Anthony Burgess’ sweeping historical fiction is a dramatic tour de force that often surprises and sometimes shocks, but never fails to entertain.

As told by the central character himself, Earthly Powers chronicles the life of eminent novelist Kenneth Toomey - from the First World War to the final years of sun-drenched idleness in Malta. A gay man who is unable to reconcile his nature with the teachings of the Church, Toomey opts for a life of loneliness and exile - from the Paris of James Joyce and Ezra Pound to Hollywood at the height of its glamour and corruption - encountering the best and worst of human nature along the way.

Shortlisted
The Booker Prize 1980
Published by
Hutchinson
Publication date

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Anthony Burgess

Anthony Burgess

About the Author

Anthony Burgess was born in Manchester, England. He is widely recognised as one of the world’s finest and most versatile novelists.
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