RaveThe Washington PostA deceptively slender book, Beast cements Kingsnorth’s reputation as a furiously gifted writer. This is not a comforting novel. It offers questions, answers none of them and leaves the reader with a bracing, hollowed-out feeling. But like the huge creature that haunts its pages, Beast has an uncanny power ... What the creature is, or whether it exists at all, is beside the point. Edward believes. He seeks the beast. And, as with all quests, he finds that wanting is more revelatory than having. With its echoes of Kafka and of dread-filled, myth-driven tales like John Gardner’s Grendel, Kingsnorth’s Beast is as cryptic as it is thrilling. It’s not for everyone, but for those who rise to its challenge, it’s not easily forgotten, either.
