The Adversary
2025 Longlist

The Adversary

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ABOUT
THE BOOK

In an isolated outport on Newfoundland’s northern coastline, a ruthless act of sabotage is the opening salvo in a battle between the man and woman who own Mockbeggar’s largest mercantile firms, each fighting for the scarce resources of the north Atlantic fishery, each seeking a measure of revenge on the person they despise most in the world. As their unshakeable animosity spirals further each year, the community is increasingly divided and even the innocents in Mockbeggar find themselves forced to take sides, with devastating consequences. The Adversary is a dark, enthralling novel about love and its limitations, the corruption of power and the power of corruption.

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Michael
Crummey

MICHAEL CRUMMEY is the author of seven books of poetry and a collection of short stories. He is also the author of the novels The Wreckage, finalist for the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize; Galore, winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Novel and finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award; Sweetland, a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award; and The Innocents, finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and the Governor General’s Literary Award. His most recent novel, The Adversary, was a #1 national bestseller. Michael Crummey lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

MICHAEL CRUMMEY is the author of seven books of poetry and a collection of short stories. He is also the author of the novels The Wreckage, finalist for the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize; Galore, winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Novel and finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award; Sweetland, a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award; and The Innocents, finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and the Governor General’s Literary Award. His most recent novel, The Adversary, was a #1 national bestseller. Michael Crummey lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

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NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS

Set in the remote coastal community of Mockbeggar in early nineteenth-century Newfoundland, The Adversary by acclaimed Canadian writer Michael Crummey explores universal themes of sibling rivalry and what motivates the best and worst in human action. The toxic dynamic between brother and sister Abe Strapp and the Widow Caines, heads of competing mercantile firms, shapes the lives and destinies of everyone with whom they have relationship. The dark energy of their hatred impacts not only the settler fishing families who rely on them for survival, but all who sail into Mockbeggar harbour. “Every creature beyond themselves,” Crummey writes, “existed only to serve their designs and appetites.” Along with Strapp (“virulent stupidity”) and Caines (“would eat her own youngsters”) is a cast of other memorable characters. These include The Beadle, Mary Oram, Captain Truss, The Abbess and Solemn Lambe, some of whom will be familiar to readers of Crummey’s The Innocents (2019). Like that work, The Adversary is well-researched historical fiction, filled with colourful turns of phrase that in some cases can still be heard in Newfoundland. Readers familiar with scripture will recognize, from title to final page, writing rich with Biblical imagery and symbol. Dark happenings and choices may call to mind the plagues of Egypt and seven deadly sins, but this powerful novel explores also human resilience and the potential for light to shine in the darkness and not be overcome. Declared NL Public Libraries’ 2024 Must-Read Book of the Year based on demand, patron feedback and staff recommendations, The Adversary is an immersive, impressive, and unforgettable literary accomplishment.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Date published
26/09/2023
Country
Canada
Original Language
English
Publisher
Knopf Canada, Penguin Random House Canada
Borrow this book from Libraries Ireland

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