Archive Date 27 Apr 2023
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Description
An intoxicating story of collapse and survival
“A real literary 'tour de force' with a totemic protagonist installed in a place full of mystery.”—Time Out (Spain)
“Loneliness is not the only character in the novel: it talks about the longed-for freedom, the rediscovery of one's own identity, sexuality or the connection with nature, themes that transform the reader.”—El Nacional
“Carlota Gurt proves to have an indomitable narrative power.”—El País
Mei is a forty-two year-old editor living in Barcelona. After years of unsuccessfully trying to become pregnant, and having grown apart from her husband, she decides to escape her crude reality when she’s made redundant from her job at a publishing house.
When she moves to the cottage where she grew up, hidden in a remote forest of Catalunya, she believes this to be the perfect opportunity to finish the novel she’s been obsessing over. But as she begins writing, or trying to, tragedy hits her and solitude possesses her, forcing her to face her past, an unsolicited present and a future that is adrift.
As Mei’s chance encounters and new relationships with figures from her childhood seem to keep her grounded, the forest and its inhabitants take over her as she fights to finish her novel and attempt to escape solitude unscathed.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781787704435 |
| PRICE | £14.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 320 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Kacey C, Reviewer
In this poignant novel, Carlota Gurt narrates the upheaval Mei goes through after losing her job at a publishing house, when she decides to escape her childless, lukewarm marriage to live temporarily in her childhood home, surrounded by woodland, writing a novel.
As time goes by she grows more and more isolated and when tragedy strikes, a slow descent begins and Mei seems to be losing grip on humanity and becoming wilder, like the fox who occasionally visits her garden.
This was an absolutely fascinating read, I was thoroughly engaged with the narrator's more and more unhinged monologue, and the incredible use of nature imagery and disjointed prose created a surreal and intricate depiction of the mind of one driven over the edge.
This novel explores the reality of isolation and how hugely detrimental this kind of loneliness can be to the human psyche. Coupled with severe loss and grief, Gurt explores how this kind of separation from society can alter perceptions, and ultimately lead a woman to madness. I thought this was intelligently written and felt realistic, the gradual build which seemed to gain speed and momentum towards the end, a brilliant feat of writing. An easy five stars for me!
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