The international bestseller, translated by the award-winning translator of The Tobacconist, Charlotte Collins
Winner of the European Union Prize for Literature
'Original and captivating . . . its quiet charm in straightforward prose belies its sharp insight into the human condition' Stylist
'It is impossible to look away from it' Guardian
'Dazzling' John Irving
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I've known Death a long time but now Death knows me.
When their idyllic childhood is shattered by the sudden death of their parents, siblings Marty, Liz and Jules are sent to a bleak state boarding school. Once there, the orphans' lives change tracks: Marty throws himself into academic life; Liz is drawn to dark forms of escapism; and Jules transforms from a vivacious child to a withdrawn teenager.
The only one who can bring him out of his shell is his mysterious classmate Alva, who hides a dark past of her own, but despite their obvious love for one another, the two leave school on separate paths.
Years later, just as it seems that they can make amends for time wasted, the past catches up with them, and fate - or chance - will once again alter the course of a life.
Told through the fractured lives of the siblings, The End of Loneliness is a heartfelt, enriching novel about loss and loneliness, family and love.
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'This novel has been rightfully described as something of a masterpiece. One thing is for sure - it is not easily forgotten' Sunday Post
'Beautifully rendered: moving and wise, occasionally timeless . . . when Wells most needs to be sophisticated, he is' Irish Times
'A superbly insightful story' BookRiot
Marty, Liz and Jules' idyllic childhood with their loving parents in Munich is shattered by the death of their parents in a car crash, and their charmed life is exchanged for a bleak state boarding school.
As the three deal with the death of their parents in very different ways, they become estranged from one another; Marty focussing on his career; Liz turning to different forms of escapision; and Jules turning from a vivacious child to a quiet, withdrawn teenager. Whilst at boarding school he meets the mysterious and charming Alva - but he will only realise years later what she means to him; and what she has never told him. Just as it seems that they can make amends for the time wasted, the past catches up with them...
Told episodically through the fractured lives of the siblings, The End of Loneliness is a heartfelt, enriching novel about loss, loneliness, family and love.
The writing is as luminous as the subject is dark.
