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Shy

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Shy

By: Max Porter
Narrated by: Joe Gaminara
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About this listen

From the bestselling author of Grief is the Thing with Feathers and Lanny, Shy is a novel about guilt, rage, imagination and boyhood. It is about being lost in the dark, and realising you are not alone.

'Max Porter is one of my favourite writers in the world.' George Saunders
'Beautiful and haunting.' Kevin Barry
'The strangest, most beguiling and affecting of all his books.' Ian Rankin
'A miracle of language.' Irish Times

This is the story of a few strange hours in the life of a troubled teenage boy.


You mustn't do that to yourself Shy. You mustn't hurt yourself like that.

He is wandering into the night listening to the voices in his head: his teachers, his parents, the people he has hurt and the people who are trying to love him.

Got your special meds, nutcase?

He is escaping Last Chance, a home for 'very disturbed young men', and walking into the haunted space between his night terrors, his past and the heavy question of his future.

'An act of humanity and grace, heightened by its distinctive form and artistry.' Telegraph

©2023 Max Porter (P)2023 Faber Audio
Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction
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I am a Porter fan and this one did not disappoint. Does require a fair bit of concentration as it’s dense and sort of abstract but it has stayed with me

Bleak but beautiful

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Was a very well written book and enjoyed reading it. Personally found it a little hard to understand the time line but that’s just me. Good ending

Well written

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Max Porter has written yet another lyrical, compassionate story. Loved it! Highly recommended! Read all his books!

Excellent!

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