The River Capture

'One of the most surprising and original novels of 2019 . . . Exceptional . . . This is a sensory book that draws on the body to feed the mind'
The Times

'Elegantly written . . . Exquisite and impressionistic prose'
Observer

'An intellectual romp through language and word philosophy, and a self-confessed homage to James Joyce . . . Costello writes insightfully'
Sunday Times

'Luminous . . . Unexpected . . . An audacious act of literary ventriloquism and one that Costello pulls off astonishingly successfully . . . Joyce devotees will discover much to enjoy in this clever homage, while fans of contemporary Irish literature will find a subtle, slightly melancholy, engrossing read'
Melissa Harrison, Guardian

'The River Capture is breathtaking. It is profound in the most bruising way; elegant, and then thrillingly savage; expansive, but masterfully precise, and full of sentences that made me choke on jealous rage. Costello is in a different class altogether'
LISA McINERNEY

'Astonishingly bittersweet and beautiful, The River Capture is a quiet, important, hypnotic book about absolutely everything. It is as near perfect as it is possible for a novel to be'
SARA BAUME

'A hypnotic read revealing how the ebb and flow of memory, family loyalty and love can disrupt the current of a life'
Mail on Sunday

'Powerful . . . The River Capture reminds us that everything is connected, that we are, as humans, not separate from the teeming world of nature around us . . . Lyrical'
Financial Times

'Intense, engrossing, a novel that constantly subverts the reader’s expectation – Mary Costello is a truly startling talent'
KEVIN BARRY

'Costello’s writing is truly beautiful and this book will hypnotise you from the first page to the last'
Stylist