Pure Book

Every now and then a novel emerges which oozes authenticity, quality and literary excellence, a novel which from the first paragraph has the hallmark which defines a great author. Pure by Andrew Miller is such a novel. The well-deserved winner of the 2012 Costa Book of the Year; Miller has set this intensely evocative tale in pre Revolutionary Paris. A young engineer by the name of Jean-Baptiste Baratte has been engaged by the offices of the King to clear a stinking, overflowing cemetery in the centre of the city, a place of decay, stench and rotting flesh. It is a macabre task and a gruesome theme for this exceptional historical novel, but the tale is woven around finely crafted, colourful and truly believable characters, there is wit, there is life. The writing is elegant; the language is rich and polished, splendidly evoking the sounds, smells, colours and characters of the city. Events are recounted in fine detail and the underlying currents of unrest, which ultimately lead to revolution, are apparent throughout the symbolic tale. This is a remarkable novel, expertly researched and superbly written, acclaimed by the critics, Pure is highly recommended. Read More