The Albatross
First edition (collection)
AuthorSusan Hill
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
GenreSocial realism[1]
PublisherHamish Hamilton (collection)
Penguin Books (standalone)
Publication date
Feb 1971 / Nov 2000
Media typePrint & audio
Pages192 / 96
AwardsJohn Llewellyn Rhys Prize
ISBN0-241-01976-1 (collection)
ISBN 0-14-029330-2 (standalone)

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]

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]

References

  1. ^ a b The Albatross Summary - Susan Hill - Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition on ENotes Retrieved 2011-07-17.
  2. ^ Freeman, Hadley (18 October 2003). "Cotswold chameleon". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 January 2008.
  3. ^ "Edition details". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  4. ^ The Albatross - Study Texts S. (Book) by Susan Hill, et al. (1990): Waterstones.com Retrieved 2011-07-17.
  5. ^ a b Author's afterword in the 2000 Penguin edition of the book

External links

See also

Categories