The Caves of Alienation

Stuart Evans is the author of eight novels, including The Gardens of the Casino, Meritocrats, and The Windmill Hill Sequence, as well as two volumes of verse: The Function of the Foal and Imaginary Gardens with real Toads.

A story of unfolding revelation, this multi-voiced narrative examines the difficult, fascinating character of Caradock, whose family made its fortune from the industry of Wales, but whose childhood in the Welsh valleys only fueled his desire to leave. Chronicling his efforts to escape, the novel recalls his crucial first encounters with sex, his literary success in London, and his final withdrawal to Wales. Told from a variety of viewpoints--some conflicting, all interrelated--the narrative shifts from friends and enemies, literary rivals, and lovers to critics and even television and radio documentaries, all of which juggle fragments of truth. Caradock's own novels and essays play a vital part in the story. All this makes for an exhilarating, kaleidoscopic read, funny and profound by turns, yet never flinching in its portrayal of Caradock and his deepest preoccupations.