Philoctetes lives in a cave on a desolate island: the wartime hero is now a wounded outcast. Stranded for ten years, he sees a chance of escape when a young soldier appears with tales of Philoctetes' past glories. But with hope comes suspicion - and, as an old enemy emerges, he is faced with an even greater temptation: revenge.
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The island; a bleak beach, rubbish-strewn, still in chaos from a huge wave that broke some years before.
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(@picadorbooks, 5 August 2021, paperback, 137 pages, bought from @bookshop_org_UK)
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I'm a huge fan of the author so had to read Paradise. This is a play so not a typical format to read but I've read a few plays including other ones by the author and I don't mind them. They're designed to be seem of course and probably lose some impact being read on the page. I loved this book. There are good descriptions and enough stage directions to give you an idea of the setting and plenty of dialogue, so the characters really come to life. This is a power retelling and I enjoyed it a lot. I'd love to have seen this performed on the stage.