' 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.
' - Publishers Weekly ' A] first-class terror story with a relentless focus that would have made Edgar Allan Poe proud.
' - New York Times ' 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.
' - Library Journal '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.
' - British Book News 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.
Stephen Gregory's first novel, The Cormorant (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.
| Condition | The couple must care for his pet cormorant or forfeit the bequest |
|---|---|
| They think nothing of it at first | Uncle |
