The Magnolia

by Philip Callow

Sent to a hospital on the edge of the moor to recover from 'nerve trouble', Daniel finds himself more and more distant from the world he once knew. The smallest, most routine things - a room of his won, the view from the window, the making of tea and coffee - begin to afford him intense pleasure. The complexities of the outside world hold few attractions for him; protected as he is from his wife, his mother-in-law, his brother, in hospital he is safe. Until he is made to leave and finds himself in a world crowded with the ghosts of his past life, forced to live in a society in which he feels an outsider.

234 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1994

About the author

British novelist, poet, and biographer.

Reviews

[Trinity · Rating 5 out of 5]

An existential look at an inert slice of life, the magnolia is a universal metaphor for the bones of a patient body that wait to fill with flesh until we know what it is we truly want.