Review
'Bloor's new book is a prequel to his first but could be read alone, for it is a compelling and inventive story ... Maddie, a "mountain of a girl" living in self-imposed incarceration in the family home, emerges as a wonderfully unlikely and unforgettable heroine, who finally breaks free of her fears. (The Daily Telegraph )
'subversive, funny and imaginative' (The Memory Prisoner) (The Observer )
'funny and tragic, but always gripping' (The Memory Prisoner) (The London Parents Guide )
'Bloor is to be congratulated on creating a genuine heroine, stout in courage, as well as size.' (The Memory Prisoner) (Nick Tucker, The Independent )
'If Royston Vasey had had a public library it might have resembled the one in Thomas Bloor's The Memory Prisoner... Bloor never wastes a word communicating his nightmare, contriving all at once to be moving, alarming and funny. It takes a while to adjust to the extreme oddity of this short novel as there is nothing to compare it with. Sooner or later someone is going to mention Kafka, but I will eschew the K word except to remark that what most people forget about Kafka is his lethal matter-of-factness.' (Jan Mark, TES )
'...a bizarrely comic account ...' (The Memory Prisoner) (Guardian )
'a dark gothic fantasy, reminiscent of Mervyn Peake' (The Memory Prisoner) (The Herald )
'subversive, funny and imaginative' (The Memory Prisoner) (The Observer )
'funny and tragic, but always gripping' (The Memory Prisoner) (The London Parents Guide )
'Bloor is to be congratulated on creating a genuine heroine, stout in courage, as well as size.' (The Memory Prisoner) (Nick Tucker, The Independent )
'If Royston Vasey had had a public library it might have resembled the one in Thomas Bloor's The Memory Prisoner... Bloor never wastes a word communicating his nightmare, contriving all at once to be moving, alarming and funny. It takes a while to adjust to the extreme oddity of this short novel as there is nothing to compare it with. Sooner or later someone is going to mention Kafka, but I will eschew the K word except to remark that what most people forget about Kafka is his lethal matter-of-factness.' (Jan Mark, TES )
'...a bizarrely comic account ...' (The Memory Prisoner) (Guardian )
'a dark gothic fantasy, reminiscent of Mervyn Peake' (The Memory Prisoner) (The Herald )
The Observer
'subversive, funny and imaginative' (The Memory Prisoner)
Nick Tucker, The Independent
'Bloor is to be congratulated on creating a genuine heroine, stout in courage, as well as size.' (The Memory Prisoner)
Guardian
'...a bizarrely comic account ...' (The Memory Prisoner)
The Herald
'a dark gothic fantasy, reminiscent of Mervyn Peake' (The Memory Prisoner)
Product Description
Set three years before the Memory Prisoner starts, Maddie is still deep in her self-imposed incarceration in her family home. A recent burglary has caused unease. Various items were stolen, including a framed photo – the only picture the family has of the children’s father, Quentin Palmer. Neither Maddie or Keith have any memory of him, and Mrs Palmer never speaks of him, except to say he’s ‘away on business’. But then one foggy night there’s a knock at the door. The errant father has returned – or has he? (20000701)
About the Author
Thomas Bloor is the winner of the 1999 Fidler Award for a first novel for 8-12 year old children. He is a part-time Special Educational Needs Assistant and lives in East London with his wife and two daughters. As well as writing, he paints, sculpts and puts together short films. (20000729)
