The Infinities by John Banville

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A moving deathbed drama with the added bonus of some otherworldly interference. Superlative literary fiction

Banville's previous novel, The Sea, won the 2005 Man Booker Prize, and this moody, mischievous account of a family gathering is equally elegant and accomplished. The Godleys are awaiting the death of their father, a maths genius whose discoveries threw accepted wisdom into turmoil. As he lies comatose in an upstairs bedroom, his alcoholic wife, troubled daughter, hesitant son and gorgeous daughter-in-law try to come to terms with his imminent demise in a series of half-hearted conversations, emotional outbursts and scary incidents of self harm. To add a touch of levity, there are a few unlikely visitors – gods from Mount Olympus, whose shenanigans disrupt the family dynamic and lend a devil-may-care air to the atmosphere of melancholy.

(£14.99, Picador)

Review by Eithne Farry

Release date: Tuesday 1 September 2009

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