Bookseller Reviews
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My favourite kind of novel- filled with heart and hope
Shy Creatures cements Clare Chambers as a go-to author now for me. I was gripped from the outset and swept along by her gentle yet compelling storytelling.... READ MORE
As always, a Clare Chambers novel is a pleasure to read.
Clare Chambers is a wonderful writer, and her new novel ‘Shy Creatures’ brings the past to life, particularly the early ‘60s.
‘Shy Creatures’ is inspire... READ MORE
A thoroughly engaging and intriguing read.
Engaging characters, authentic period detail and a mystery at its heart makes for an immersive and entertaining read.
I was immediately drawn into the wor... READ MORE
A sensitive, nuanced tale of seclusion
Clare Chambers is a writer with the almost seamless ability to gently take you into a character’s life, and create a beautiful sense of time and place.
... READ MORE
Beautiful book
The book is loosely based on a true story and I love the way the author has weaved fact and fiction to create a story that captures your heart and leaves y... READ MORE
Beautiful!
Croydon, 1964.
Helen Hansford is in her thirties, her occupation is art therapist in a psychiatric hospital which gives her life more meaning than she tho... READ MORE
Another BEAUTIFUL book
Absolutely loved this beautifully written , gentle , atmospheric book by Clare Chambers. If I could give it 10 stars I would. I never thought I would love ... READ MORE
Beautifully written
I was a huge fan of Small Pleasures and was therefore excited to read this. The story was intriguing and the author very cleverly took you back in time and... READ MORE
A beautifully observed study of human nature
This is a beautifully observed novel with strands interweaving. Helen is an art therapist in 1960s in a psychiatric hospital in Croydon. She falls in love ... READ MORE
What a pleasure this was! Devoured in two days flat!
Croydon, 1960s. Helen works as an art therapist in a psychiatric hospital. One day she is called to a derelict house to attend to a domestic crisis. There ... READ MORE
Synopsis
Croydon, 1964. Art therapist Helen Hansford is working in a psychiatric hospital, where she has been having passionate but precarious affair with her married colleague, the charismatic Dr Gil Rudden.
Helen's structured life is upended when William Tapping - a silent, thirty-seven-year-old man with a beard down to his waist - arrives the hospital. As Helen helps William express himself through art, she becomes increasingly entangled in his mysterious past.
Inspired by a true story, Shy Creatures is a life-affirming exploration of loneliness, love and the quiet forces that shape our lives, reminding us that freedom can come in unexpected forms.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
- ISBN: 9781399602563
- Number of pages: 400
- Dimensions: 196 x 126 x 34 mm
- Weight: 278g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allA tender and compassionate story..
Claire Chambers returns to the South London suburbs once again, setting her story in 1964 and drawing inspiration from an old newspaper article. What we al... READ MORE
Immerse yourself in a dream novel
Shy Creatures - Clare Chambers
Helen is a art teacher working at a psychiatric hospital having an illicit affair with one of the married doctors when ... READ MORE
Gentle and brooding
After reading this, I am very excited to dive into Clare Chambers’ back catalogue and see what other wonders she’s conjured up. This book was a beautiful, ... READ MORE
Stunning prose
An exquisite piece of writing yet again by an author who excels in observing and recreating nuggets of human foibles in glorious technicolour. It is a hear... READ MORE
Another triumph for an author who just gets better and better.
A newspaper article is the inspiration for Clare Chambers’ new novel, Shy Creatures, much like it was for Small Pleasures. It’s amazing how inspiration fro... READ MORE
Very interesting
I really enjoyed reading this book. William has lived with his Aunts most of his life and is a recluse at the age of 37. An altercation at home sees him th... READ MORE
I couldn’t put this book down
This is a truly wonderful read, which I was completely immersed in from the opening page. The introduction of a 37 year old man who has just been discovere... READ MORE
Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers
This is just wonderful. In 1964 a mute 37 year old man called William is discovered along with his elderly aunt. He has been shut up in their house for dec... READ MORE
My first Clare Chambers
Flew through the pages. Easy, deep and lovely. Going up in time and every other chapter going back in time. Finally you know the whole story. Last chapter ... READ MORE
Great book
The book starts in 1964. Helen Hansford is an art therapist working in mental health. She has been having an affair with Doctor Gil Rudden, one of her coll... READ MORE
A moving story
Shy Creatures is a very well-written and moving story based on a real news item.
I loved the dual timelines and the well-drawn characters. The book rai... READ MORE
A wonderful read
I loved reading this book. Tender and nostalgic. Second book by Chambers I have read and yet again she knocks it out of the park. Beautiful
Compassionate Tale
When I discovered that Clare Chambers, first novel was published in the nineties I was surprised as she is an author I had not read before throughly enjoyi... READ MORE
An extraordinary and highly perceptive story!
Wow what an extraordinary book, my first read from Clare Chambers, and I’m mightily impressed. The writing is really quite exquisite, beautiful description... READ MORE
A truly fabulous book
What a wonderful read. This is the absolutely perfect book for summer holidays, purely because you’re going to want the time to finish it as quickly as pos... READ MORE
a gem of a novel
I've always enjoyed Ms Chamber's writing, but I think this may be her best yet. A gem of a novel, it manages to evoke an era and be both heartbreaking and... READ MORE
Clare Chambers convert
I'm new to Clare Chambers books and "Shy Creatures" is a perfect introduction. Set in 1964 both Helen and Gil work at a psychiatric hospital in Croydon. Pa... READ MORE
Clare Chambers does it again.
I’ve both been longing for and dreading the new Clare Chambers book. She’s given herself so much to live up to with Small Pleasures which is one of my fav... READ MORE
An incredibly good read!
Well it feels like it’s been a long time since I didn’t want to finish a book because I didn’t want it to ever end but this is one of those! I have loved e... READ MORE
Wonderfully life-affirming
Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers is the kind of novel that feels like slipping into a beloved armchair: warm, familiar, and utterly absorbing. Yet beneath i... READ MORE
Loved it!
It is the early sixties. The world is caught between the straight laced post war 50's & the swinging sixties. Helen is an art therapist & works in a psychi... READ MORE
Brilliantly different!
This is the first of her books I have read, and I loved it. Deep and insightful, and although very sad in places it was also full of hope. Add in a touch ... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
Another amazing story from Clare Chambers
Helen, an art therapist at a local mental health hospital is always putting herself last. Until she meets William.
William is admitted after being kept... READ MORE
Beautiful sensitive and heart warming - a brilliant read
Small Pleasures in 2021 introduced a wider audience to the writing of Clare Chambers and following this brilliant novel her new book Shy Creatures should ... READ MORE
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