
"A strange and joyous marvel" Richard Flanagan
Robbie Arnott's mad, wild debut novel is rough-hewn from the Tasmanian landscape and imbued with the folkloric magic of the oldest fireside storytellers.
A young man named Levi McAllister decides to build a coffin for his twenty-three-year-old sister, Charlotte-who promptly runs for her life. A water rat swims upriver in quest of the cloud god. A fisherman named Karl hunts for tuna in partnership with a seal. And a father takes form from fire.
The answers to these riddles are to be found in this tale of grief and love and the bonds of family, tracing a journey across the southern island that takes us full circle.
Flames sings out with joy and sadness. Utterly original in conception, spellbinding in its descriptions of nature and its celebration of the power of language, it announces the arrival of a thrilling new voice in contemporary fiction.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE READINGS PRIZE FOR NEW AUSTRALIAN FICTION
Publisher: Atlantic Books
ISBN: 9781786496263
Number of pages: 240
Weight: 380 g
Dimensions: 222 x 145 x 24 mm
Edition: Main
MEDIA REVIEWS
A strange and joyous marvel. * Richard Flanagan, Man Booker-winning author of The Narrow Road to the Deep North *
Flames is a spectacular novel; exciting and spirited, overflowing with imagination. Arnott invites us in to a thrilling new world where everything may look familiar, but there are magical surprises to be discovered around every corner. Join him on the journey, and you will not be disappointed. * Culturefly *
Visionary, vivid, full of audacious transformations: there's a marvellous energy to this writing that returns the world to us aflame. A brilliant and wholly original debut. * Gail Jones *
Ambitious storytelling from a stunning new Australian voice. Flames is constantly surprising-I never knew where the story would take me next. This book has a lovely sense of wonder for the world. It's brimming with heart and compassion. * Rohan Wilson *
Robbie Arnott is a vivid and bold new voice in Australian fiction * Danielle Wood *
[With a] magic realist flair that will appeal to fans of Angela Carter... It is glorious, messy, and a bit weird. * Press Association *
Rich. * Strong Words *
Probably the best book I've read all year. * Molly Aitken *
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“Loved it!”
I really loved this book. It had a very interesting view of the world, its language almost poetic. Its very experimental, trying out different styles of narratives, different voices: in particular I loved the rat... More

“Weird, wonderful and refreshingly different.”
*** Rating: 4.5/5 ***
There’s something inexplicably grounding about this mystical marvel and its humble wisdom.
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“Magical realism at it's most beautiful.”
This book is jam packed with magical realism. The imagery is beautiful, it is constantly surprising, and I couldn't get enough.
There are women who rise from the dead, seals who forge unbreakable bonds with...
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