A young couple are caught in an avalanche during a ski-ing holiday in the French Alps. They struggle back to the village and find it deserted. As the days go by they wait for rescue, then try to leave. But each time they find themselves back in the village. And, increasingly, they are plagued by visions and dreams and the realization that perhaps no-one could have survived the avalanche. THE SILENT LAND is a brooding and tender look at love and whether it can survive the greatest challenge we will ever face.
The Silent Land
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Product Description
Book Description
The haunting new literary fantasy from the World Fantasy Award winning author of MEMOIRS OF A MASTER FORGER, now available in mass market paperback.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
About the Author
Graham Joyce was born into a Coventry mining family and now lives in Leicester. In addition to writing he teaches a Creative Writing course at Nottingham University. He is a multiple winner of the WORLD and BRITISH FANTASY AWARDS and has been shortlisted for the WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 37 people found the following review helpful
By Kim Slater
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
The Silent Land
Zoe and Jake are on a skiing holiday and survive an avalanche whilst out on the slopes. When they emerge from the snow, the resort is completely deserted....
I started reading The Silent Land just as the first thick blanket of snow fell here which felt weirdly like the story was seeping into real life! But the writing is so good that even if it had been the middle of summer, the characters and story would have been alive and kicking in between reads.
I felt the narrative was unique in that it appeared to have relentless pace and tension, yet the story alternated between slow swathes of time where Zoe and Jake seemed to have all the time in the world to enjoy their surroundings to sudden key strange happenings and shifts in their environment and concepts of reality and time. Throughout it all Joyce's enviable storytelling skills somehow make it all so believable.
His language is poetic and wonderfully descriptive, such that although I have never been skiing, I could imagine perfectly the beauty and appeal of the setting. His portrayal of Zoe and Jake's love is so touching and effective, without ever becoming sentimental.
The Silent Land is above love, loss and the way we choose to live our lives. Joyce manages to touch the reader on a level where you start to think about your own life and values. The story and characters stay firmly in the reader's mind after it is finished, leaving you to interpret and mull over the gripping final scenes repeatedly. I really did not want it to get to the final page and would thoroughly recommend the book without reservation.
Zoe and Jake are on a skiing holiday and survive an avalanche whilst out on the slopes. When they emerge from the snow, the resort is completely deserted....
I started reading The Silent Land just as the first thick blanket of snow fell here which felt weirdly like the story was seeping into real life! But the writing is so good that even if it had been the middle of summer, the characters and story would have been alive and kicking in between reads.
I felt the narrative was unique in that it appeared to have relentless pace and tension, yet the story alternated between slow swathes of time where Zoe and Jake seemed to have all the time in the world to enjoy their surroundings to sudden key strange happenings and shifts in their environment and concepts of reality and time. Throughout it all Joyce's enviable storytelling skills somehow make it all so believable.
His language is poetic and wonderfully descriptive, such that although I have never been skiing, I could imagine perfectly the beauty and appeal of the setting. His portrayal of Zoe and Jake's love is so touching and effective, without ever becoming sentimental.
The Silent Land is above love, loss and the way we choose to live our lives. Joyce manages to touch the reader on a level where you start to think about your own life and values. The story and characters stay firmly in the reader's mind after it is finished, leaving you to interpret and mull over the gripping final scenes repeatedly. I really did not want it to get to the final page and would thoroughly recommend the book without reservation.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Ichabod
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Achingly lovely book, made me ponder. I read it over a few of the hottest days this year..May 2011..but felt the cold, the iciness and the sadness. As I was reading it, I kept saying to my family, this is SUCH a good book, I am fairly hard to please but The Silent Land pleased me
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I first read 'The Silent Land' back in June as an early reading copy yet in spite of all the books I have read since this story has remained with me, the mark of a great book in my opinion. The plot is reminiscent of the series 'The Twilight Zone'; while on a skiing holiday in the Pyrenes Zoe and Jake are caught in an early morning avalance, from which it would appear that they should not have survived; but they do. Returning to the village they find it deserted, after a few days they decide to try to leave but find out they can't, however they try to leave, skiing or by car they keep ending back at the village. Are they alive, dead, or somewhere inbetween? This is the mystery they and the reader have to solve.
The title 'The Silent Land', comes from the famous poem 'Remember' by Christina Georgina Rossetti, which is quoted at the front of the novel; therefore it gives nothing away to say that this story is about death. It is also a poignant, supernatural love story, but not at all sentimental. The main, and for the most part only characters are Zoe, Jake and the beautiful snowy landscape that surrounds them and by the end of the book I felt that I really knew these people and cared about them. I can't deny that this book is sad, but it also has humour and ultimately left me with a tear in my eye and a smile on my face.
A book for anyone who really likes to get to grips with the characters and for those who like strange supernatural tales. The plot may not feel 'original' but the execution brings something new to it. A perfect Winter read, curl up by the fire with a mug of hot chocolate and enjoy.
The title 'The Silent Land', comes from the famous poem 'Remember' by Christina Georgina Rossetti, which is quoted at the front of the novel; therefore it gives nothing away to say that this story is about death. It is also a poignant, supernatural love story, but not at all sentimental. The main, and for the most part only characters are Zoe, Jake and the beautiful snowy landscape that surrounds them and by the end of the book I felt that I really knew these people and cared about them. I can't deny that this book is sad, but it also has humour and ultimately left me with a tear in my eye and a smile on my face.
A book for anyone who really likes to get to grips with the characters and for those who like strange supernatural tales. The plot may not feel 'original' but the execution brings something new to it. A perfect Winter read, curl up by the fire with a mug of hot chocolate and enjoy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Supernatural suspense
A young couple on a skiing holiday are caught in an avalanche. They manage to free themselves only to find the resort has been evacuated due to fears of further landslips. Read more
Published 13 days ago by joyfrankie
1.0 out of 5 stars
One of the worst books I've ever read
I saw this book on amazon a while again and was really looking forward to reading it, but I was so disappointed when I finally got round to reading it. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Gizmo
4.0 out of 5 stars
A refreshing read.
I found the story interesting and the characters believable. This was key to the success of the book overall. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Greekfoodie
3.0 out of 5 stars
Could have been so much more.
The Silent Land gets a straight up three for the premise and the premise alone.
Having thought about it, this would have been much better served as a short story. Read more
Having thought about it, this would have been much better served as a short story. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Burning Amnesia
5.0 out of 5 stars
Could not put this down!
I literally, just today, started/finished this book! My God! Soooooooooo triumphant! As a HUGE fan of Graham Joyce as it is, I picked up this book with great optimism (having... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Barclays
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Silent land
Enjoyable read. Well written, which is a necessity for me, and real enough characters. Only minor complaint is that the denouement was pretty well sign-posted about half way... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Kevin Godfrey
3.0 out of 5 stars
A cliche-ridden requiem for life & love
Zoe and Jake are trapped in an avalanche while on a skiing holiday, but somehow manage to escape. Or do they? Read more
Published 11 months ago by neverendings
4.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely flawed, but the intriguing premise saved it!
It's quite hard to explain what this book is about. It opens with a young married couple, Zoe and Jake, out skiing in the early morning. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Miss E. Potten
5.0 out of 5 stars
The silent land
I purchased this book on a whim and im so glad I did. This book is awe inspiring to people who take our world for granted. Read more
Published 13 months ago by cinders
3.0 out of 5 stars
Doesn't fully deliver on its potential
This is the story of Zoe and Jake who are caught in a avalanche in the Pyrenees. After they manage to dig themselves out they return to the ski resort where they are staying only... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Tinhead
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