Christian Fennell
The Real and the Imagined Trilogy
The Fiddler in the Night
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Christian Fennell's, The Fiddler in the Night, is a return by the author to the raw, abstract, and visceral landscapes set forth in his critically acclaimed collection of short stories, Torrents of Our Time.
In his debut novel, Fennell takes the reader on an orphaned teen's journey through the darker recesses of rural America--horrifying, yet compelling--where he tries to stay one step ahead of a ruthless killer. A tragic love story unfolding against a background that is both real and imagined, making this novel as memorable for its language as for its non-stop and blistering storyline.
Recent Acclaim for The Fiddler in the Night
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"In essence, the author has created a work of art in word form."
- The US Review of Books
Read the full review here.
"Haunting and ethereal, Fennell's stand-alone The Fiddler in the Night is a masterpiece of reflection that is at once gritty, disturbing, and hard to put down."
- D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
Read the full review here:
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"This dark coming-of-age story will impress readers with its distinctive writing and intense, at times violent, story."
- Booklife Reviews
Read the full review here.
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"At times The Fiddler in the Night is a thriller reminiscent of the dark, intense work of Cormac McCarthy. At times it’s a coming-of-age tale, or a precise portrait of middle America. It manages to be all these things, while also telling an absorbing story. This is a cat-and-mouse tale set in grand, lonely landscapes and peopled with characters that feel achingly real. [...] At the same time, the writing is both terse and beautiful. Fennell takes a minimalist approach to description, leading to passages that often read like poetry: only the most telling details, arranged sparsely and cleanly on the page."
- Neon Books, UK
Read the full review here.
"Fennell’s haunting and poetic prose takes readers through the Godforsaken terrain of rural America on a wild ride to its stunning and heartbreaking conclusion."
- San Francisco Book Review
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You can read a preview of The Fiddler in the Night here: