Lauren Owen was born in 1985. She studied at Oxford University and the University of East Anglia, where she received the 2009 Curtis Brown Prize for the best fiction dissertation. "The Quick" is her first novel. She lives in Northern England.
"A suspenseful, gloriously atmospheric first novel, and a feast of
gothic storytelling that is impossible to resist."--Kate Atkinson,
bestselling author of "Life After Life "and" Case Histories"
" "
"A cracking good read . . . Owen takes the gothic conventions of
the vampire novel in a refreshing new direction."--Deborah
Harkness, author of "A Discovery of Witches" and "The Book of
Life"
"Reading the blurbs on the dust jacket of Lauren Owen's first
novel--from such luminaries as Kate Atkinson, Hilary Mantel, and
Tana French--readers might think they're about to embark on a
high-handed version of the Gothic novel, full of metafictions and
literary allusions. These do appear, along with some beautiful
language, but by Page 100, when the first neck is about to be
bitten, "The Quick" drops its cloak and becomes a good
old-fashioned vampire novel. . . . [It's full of] wonderful
inventions, while still providing the torn collars and hungry looks
the genre demands. . . . What fun."--"The New York Times Book
Review" (Editor's Choice)
""The Quick" is that rare book that reviewers and readers live for:
both plot- and character-driven, a stay-up-all-night-reading romp
of more than 500 pages that you'll desperately wish was double
that. This is elegant, witty, force-of-nature writing, and Lauren
Owen should have a long and illustrious career ahead of her."--"The
Dallas Morning News"
" "
"The book's energy, its wide reach and rich detail make it a
confident example of the 'unputdownable' novel."--"The
Economist"
"Ambitious, elegant, atmospheric, and often deeply poignant, "The
Quick" is a seamless blend of Victorian London and rich
imagination. This is a book to savor."--Tana French, bestselling
author of "In the Woods" and "Broken Harbor"
"[A] creepy debut . . . a thrilling tale . . . This book will give
you chills even on a hot day."--Minneapolis "Star Tribune"
" "
"Forget Jack the Ripper--it's the curiously pale aristocratic types
you need to beware of in this supernatural Gothic nightmare. . . .
Owen's stylishly sinister world of betrayal and Lovecraftian
monsters will have you sleeping with the lights on."--"O: The Oprah
Magazine"
"A sly and glittering addition to the literature of the macabre . .
. As soon as you have breathed with relief, much worse horrors
begin. It's a skilled, assured performance, and it's hard to
believe it is a first novel."--Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of
"Wolf Hall "and" Bring Up the Bodies"
"A big, sly bucketful of the most tremendous fun . . . At first,
"The Quick" seems like a really terrific, plain old tale of
yesteryear--A la John Banville or Peter Carey or Eleanor Catton. .
. . [But then] things begin to really rollick. . . . [Owen] weaves
what's here with what's beyond as easily as J.K. Rowling does, and
as with Rowling, she seems to feel particularly at home with the
beyond."--"Slate"
"[An author of] prodigious gifts . . . Owen captures Dickens's
London with glee and produces a number of characters Dickens would
be happy to call his own."--"Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"
""The Quick" is ambitious in both scope and structure. . . . Her
London is exquisitely detailed. . . . [Owen] inhabits the breadth
and panorama of the Victorian tale."--"The Washington Post"
"The first quarter of this debut novel is a lovely, poetic tale. .
. . The last half is entirely bonkers and totally unexpected. Read
it with the lights on."--"The New Republic"
" "
"Make no mistake, "The Quick" is good reading. . . . Adventure of
the first order, firmly rooted in both the tropes of the genre and
the skilfully rendered texture of the period . . . driven by sharp
storytelling, thought-provoking ideas, and strong
characters."--"The Globe and Mail"
" "
"Like the best gothic fiction, this dark tale of manners and morals
closely guards its secrets; over hundreds of pages, one unspoken
word lurks in the corners of every character's and reader's mind.
By the end of Owen's precocious first novel, set in the narrow
streets and cavernous interiors of Victorian England, you will
understand viscerally how monsters are made and what it means to be
human."--"More "magazine
"Lauren Owen is an impressive storyteller and with this ambitious
debut, the literary world will soon take notice. Part gothic
mystery, part Victorian romance, "The Quick" is a novel where the
glamorous and the macabre collide. . . . With suspenseful rhythm
and illustrious prose, Owen succeeds at crafting a fresh,
enchanting portrait of Victorian London wrapped around an
irresistible mystery that is at once beautiful and
terrifying."--"Bustle"
" "
"["The Quick"] hits the mark in terms of suspense and gothic
literature. . . . Reminiscent of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and
[Elizabeth] Kostova's "The Historian.""--"The Times-News"
"If you are a fan of literary Gothic--think Susanna Clarke or John
Harwood--buy this book. You won't regret it. . . . A long gallery
of beautifully drawn characters makes the many pages of "The Quick"
turn as swiftly as those of a Wilkie Collins
novel."--"BookPage"
"Seductive . . . extraordinarily polished . . . a book for readers
to lose themselves in."--"Publishers Weekly" (starred review)
"Lauren Owen--a brand-new author with an M.A. in Victorian
Literature--has produced her own mind-bending tour de
force."--"Locus"
"Owen has created an intricate world in which the reader feels a
part. Take the trip, if you dare, into a luscious Victorian London
rendered by a gifted young British writer who seems weaned on equal
parts Sherlock Holmes, Buffy Summers and Harry Potter."--"Shelf
Awareness"
"An intricate, sinister epic . . . an impressive feat . . . Owen
proves a master at anticipating readers' thoughts about future
happenings and then crumbling them into dust. Her world building is
exceptional, and readers will simultaneously embrace and shrink
from the atmosphere's elegant ghastliness."--"Booklist"
"An elegantly written gothic epic . . . Owen's soaring imagination
and her light-handed take on magic save this story from being
either obvious or boring. . . . The journey from one genre to
another is satisfying and surprisingly fresh."--"Kirkus
Reviews"
"An intriguing blend of historical, gothic, and supernatural
fiction . . . ["The Quick "features] wonderful atmospheric
writing."--"Library Journal"
"Reading the blurbs on the dust jacket of Lauren Owen's first
novel--from such luminaries as Kate Atkinson, Hilary Mantel, and
Tana French--readers might think they're about to embark on a
high-handed version of the Gothic novel, full of metafictions and
literary allusions. These do appear, along with some beautiful
language, but by Page 100, when the first neck is about to be
bitten, "The Quick" drops its cloak and becomes a good
old-fashioned vampire novel. . . . [It's full of] wonderful
inventions, while still providing the torn collars and hungry looks
the genre demands. . . . What fun."--"The New York Times Book
Review" (Editor's Choice)
""The Quick" is that rare book that reviewers and readers live for:
both plot- and character-driven, a stay-up-all-night-reading romp
of more than 500 pages that you'll desperately wish was double
that. This is elegant, witty, force-of-nature writing, and Lauren
Owen should have a long and illustrious career ahead of her."--"The
Dallas Morning News"
" "
""The Quick" is ambitious in both scope and structure. . . . Her
London is exquisitely detailed. . . . [Owen] inhabits the breadth
and panorama of the Victorian tale."--"The Washington Post"
"Forget Jack the Ripper--it's the curiously pale aristocratic types
you need to beware of in this supernatural Gothic nightmare. . . .
Owen's stylishly sinister world of betrayal and Lovecraftian
monsters will have you sleeping with the lights on."--"O: The Oprah
Magazine"
"A big, sly bucketful of the most tremendous fun . . . At first,
"The Quick" seems like a really terrific, plain old tale of
yesteryear--a la John Banville or Peter Carey or Eleanor Catton. .
. . [But then] things begin to really rollick. . . . [Owen] weaves
what's here with what's beyond as easily as J.K. Rowling does, and
as with Rowling, she seems to feel particularly at home with the
beyond."--"Slate"
"The first quarter of this debut novel is a lovely, poetic tale. .
. . The last ha
Advance praise for "The Quick"
"[A] creepy debut . . . a thrilling tale . . . This book will give
you chills even on a hot day."--Minneapolis "Star Tribune"
" "
"Lauren Owen is an impressive storyteller and with this ambitious
debut, the literary world will soon take notice. Part gothic
mystery, part Victorian romance, "The Quick" is a novel where the
glamorous and the macabre collide. . . . With suspenseful rhythm
and illustrious prose, Owen succeeds at crafting a fresh,
enchanting portrait of Victorian London wrapped around an
irresistible mystery that is at once beautiful and
terrifying."--"Bustle"
"The first quarter of this debut novel is a lovely, poetic tale. .
. . The last half is entirely bonkers and totally unexpected. Read
it with the lights on."--"The New Republic"
"Seductive . . . extraordinarily polished . . . [Owen] packs many
surprises into her tale, making it a book for readers to lose
themselves in."--"Publishers Weekly "(starred review)
"A suspenseful, gloriously atmospheric first novel, and a feast of
gothic storytelling that is impossible to resist."--Kate Atkinson,
bestselling author of "Life After Life "and "Case Histories"
"A sly and glittering addition to the literature of the macabre . .
. As soon as you have breathed with relief, much worse horrors
begin. It's a skilled, assured performance, and it's hard to
believe it is a first novel."--Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of
"Wolf Hall "and" Bring Up the Bodies"
"Ambitious, elegant, atmospheric, and often deeply poignant, "The
Quick" is a seamless blend of Victorian London and rich
imagination. This is a book to savor."--Tana French, bestselling
author of "In the Woods" and "Broken Harbor
"
"The book's energy, its wide reach and rich detail make it a
confident example of the 'unputdownable' novel."--"The
Economist
"
"Owen has created an intricate world in which the reader feels a
part. Take the trip, if you dare, into a lusci
Advance praise for "The Quick"
"The first quarter of this debut novel is a lovely, poetic tale. .
. . The last half is entirely bonkers and totally unexpected. Read
it with the lights on."--"The New Republic"
"Seductive . . . extraordinarily polished . . . [Owen] packs many
surprises into her tale, making it a book for readers to lose
themselves in."--"Publishers Weekly "(starred review)
"A suspenseful, gloriously atmospheric first novel, and a feast of
gothic storytelling that is impossible to resist."--Kate Atkinson,
bestselling author of "Life After Life "and "Case Histories"
"A sly and glittering addition to the literature of the macabre . .
. As soon as you have breathed with relief, much worse horrors
begin. It's a skilled, assured performance, and it's hard to
believe it is a first novel."--Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of
"Wolf Hall "and" Bring Up the Bodies"
"Ambitious, elegant, atmospheric, and often deeply poignant, "The
Quick" is a seamless blend of Victorian London and rich
imagination. This is a book to savor."--Tana French, bestselling
author of "In the Woods" and "Broken Harbor
"
"An intricate, sinister epic . . . an impressive feat . . . Owen
proves a master at anticipating readers' thoughts about future
happenings and then crumbling them into dust. Her world building is
exceptional, and readers will simultaneously embrace and shrink
from the atmosphere's elegant ghastliness."--"Booklist"
"The book's energy, its wide reach and rich detail make it a
confident example of the 'unputdownable' novel."--"The
Economist
"
"An elegantly written gothic epic . . . Owen's soaring imagination
and her light-handed take on magic save this story from being
either obvious or boring. . . . The journey from one genre to
another is satisfying and surprisingly fresh."--"Kirkus Reviews
"
"An intriguing blend of historical, gothic, and supernatural
fiction . . . ["The Quick "features] wonderful atmosph
Advance praise for "The Quick"
"Seductive . . . extraordinarily polished . . . [Owen] packs many
surprises into her tale, making it a book for readers to lose
themselves in."--"Publishers Weekly "(starred review)
"A suspenseful, gloriously atmospheric first novel, and a feast of
gothic storytelling that is impossible to resist."--Kate Atkinson,
bestselling author of "Life After Life "and "Case Histories"
"A sly and glittering addition to the literature of the macabre . .
. As soon as you have breathed with relief, much worse horrors
begin. It's a skilled, assured performance, and it's hard to
believe it is a first novel."--Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of
"Wolf Hall "and" Bring Up the Bodies"
"Ambitious, elegant, atmospheric, and often deeply poignant, "The
Quick" is a seamless blend of Victorian London and rich
imagination. This is a book to savor."--Tana French, bestselling
author of "In the Woods" and "Broken Harbor
"
"An intricate, sinister epic . . . an impressive feat . . . Owen
proves a master at anticipating readers' thoughts about future
happenings and then crumbling them into dust. Her world building is
exceptional, and readers will simultaneously embrace and shrink
from the atmosphere's elegant ghastliness."--"Booklist"
"The book's energy, its wide reach and rich detail make it a
confident example of the 'unputdownable' novel."--"The
Economist
"
"An elegantly written gothic epic . . . Owen's soaring imagination
and her light-handed take on magic save this story from being
either obvious or boring. . . . The journey from one genre to
another is satisfying and surprisingly fresh."--"Kirkus Reviews
"
"An intriguing blend of historical, gothic, and supernatural
fiction . . . ["The Quick "features] wonderful atmospheric
writing."--"Library Journal"
Advance praise for "The Quick"
"Seductive . . . extraordinarily polished . . . [Owen] packs many
surprises into her tale, making it a book for readers to lose
themselves in."--"Publishers Weekly "(starred review)
"A suspenseful, gloriously atmospheric first novel, and a feast of
gothic storytelling that is impossible to resist."--Kate Atkinson,
bestselling author of "Life After Life "and "Case Histories"
"A sly and glittering addition to the literature of the macabre . .
. As soon as you have breathed with relief, much worse horrors
begin. It's a skilled, assured performance, and it's hard to
believe it is a first novel."--Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of
"Wolf Hall "and" Bring Up the Bodies"
"Ambitious, elegant, atmospheric, and often deeply poignant, "The
Quick" is a seamless blend of Victorian London and rich
imagination. This is a book to savor."--Tana French, bestselling
author of "In the Woods" and "Broken Harbor
"
"An intricate, sinister epic . . . an impressive feat . . . Owen
proves a master at anticipating readers' thoughts about future
happenings and then crumbling them into dust. Her world building is
exceptional, and readers will simultaneously embrace and shrink
from the atmosphere's elegant ghastliness."--"Booklist"
"Seductive . . . extraordinarily polished . . . a book for readers
to lose themselves in."--"Publishers Weekly" (starred review)
"The book's energy, its wide reach and rich detail make it a
confident example of the 'unputdownable' novel."--"The
Economist
"
"An elegantly written gothic epic . . . Owen's soaring imagination
and her light-handed take on magic save this story from being
either obvious or boring. . . . The journey from one genre to
another is satisfying and surprisingly fresh."--"Kirkus Reviews
"
"An intriguing blend of historical, gothic, and supernatural
fiction . . . ["The Quick "features] wonderful atmospheric
writing."--"Library Journal"into the mango t
Advance praise for "The Quick"
"Transporting."--"Cosmopolitan"
"A suspenseful, gloriously atmospheric first novel, and a feast of
gothic storytelling that is impossible to resist."--Kate Atkinson,
bestselling author of "Life After Life "and "Case Histories"
"A sly and glittering addition to the literature of the macabre . .
. As soon as you have breathed with relief, much worse horrors
begin. It's a skilled, assured performance, and it's hard to
believe it is a first novel."--Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of
"Wolf Hall "and" Bring Up the Bodies"
"Ambitious, elegant, atmospheric, and often deeply poignant, "The
Quick" is a seamless blend of Victorian London and rich
imagination. This is a book to savor."--Tana French, bestselling
author of "In the Woods" and "Broken Harbor"
Advance praise for "The Quick"
"A suspenseful, gloriously atmospheric first novel, and a feast of
gothic storytelling that is impossible to resist."--Kate Atkinson,
bestselling author of "Life After Life "and "Case Histories"
"A sly and glittering addition to the literature of the macabre . .
. As soon as you have breathed with relief, much worse horrors
begin. It's a skilled, assured performance, and it's hard to
believe it is a first novel."--Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of
"Wolf Hall "and" Bring Up the Bodies"
"Ambitious, elegant, atmospheric, and often deeply poignant, "The
Quick" is a seamless blend of Victorian London and rich
imagination. This is a book to savor."--Tana French, bestselling
author of "In the Woods" and "Broken Harbor"
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