First Love, Last Rites
Ian McEwan"Marks the debut of a talented and genuinely imaginative writer" - Julian Barnes, New Statesman
Taut, brooding, and densely atmospheric, these stories show us the ways in which murder can arise out of boredom, perversity can result from adolescent curiosity, and sheer evil might be the solution to unbearable loneliness. While McEwan does not fit the 'horror' genre, make no mistake the work here is as horrifying — and frankly terrifying — as anything you'll find written by Clive Barker or Stephen King; but they are crafted with a lyricism and intensity that compel us to confront our secret kinship with what repels us.
"Ian McEwan writes to shock and succeeds... It is a tour-de-force of concision, and funny, too, in a deadpan manner." - Gabriele Annan, Times Literary Supplement