This Census Taker

Description

In a remote house on a hilltop, a lonely boy witnesses a traumatic event. He tries - and fails - to flee. Left alone with his increasingly deranged parent, he dreams of safety, of joining the other children in the town below, of escape. When at last a stranger knocks at his door, the boy senses that his days of isolation might be over. But by what authority does this man keep the meticulous records he carries? What is the purpose behind his questions? Is he friend? Enemy? Or something else altogether? A novella filled with beauty, terror and strangeness, This Census-Taker by China Mieville is a poignant and riveting exploration of memory and identity, read by actor Matthew Frow. Praise for China Mieville: 'You can't talk about Mieville without using the word "brilliant".' Ursula Le Guin, Guardian 'Mieville is gifted with an incomparable visionary imagination.' Financial Times 'One of our most important writers.' Independent on Sunday 'Mieville - twice winner of the British Fantasy Award and three times winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award - is head and shoulders above other writers in this genre.' The Times 'With each book Mieville becomes more and more ambitious, with a profusion of ideas and images on each page that makes other contemporary books look thin and reductive.' Scotland on Sunday

Promotion info

This Census-Taker is a stunning, uncanny and profoundly moving novella from multiple award-winning author China Mieville.

Awards

Shortlisted for Folio Prize 2017.

Reviews

A short, dark fairytale, Kafka rewritten by David Mitchell, and may well be the best thing you'll read all year. -- Alex Preston, 'Fiction highlights for 2016' Guardian

Author description

China Mieville is the multiple award-winning author of many books, including The City & The City, Embassytown and Perdido Street Station. He lives and works in London.