|comment= I completely agree - the imagery could so easily have seemed forced but it doesn’t at all. It’s sad and haunting. The more deeply I read it the more imagery I started to see too - like the stranger who warns of the coming “storm” for poor old Futh. Credit to the Booker panel for spotting this book from an little known writer from a small publisher - it deserves the wider audience Booker nomination usually brings. Even more credit to them if it makes the short list ...