We see that javascript is disabled or not supported by your browser - javascript is needed for important actions on the site. Read more

What's New - Home - Login

Member $avings: $81,566,877.43 | Books Available: 795,822 | Members Online: 64

Swap Used Books - Buy New Books at Great Prices!

How To Swap Books Sign Up Search submenu

PBS Market (New Books)

Gift Buying Guide

Book Browser Advanced Search Books Posted Today Member Book Reviews Award Winning Books NYT Best Sellers Amazon Best Sellers Most Traveled Copies Club Wish List

Discussion Forums Book Lists

Club Lists My Book Lists My Watched Lists Create a List

Blog Donations

School Donation Program In Memory of... Military Donation Program Friends of PBS

Box-O-Books Maps The Eclectic Pen Fun Stuff

20 Questions Sudoku Bookmark Creator

Top 100

Requests Posts Swappers Referrers Reviewers

Pulse of PBS Spread The Word

Invite Friends Bookmarks Facebook Page Facebook App More Ways...

Photo Gallery Recipes Club Tag Cloud Member Testimonials

Help Center submenu

How To Swap Books Browse Help Docs Ask the Librarian PBS Member Icons Live Help

Kiosk

PBS Market (New Books) Go Shopping Buy Credits Buy PBS Money Upgrade Membership Gift Certificates Transfer Credits

Need Help?

Search - A Scent of New-Mown Hay

A Scent of NewMown Hay
Author: John Blackburn

The old whimsical phrase "there's fungus among us" might not sound so amusing after a reader finishes John Blackburn's first novel, "A Scent of New-Mown Hay." This short but densely written book originally appeared in 1958, and is a curious combination of sci-fi, horror and spy thriller; indeed, I first came to hear of it after reading a very la... more »udatory article on the novel in the excellent overview volume "Horror: Another 100 Best Books." And yes, the book certainly does contain its horrific elements, although the less said about them, the better. I'd hate to spoil any surprises for prospective readers. Suffice it to say that the book opens in 1954, with General Kirk, of Britain's Foreign Service Intelligence, being informed that large sections of northern Russia have been reportedly evacuated and quarantined. Kirk, who would go on to figure in several other Blackburn novels, begins an investigation, and it is soon revealed that an ex-Nazi scientist may or may not have released a deadly, mutating organism into the world. The bulk of the novel details the race that Kirk and some dedicated biologists engage in to find the crazed scientist and stop the spread of the plague, with the action transpiring on the White Sea, in seedy Hamburg and in the English countryside. I would not divulge the nature of the deadly problem, but let's just say that those folks who have seen the 1963 Japanese thriller "Matango" will have an inkling of the sort of crisis that Kirk & Co. are dealing with here. The book moves along very rapidly, and contains some memorable set pieces, including a fog-shrouded run-in with the mutants on the Russian tundra; the final appearance of Mrs. Baker, a shoplifting British biddy who's been afflicted with the contagion; and the finale itself, with our heroes facing off against those responsible for the scourge. If I seem to be overly coy when describing this book or its plot points, again, it is solely because I enjoyed the story so much, and would hate to ruin things for any other reader. Blackburn, as it turns out, is a terrific writer, and it is hard for me to believe that this was his first book. The story is very well paced, very suspenseful, and at times almost poetically written. What a terrific film this tale might make, if handled with care by a team that respected Blackburn's vision. For those readers who are seeking a truly memorable page-turner, this book might be just the ticket...

ISBN: 184142
Publication Date: 1958
Pages: 192
Rating:

0 stars, based on 0 rating

Publisher: M.S. Mill Company and William Morrow & Company
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Write a Review

Genres:

Literature & Fiction >> Books & Reading

Back to the Top ↑

Search - A Scent of New-Mown Hay

Loading...