'An extraordinary, quite brilliant book' - C. J. Sansom
'Original and gripping' - The Times
'Powerful and unsettling' - Andrew Taylor
'Engrossing ... compelling' - The Sunday Times
'Powerful, imaginative' - Literary Review
What kind of person keeps a man underground for seven years?
And who would agree to be part of such an experiment?
Herbert Powyss lives on a small estate in the Welsh Marches, with enough time and income to pursue a gentleman's fashionable cultivation of exotic plants and trees. But he longs to make his mark in the field of science - something consequential enough to present to the Royal Society in London.
He hits on a radical experiment in isolation: for seven years a subject will inhabit three rooms in the cellar of the manor house, fitted out with books, paintings and even a chamber organ. Meals will arrive thrice daily via a dumbwaiter. The solitude will be totally unrelieved by any social contact; the subject will keep a diary of his daily thoughts and actions. The pay? Fifty pounds per annum, for life.
Only one man is desperate enough to apply for the job: John Warlow, a semi-literate labourer with a wife and six children to provide for. The experiment, a classic Enlightenment exercise gone more than a little mad, will have unforeseen consequences for all included. In this seductive tale of self-delusion and obsession, Alix Nathan has created an utterly transporting historical novel which is both elegant and unforgettably sinister.
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Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 35213987-n
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. Hardcover. The year is 1792 and Herbert Powyss is set on making his name as a scientist. He is determined to study the effects of prolonged solitude on another human being, though before now Powyss's sole subjects have been the plants in his greenhouse. He fills three rooms beneath Moreham House with books, paintings and even a pianoforte, then puts out an advertisement, hoping for a gentleman recluse to claim the substantial reward. The only man desperate enough to apply is John Warlow, a semi-literate farm labourer who needs to support his wife Hannah and their six children. Cut off from nature and the turning of the seasons, Warlow soon begins losing his grip on sanity. Above ground, Powyss finds yet another distraction from his greenhouse in the form of Hannah, with whom he rapidly becomes obsessed. Does she return his feelings, or is she just afraid of his power over her family's lives? Meanwhile, the servants are brewing up a rebellion inspired by recent news from across the Channel. Powyss may have set events in motion, but he is powerless to prevent their explosive and devastating conclusion. Elegantly told and utterly transporting, The Warlow Experiment is an outstanding literary novel that announces a major new voice in British fiction. What kind of person keeps a man underground for seven years? And who would agree to be part of such an experiment? Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781788161695
Book Description hardback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9781788161695
Book Description Hardback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. Seller Inventory # B9781788161695
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 35213987-n
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Brand New. main edition. 288 pages. 8.58x5.43x1.26 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # zk1788161696
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # SKU9781788161695
Book Description HRD. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # C8-9781788161695
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. 'A Reward of £50 a year for life is offered to any man who will undertake to live for 7 years underground without seeing a human face.' Herbert Powyss's advert, taken out in 1793, attracts just one applicant ? farmer John Warlow ? but the consequences of the experiment reach further than either of them anticipated. Seller Inventory # 516222
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Dust Jacket Condition: New. First Edition. A fine unread 1st impression in a fine dustwrapper. Signed by the author on the title page. Waterstones exclusive edition with a green edgestain to the text block. Signed by Author(s). Seller Inventory # 009079