Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Mar 2009
256 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
A novel of chilling suspense about a father who will do anything to protect his teenage daughter.
Following the tragic deaths of his wife and son, antiques dealer Terence Cave is left alone to raise his only daughter, fifteen-year-old Bryony. As the young girl struggles to come to terms with the loss of her twin brother, Reuben, Terence observes changes in her behavior—changes he believes are more dangerous than the common trials of adolescence. In order to protect her, he begins to follow her whenever she leaves the house, becoming increasingly paranoid about her safety.
Bryony resents her father’s lack of trust and refuses to obey the draconian rules he dictates to her, despite his warnings. And when Terence realizes that the boy Bryony is in love with was present when Reuben died, his fear drives him to act—with disastrous results.
A brilliant psychological investigation into the relationship between parents and teenagers, and a story of nail-biting tension, Matt Haig’s compelling third novel is truly unforgettable.
"What could have been an original look at human relationships unfortunately devolves into a heavy-handed study." - Publishers Weekly.
"Thoroughly capturing a father's desperation, fear, pain, and madness over family fatalities, Haig is a good interpreter of the human soul." - Library Journal.
"[A] compelling book; a page-turner in the best sense of the word, in that most of the suspense comes from character." - The Guardian (UK).
"Beneath these literary flourishes, Cave's grotesque zeal commands the reader's almost voyeuristic attention, and delivers an enthralling addition to the literature of demented protagonists." - The Independent.
This information about The Possession of Mr. Cave was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Kan Lailey
Matt Haig is the number one bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive, Notes on a Nervous Planet and six highly acclaimed novels for adults, including How to Stop Time, The Humans and The Radleys. His latest novel is The Midnight Library and the audiobook edition is read by Carey Mulligan. Haig also writes award-winning books for children, including A Boy Called Christmas, which is being made into a feature film with an all-star cast. He has sold more than a million books in the UK and his work has been translated into over forty languages.
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