A
ravishing novel from the
great family saga-teller Cressida Connolly and
an honourable tribute to the past * The Times, Best Books for the Summer *
Connolly's
vivid characterisation, supple prose and striking imagery sweep you along, in an absorbing and affecting saga that uses one family's story to anatomise the different stages of grief * Daily Telegraph *
In recent British fiction I can think
only of Tessa Hadley who rivals Connolly in exacting such intricate, compelling drama from close-knit families . . . I don't often wish a book were longer, but this one I did * Observer *
Masterful . . . a joy to see it garnering the ecstatic reviews it deserves -- Polly Samson, author of A Theatre for Dreamers
Moving [and]
powerful . . . Connolly's
vividly drawn characters grapple with trauma, unkindness and greed in an intriguing novel where past actions reverberate in the present * Daily Mirror *
Connolly, like Anne Tyler and Tessa Hadley, is
a master of fluidly shifting perspectives, a sharply witty observer of social class, and a champion of imaginative empathy * Daily Mail *
Bad Relations is
an amazing achievement and one of the most satisfying books you're likely to read this year * The Times *
Elegantly written, this subtle, satisfying, well-observed novel is a delight * Country and Town House, Books of 2022 *
Another fascinating, moving story from the author of After the Party
* Good Housekeeping *
This
clever novel set across three timelines tells the story of a family haunted by tragedy. A
skilfully written, powerful drama * BEST *
The plot is neat, tight and unexpected but the novel's deep satisfaction comes from Connolly's total immersion in historical atmosphere and profound understanding of human pain * Literary Review *
A gripping story of love, loss and tragic betrayal
* Country and Townhouse *
What if you could write a novel whose main plot points are a death in combat, a suicide and the breakdown of family relations, and make it
beautiful? What if you dared not to show the grimmest bits, but let them happen off-stage, while using
elegant, beautiful prose to paint the spaces around them?
Cressida Connolly is that brave writer and Bad Relations is her latest masterpiece . . . ravishing * The Times *
Haunting * Observer *
The characters in Bad Relations are so brilliantly real, so wonderfully compelling at their best, and at their worst, that I can't get them out of my head. A wonderful novel -- Nina Stibbe
A writer who seems able to peer directly into the human heart -- John Preston
Uncanny, evocative, atmospheric * Sunday Times on 'After the Party' *
Connolly is a terrifically subtle writer... [she] slyly sweeps her readers into the period drama as tensions tauten between families and social classes * Daily Telegraph on 'After the Party' *
Profound and moving and completely original, with a storyline that is completely satisfying. It'll be one of those novels that stays in my mind forever... it's a work of art -- Craig Brown on 'After the Party'
I finished it in two days flat and I've never read anything quite like it -- Hilary Spurling on 'After the Party'
A wonderfully subtle and interesting account of the Mosley women, with a compelling voice -- Linda Grant on 'After the Party'