Heliopolis (Scudamore novel)

For the 1949 novel by Ernst Jünger, see Heliopolis (Jünger novel).

Heliopolis
First edition
AuthorJames Scudamore
GenreNovel
PublisherHarvill Press
Publication date
February 2009
Publication placeEngland
Media typePrint
Pages278 pp
ISBN978-1-84655-188-8

Heliopolis is a 2009 novel by the British author James Scudamore. It is set in the city and surrounding areas of contemporary São Paulo, Brazil, and follows the story of a young, favela-born man, Ludo dos Santos. The book was nominated for the 2009 Man Booker Prize and is Scudamore's second novel.[1]

Reception

Critic Henry Shukman of The Guardian notes, "The novel is cleverly pitched to explore the two socioeconomic poles of modern urban Brazil. And the writing is exemplary: you feel the hand of a natural at work, one whose command of tone is strong, and who has an instinctive feel for handling a story."[2] Writing in The Telegraph of London, reviewer Sinclair McKay calls the novel "a dark, gripping, often comic novel concerning appetite, urban poverty and identity."[3]

Heliopolis was listed as one of the final dozen nominees for the 2009 Man Booker Prize.[1] Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall ultimately won.[4]

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Judges decide on Man Booker Dozen". The Man Booker Prizes - News. The Booker Prize Foundation. Archived from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  2. ^ Shukman, Henry (30 January 2009). "Flight from the favela". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  3. ^ McKay, Sinclair (20 January 2009). "Heliopolis by James Scudamore - review". The Telegraph (UK). Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  4. ^ "Wolf Hall wins the 2009 Man Booker Prize for Fiction". The Man Booker Prizes - News. The Booker Prize Foundation. Retrieved 26 April 2012.