Blasted Things

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Pub Date 16 Sep 2021 | Archive Date 23 Sep 2021

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Description

1920: Britain is trying to forget the Great War. Clementine, who nursed at the front and suffered losses, must bury the past. Then she meets Vincent, an opportunistic veteran whose damage goes much deeper than the painted tin mask he wears. Their deadly relationship will career towards a dark and haunting resolution. 

1920: Britain is trying to forget the Great War. Clementine, who nursed at the front and suffered losses, must bury the past. Then she meets Vincent, an opportunistic veteran whose damage goes much...


Advance Praise

'Glaister is a sensitive but unflinching writer who knows exactly how to beguile the reader into turning the pages.' Hilary Mantel

‘Glaister is an experienced novelist, and this is a consummate and heart-wringing performance.’ The Sunday Times

‘Combines psychological insight with an immersive sense of time and place. In short, she’s the perfect lockdown novelist so if you’ve yet to discover her, now’s the ideal time.’ Metro

‘Glaister’s novels always appear to be as effortless for her to write as they for us to read.’ The Times

‘Glaister has the uncomfortable knack of putting her finger on things we most fear, of exposing the darkness within.’ Independent on Sunday

‘Elegant and moving’ Marc's books blog

'A sensitive, unsettling tale of a post-First World War romance.' The Independent

'A sensitive and compelling drama.' Sunday People

'Glaister’s sense of place and ear for dialogue are brilliantly convincing.' Ruth Thomas

'Blasted Things is a restrained, elegant, deeply compassionate novel.' John Burnside

'One of the most compelling novels I have read all year.' Liz Jensen

'A moody, mesmerizing tale of a man and a woman who’ve returned to Suffolk after surviving the atrocities of the Great War.' East Anglian Daily Times

'Glaister is acute in her exploration and depiction of family and social discord.' Allan Massie ― The Scotsman

'Glaister is a sensitive but unflinching writer who knows exactly how to beguile the reader into turning the pages.' Hilary Mantel

‘Glaister is an experienced novelist, and this is a consummate and...


Available Editions

ISBN 9781913207922
PRICE £8.99 (GBP)

Available on NetGalley

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Average rating from 7 members


Featured Reviews

An outstandingly intelligent read. Blasted Things intricate storyline is beautifully written and oozing with wonderfully descriptive, historical detail that submerges you into the book with such accuracy that you are instantly transported to post WW1 Britain. Absolutely loved it.

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I've avoided books set in the war for a while,having read too many of them and feeling they were all saying the same thing.
This one though,is more to do with the after effects the war has on people,the damage it did to them and the chain of events that spiral from that,to its surprising ending.
I liked Clem almost from the first page, and throughout the book I willed that all would be well for her.
A small cast of characters meant I felt I got to know everyone very well,and could predict how they might act next,but not the repercussion from their actions.
My first Glaister book,probably not my last.

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I first started reading and enjoying Lesley Glaister's books back in the 1990s and she became one of my go to authors. This is the first novel I've read of hers for many years and so was thrilled to have the opportunity to do so. Glaister is a beautiful writer and I don't understand why she is not more well known and lauded in the literary community. Blasted Things is set during and after the First World war and focuses on Clem who returns home from nursing at the front and grieving the death of her lover Powell. She enters into a passionless marriage with Dennis, a GP who epitomises the controlling view towards women at the time. Glaister writes so beautifully with real compassion and insight. Her writing is elegant and moving and so immersive. She portrays the characters and the period with a real sense of insight and I found myself completely immersed in Clem's life. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review a digital ARC.

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A captivating portrait of a doomed relationship at the tail-end of WWI and a fascinating look at English society at large after the long & devastating conflict.

Cleverly crafted and very delicately plotted, this very powerful novel is also blessed with a cast of very unforgettable characters all trying desperately to move on one way or the other from the painful emotional wounds left by the war.

A marvellous tapestry of a pivotal moment in 20th century British history and a fascinating psychological dissection of human bonds and feelings after great upheavals.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Sandstone Press for this exquisite discovery.

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