The Albatross
The Albatross is a novella written by Susan Hill, first appearing in the collection The Albatross and Other Stories published by Hamish Hamilton in 1971. It won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1972.[2] It appeared as a standalone book published by Penguin Books in 2000.[3] It is studied in GCSE English as an example of the best of modern women's writing.[4]
 First edition (collection) | |
| Author | Susan Hill |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Social realism[1] |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton (collection) Penguin Books (standalone) |
Publication date | Feb 1971 / Nov 2000 |
| Media type | Print & audio |
| Pages | 192 / 96 |
| Awards | John Llewellyn Rhys Prize |
| ISBN | 0-241-01976-1 (collection) ISBN 0-14-029330-2 (standalone) |
Plot introduction
The Albatross centers around Duncan, an intellectually disabled 18-year-old who has grown up with his domineering wheelchair-using mother[1] in Heype, a Suffolk seaside town based on Aldeburgh.[5] Duncan finds it difficult to cope with anything outside his daily routine but is forced to interact with the wider world when his claustrophobic relationship with his mother reaches a breaking point.
Inspiration
The story was partly inspired by local composer Benjamin Britten's opera Peter Grimes.[5]
Publication history
- 1971, UK, Hamish Hamilton, ISBN 0-241-01976-1, Pub date 11 Feb 1971, Hardback
- 1973, UK, Penguin, ISBN 0-14-003649-0, Pub date 25 Oct 1973, Paperback
- 1975, US, E.P. Dutton, ISBN 0-8415-0383-4, Hardback
- 1978, UK, Hamish Hamilton, ISBN 0-241-10090-9, Pub date Dec 1978, Hardback
- 1994, UK, Soundings, ISBN 1-854-96951-X, Audio cassette,[6] Read by Patricia Gallimore
- 1995, UK, Isis, ISBN 1-85695-383-1, Pub date Jun 1995, Large print
- 2000, UK, Penguin, ISBN 0-14-029330-2, Pub date 30 Nov 2000, Paperback
References
- The Albatross Summary - Susan Hill - Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition on ENotes Retrieved 2011-07-17.
- Freeman, Hadley (2003-10-18). "Cotswold chameleon". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2011-07-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Retrieved 2011-07-07.
- The Albatross - Study Texts S. (Book) by Susan Hill, et al. (1990): Waterstones.com Retrieved 2011-07-17.
- Author's afterword in the 2000 Penguin edition of the book
- The Albatross / Susan Hill. (sound recording) / - Version details - Trove Retrieved 2013-01-02.
- www.fantasticfiction.co.uk Retrieved 2012-11-18.
External links
- review of collection from Saturday Review Pub Date: Aug. 18th, 1975