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“The great topic of Cormac James’ The Surfacing is the reach of human
possibility. The prose is calm, vivid, hypnotic, and acutely piercing…It’s a remarkable achievement.”
— Colum McCann, New York Times bestselling author
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“At its center is a love story—not a romance between adults but
between a father and the son he learns to love…A moving reminder that some of
the biggest journeys in life don’t involve going anywhere at all.”
— Financial Times (London)
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“Essentially a frontier novel…the book gratifyingly defies expectations by refusing all romance: the hero and heroine are largely indifferent to each other, if not outright hostile.”
— New York Times Book Review
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“James’ haunting novel memorably captures the
desolate landscape and the triumph of the human spirit in adversity.”
— Mail on Sunday (London)
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“James uses the sublime appeal of the Arctic and the
extreme situation of his characters as the stage for an essentially domestic
psychological novel…The prose matches the landscape, rigorously unadorned.”
— Guardian (London)
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“The cool
precision of James’ writing draws you on as surely as if you’re there, trapped
in that claustrophobic interior with the vast northern landscape stretching
forever outside.”
— Irish Times
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“James’ sharp prose and attention to detail…leave a lasting impression of this momentous journey.”
— Publishers Weekly
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“Meditative and spare, this is not a fast read but one worth the effort: underneath all the ice, there is real emotional depth.”
— Kirkus Reviews
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“An extraordinary novel, combining a powerful
narrative with a considered and poetic use of language…Reading the book, I
recalled the dramatic natural landscape of Jack London and the wild untamed
seas of William Golding.”
— John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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“Cormac James’ writing is very assured, with a
harsh poetic edge. His evocations of barren landscape, sea weather, pack ice,
and frozen skies are powerful and compelling.”
— Rose Tremain, author of Restoration