{"product_id":"the-retreat-valancourt-20th-century-classics-paperback","title":"The Retreat (Valancourt 20th Century Classics) - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eForrest Reid\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eAndrew Doyle\u003c\/b\u003e (Introduction by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"He writes with such ease and simplicity, his stories, always unusual, are so exquisitely told, and when, as often happens, he takes you into regions not too far distant from fairyland, he has only to wave his wand to make you believe.\" - Ralph Straus, \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Mr. Reid is one of the most remarkable living fantasists . . .  A]t once charming and a psychological tour de force.\" - \u003ci\u003eLondon Mercury\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \" An] eerie, unusual, quite enchanting book.\" - \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Retreat\u003c\/i\u003e opens with a vivid dream about an evil sorcerer and his boy apprentice. The dreamer is Tom Barber, age 13, who, like many intelligent and sensitive children, moves between the world of everyday life and that of the imagination. \"I pretend things, and all at once they become real,\" Tom says, and they become real for the reader as well, as we follow him over the course of one summer during which the lines between reality and fantasy are frequently blurred. In his depiction of Tom's fantastic adventures in an unseen world - his attempts to thwart the malign influence of the cat Henry, whom he has observed scratching cabbalistic symbols on the gravel path; his meetings with the beautiful boy-angel Gamelyn; his conversations with animals; his experiences in the Garden of Eden - Forrest Reid's delicate artistry is at its finest and most delightful. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The second of Reid's three novels featuring Tom Barber, \u003ci\u003eThe Retreat\u003c\/i\u003e earned universal critical acclaim when first published in 1936. This edition includes a new introduction by Andrew Doyle and numerous never-before-published photographs and illustrations.\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 232\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.58 x 8 x 5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e December 30, 2014\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52539998110003,"sku":"9781941147511","price":41.18,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/RW50L2EwT1Z2VkxKbW9MVzZrVU9lZz09.webp?v=1760867873","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/products\/the-retreat-valancourt-20th-century-classics-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}