Synopses & Reviews
From the inexhaustible imagination of Ian McEwan a master of contemporary fiction and author of the Booker Prize-winning national bestseller
Amsterdam an enchanting work of fiction that appeals equally to children and adults.
First published in England as a children's book, The Daydreamer marks a delightful foray by one of our greatest novelists into a new fictional domain. In these seven exquisitely interlinked episodes, the grown-up protagonist Peter Fortune reveals the secret journeys, metamorphoses, and adventures of his childhood. Living somewhere between dream and reality, Peter experiences fantastical transformations: he swaps bodies with the wise old family cat; exchanges existences with a cranky infant; encounters a very bad doll who has come to life and is out for revenge; and rummages through a kitchen drawer filled with useless objects to discover some not-so-useless cream that actually makes people vanish. Finally, he wakes up as an eleven-year-old inside a grown-up body and embarks on the truly fantastic adventure of falling in love.
Moving, dreamlike, and extraordinary, The Daydreamer marks yet another imaginative departure for Ian McEwan, and one that adds new breadth to his body of work.
Review
"As the unexpected keeps happening, the pages...turn swiftly and effortlessly. A rare find." VOYA
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"McEwan dextrously presents a series of strange and wonderful metamorphoses. His vivid and poetic writing, celebrating the creative abilities of a gifted 10-year-old, reveals a profound understanding of childhood." Publishers Weekly
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"McEwan writes simple, visual prose comic, deadpan, and lyrical that captures the physicalness of the wild fantasy. The uneasiness remains." Hazel Rochman, Booklist
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"Novelist McEwan's first book for children contains some magical moments but is marred by being often repetitive and occasionally mean-spirited." Kirkus Reviews
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"A shivery, prickly joy." The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
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"Mr. McEwan at his best." The New York Times Book Review
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"A classic." The Financial Post
Synopsis
A delightful literary foray for adults and children alike, from the inexhaustible imagination of Booker Prize-winning, best-selling author Ian McEwan. In these seven exquisitely interlinked episodes, the grown-up protagonist Peter Fortune reveals the secret journeys, metamorphoses, and adventures of his childhood. Living somewhere between dream and reality, Peter experiences fantastical transformations: he swaps bodies with the wise old family cat; exchanges existences with a cranky infant; encounters a very bad doll who has come to life and is out for revenge; and rummages through a kitchen drawer filled with useless objects to discover some not-so-useless cream that actually makes people vanish. Finally, he wakes up as an eleven-year-old inside a grown-up body and embarks on the truly fantastic adventure of falling in love. Moving, dreamlike, and extraordinary, The Daydreamermarks yet another imaginative departure for Ian McEwan."
Synopsis
A delightful literary foray for adults and children alike, from the inexhaustible imagination of the Booker Prize-winning, best-selling author of Atonement. "Imaginative and sparkling, not a page should be missed." --San Diego Union-Tribune
In these seven exquisitely interlinked episodes, the grown-up protagonist Peter Fortune reveals the secret journeys, metamorphoses, and adventures of his childhood. Living somewhere between dream and reality, Peter experiences fantastical transformations: he swaps bodies with the wise old family cat; exchanges existences with a cranky infant; encounters a very bad doll who has come to life and is out for revenge; and rummages through a kitchen drawer filled with useless objects to discover some not-so-useless cream that actually makes people vanish. Finally, he wakes up as an eleven-year-old inside a grown-up body and embarks on the truly fantastic adventure of falling in love. Moving, dreamlike, and extraordinary, The Daydreamer marks yet another imaginative departure for Ian McEwan.
Synopsis
A delightful literary foray for adults and children alike, from the inexhaustible imagination of the Booker Prize winner and bestselling author of Atonement. "As far-fetched and funny as anything by Roald Dahl." --Vogue
In these seven exquisitely interlinked episodes, the grown-up protagonist Peter Fortune reveals the secret journeys, metamorphoses, and adventures of his childhood. Living somewhere between dream and reality, Peter experiences fantastical transformations: he swaps bodies with the wise old family cat; exchanges existences with a cranky infant; encounters a very bad doll who has come to life and is out for revenge; and rummages through a kitchen drawer filled with useless objects to discover some not-so-useless cream that actually makes people vanish. Finally, he wakes up as an eleven-year-old inside a grown-up body and embarks on the truly fantastic adventure of falling in love. Moving, dreamlike, and extraordinary, The Daydreamer marks yet another imaginative departure for Ian McEwan.
Don't miss Ian McEwan's new novel, Lessons, coming in September
Synopsis
In these seven exquisitely interlinked stories, the grown-up protagonist Peter Fortune reveals the secret journeys, metamorphoses, and adventures of his childhood.
About the Author
Ian McEwan is the bestselling author of more than ten books, including the novels The Comfort of Strangers and Black Dogs, both shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Amsterdam, winner of the Booker Prize, and The Child in Time, winner of the Whitbread Award, as well as the story collections First Love, Last Rites, winner of the Somerset Maugham Award, and In Between the Sheets. He has also written screenplays, plays, television scripts, a childrens book, and the libretto for an oratorio. He lives in London.