Pilcrow by Adam Mars-Jones

Adam Mars-Jones's Pilcrow is a wonderful and much-anticipated coming-of-age story from an acclaimed literary author.

'Gripping.' New Statesman
'Compulsive.' Observer
'Strange and exhilarating.' Sunday Times
'A joy to read.' Sunday Telegraph

'Constantly surprising.' London Review of Books


'One of the most original comic creations in recent fiction.' Guardian

Time passed slowly in the 1950s, especially if you'd been put to bed and told not to move (until further notice). But John Cromer, the central character of this extraordinary novel, is much closer to being an explorer than a victim. He's the weakest hero in fiction - unless he's one of the strongest.

The first instalment of the semi-infinite Pilcrow sequence, this novel of capacious wit and style marks the opening chapter of the most memorable and enjoyable experiment in modern fiction.

'Pilcrow is a humdinger, a startling work that stands out against the monotonous field of contemporary British fiction as a genuine, almost miraculous oddity.' Metro

Adam Mars-Jones's first book of stories,Lantern Lecture, was published in 1981 and won a Somerset Maugham Award. In 1983 and again in 1993 he was named one of Granta 's Best of Young British Novelists, despite not having produced a novel at the time. His Zen status as an acclaimed novelist without a novel was dented by the appearance ofThe Waters of Thirst, and can only suffer further with the appearance ofPilcrow , described by Margaret Drabble as 'one of the most remarkable novels I have read in recent years.'

Oct 24, 2023