Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth

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About Barry Unsworth

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Sacred Hunger

» Barry Unsworth

Penguin
Paperback : 04 Feb 1993

£10.99

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Synopsis

Through the story of an 18th century slave ship, this novel explores moral choices, the corruptions of greed and material gain, and men's behaviour "in extremis". It also articulates current concerns of corruption and distress. The author was awarded the 1992 Booker Prize for this novel.

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Reviews

Customer Review: 11 September 2002

Reviewer: A reader from Portsmouth, England

'I went back to this book last week, for the first time in about five years. The odd thing is that even historical fiction ages. Not so in Mr. Unsworth's case. The writing remains crisp, the story absolutely addictive. I had just read a similar book set on the high seas, called the Requiem Shark. They're both highly evocative of their time, Shark a little less forgiving, Hunger more sweeping in its nature. I'm also a fan of Patrick O'Brien, but his books require a patience that neither Hunger or Shark demand with their doses of story and adrenaline. Buy Sacred Hunger, it didn't win the Booker Prize for nothing.

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Critic Review:

Barry Unsworth has written a brilliant book about a miracle play which gets mixed up with a murder... The sights and sounds, the physical impact of bedraggled play-acting, are unforgettable. And the strange birth of modern drama, on a cart carrying dirty costumes and a corpse, is memorably exciting.
John Mortimer, Mail on Sunday

Wonderfully vivid... this bleakly glittering novel... adds to its already impressive array of attraction the pace, suspense and twisty unexpectedness of a gripping detective tale.
Peter Kemp, Sunday Times

From the first, vital sentence, Unsworth's medieval drama grips the reader's attention... Unsworth's exquisite novel captures the filth and fear of the 14th century.
Nicola McAllister, Daily Telegraph

Brilliant... The ending is thrilling and unexpected, though nothing is beyond belief in this beautifully constructed, illuminating novel.
Nicholas Wollaston, Observer

A perfect novel... this book dazzles on every level.
Julie Myerson, Independent on Sunday