En route to america with a cargo of african slaves, the crew of the liverpool merchant, enraged at the captains impotence in the face of disease, carry out a. Norton, and it takes place aboard a slave ship where mutiny and rebellion abound. Sacred hunger is written by the british novelist barry unsworth. Man booker prize for barry unsworth the cowinner was michael ondaatjes the. Barry unsworth won the booker prize with sacred hunger and has been shortlisted for pascalis island and morality play. The liverpool merchant sets off to exchange manufactured goods for slaves in west africa, who can in turn be traded in the west indies for commodities valued in britain. The novel is set in the 17th century in england, america, the carribbean and africa. This is the first book in the sacred hunger duology, and the second book follows the same characters. Erasmus kemp, the son of a lancashire merchant, and matthew paris, a scholar and surgeon just released from prison for denying holy writ. The phrase, sacred hunger, refers to the power of total control and, more, the desire. Barry unsworth 19302012 was a british novelist who wrote historical fiction. Reading sacred hunger, barry unsworths long and beautifully. The book is widely praised by critics for its sharp and witty insights, and its.
Sacred hunger sacred hunger, book 1 by barry unsworth book cover, description, publication history. The novel contains a vision of hell on earth unlike any in contemporary. Erasmus kemp is the intense, arrogant son of a slave ship owner, who holds the prevailing opinion of the day that the lawful accumulation. Sacred hunger is a historical novel by barry unsworth first published in 1992 by hamish hamilton. Free download or read online sacred hunger pdf epub book. Barry unsworth s novel, sacred hunger could well have been two books. The quality of mercy opens in the spring of 1767, in the immediate aftermath of the events in barry unsworth s sacred hunger.
Sacred hunger is one of those books that stays on your mind long after youve finished it. Barry unsworth follows the failing fortunes of william kemp, a merchant pinning his last chance to a slave ship. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 630 pages and is available in paperback format. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are william kemp, erasmus kemp. Sign me up to get more news about historical fiction books. Barry unsworth has 29 books on goodreads with 37120 ratings. Barry unsworth s parable of capitalism aboard a slave ship is told with vigour and conviction published.
Barry unsworth 19302012, who won the booker prize for sacred hunger, was a booker prize finalist for morality play and was longlisted for the. He won the booker prize with sacred hunger and was shortlisted for pascalis island and morality play. The story is set in the mid 18th century and centres on the liverpool merchant, a slave ship employed in the triangular trade, a central trade route in the atlantic slave trade. Sacred hunger is a historical novel by barry unsworth first published in 1992. It follows the fortunes of two central characters from that book. The first edition of the novel was published in 1992, and was written by barry unsworth.
Barry unsworth is often thought of as an historical novelist. The phrase, sacred hunger, refers to the power of total control and, more, the desire to own all of a family, a country, a continent and this total control is the product of sacred hunger. Pdf sacred hunger book by barry unsworth free download. Sacred hunger is a stunning and engrossing exploration of power, domination, and greed. It shared the booker prize that year with michael ondaatjes the english patient the story is set in the mid 18th century and centres on the liverpool merchant, a slave ship employed in the triangular trade, a central trade route in the atlantic slave trade. Unsworth won a booker prize in 1992 for sacred hunger, a story of avarice set amid the atlantic slave trade of the 18th century. From 195153, in the british army, royal corps of signals, he served and became second lieutenant. Few of its readers are likely to forget barry unsworth s sacred hunger, a cowinner of the booker prize in 1992. Barry unsworth s novel sacred hunger is an exquisitely crafted tale of commerce and corruption set in 18th century england, at the heart of which lies the tension between the moral characters of two cousins. Barry unsworth returns to the terrain of his booker prizewinning novel sacred hunger, this time following sullivan, the irish fiddler, and erasmus kemp, son of a liverpool slave ship owner who hanged himself. Wonderful and heartbreakingit is a book of grace and meditative elegance, and of great moral.
Delaware county district library ohio scanned in china. Sacred hunger by barry unsworth 1993, paperback for sale. Unsworth has written a book whose stately pace, like the scope of its meditations, seems accurately to evoke the age. The quality of mercy sacred hunger, book 2 by barry unsworth. It is the spring of 1767, and to avenge his fathers death, erasmus kemp has had the rebellious sailors of his fathers ship, including sullivan, brought back to london to stand trial on. Sacred hunger by unsworth, barry, 1930publication date 1992 topics slave trade, historical fiction publisher new york. In this booker prizewinning work, barry unsworth follows the failing fortunes of william kemp, a merchant pinning his last sacred hunger is a stunning and engrossing exploration of power, domination, and greed. Its been several months since i promised to write this blog on sacred hunger, the book that shared the 1992 booker prize with the english patient. Barry unsworth was born in 1930 in a mining village in durham, and he attended stocktonontees grammar school and manchester university, b. A masterful, thoroughly engrossing tale from acclaimed historical novelist unsworth pascalis island, 1980. Barry unsworth had a robust historical imagination, and won the booker prize for sacred hunger, but less famous is his novel losing nelson, where a presentday observer interrogates the legend of the 18thcentury admiral, and has to rethink his hero worship.
Barry unsworth was born in 1930 and grew up in a mining town in northeast england. Sacred hunger is an ambitious drama based on the 18th century triangular slave trade route. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read sacred hunger. Barry unsworth was born in 1930 in a mining village in durham. Stone virgin, 1986about the british slave trade in the mid18th century and a shipboard mutiny from which arose a community based on racial equality. So, then, must be the hunger for it and the means we. William kemp has lost a fortune in cotton speculation, and must recoup his losses if his son is to marry the wealthy woman whom he loves. What struck me most reading this novel is my changing attitudes towards the protagonists. Sacred hunger by barry unsworth and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Barry unsworths novel, sacred hunger could well have been two books. Sacred hunger is a stunning and engrossing exploration of power, dom. Winner of the booker prize a historical novel set in the eighteenth century, sacred hunger is a stunning, engrossing exploration of power, domination, and greed in the british empire as it entered fully into the slave trade and spread it hroughout its colonies. Sullivan, an irish fiddler, and erasmus kemp, the son of a disgraced liverpool slaveship owner who hanged himself.
It shared the booker prize that year with michael ondaatjes the english patient one of my alltime favourite booker winners about the author. The two main characters are cousins erasmus kemp, son of. In one sense the description is unarguable, since a great deal of his work is set in the past, for example in the late ottoman empire pascalis island, 1980, the rage of the vulture 1982, in the atlantic slave trade sacred hunger, 1992, in medieval england morality play, 1995, in ancient troy the songs of the kings, 2002. Winner of the booker prize a historical novel set in the eighteenth century, sacred hunger is a stunning, engrossing exploration of power, domination, and greed in the british empire as it entered fully into the slave trade and spread it throughout its colonies. The writing is lovely and the philosophy is complicated and thought provoking. After university he served in the royal corps of signals. Barry unsworths parable of capitalism aboard a slave ship is told with vigour and conviction.
In the booker prizewinning work, barry unsworth follows the failing fortunes of william kemp, a merchant pinning his last chance to a slave ship. Money is sacred, as everyone knows, a character in barry unsworth s rich and beautifully written ninth novel says with great irony. Since unsworth won the pulitzer for this book i expected a lot and i wasnt disappointed. It shared the booker prize that year with michael ondaatje s the english patient. The novel is broken into two books, beginning in 1752 and 1753 and ending in 1765, with a decade or so separating the two. Buy a cheap copy of sacred hunger book by barry unsworth. Through the perspectives of erasmus kemp, son of the shipowner and an obsessive, insensitive youth. It is a novel that transcends its setting, illuminating larger truths that resonate to this day. Filled with the sacred hunger to expand its empire and its profits, england entered fully into the slave trade and spread the trade throughout its colonies.