One
All that night, Joe Maloney sweated, twisted and turned. He dreamed that engines roared and lights blazed. Men yelled, children screamed, dogs yelped. Metal hammered on metal. He dreamed that the surface of the earth was lifted and hung from great hooks in the sky. Beneath it, shapeless beasts danced in the dark. Then he lay dead still. Easy breath, easy heart. He smelt sawdust, canvas, animal sweat, animal dung. Gentle noises, creakings and flappings. He felt something fingering his skull, felt someone whispering his name. He was about to wake up in some new place.
"Joe!" yelled his mum. "Joseph!"
He opened his eyes: just his bedroom, pale sunlight filtering through thin curtains, childhood drawings taped to the walls, his clothes in a heap on the floor. He sniffed the air, trying to smell the tiger again.
"Joe!" she called. "Come on, son, will you?"
He slithered from the tangled bed, picked up his clothes and dressed himself. He dragged on his heavy boots. He sniffed, listened, narrowed his eyes.
"Joe!"
In the bathroom, he splashed water onto himself, then leaned close to the mirror, inspected his pale face, his tangled hair, his one green eye, his one brown eye. He touched his skin. He hadn't changed. He was still just Joe Maloney.
"Joseph!"
He went down into the kitchen. She was at the table, pouring orange juice. She shook her head and clicked her tongue. She tugged his shirt square on his shoulders. She fastened the laces of his boots. "Joe Maloney. What you like?"
He grinned.
"L-like me," he said.
She cuffed him gently on the shoulder.
"Like you. And you're going to need me to get you up and get you dressed all your life?"
He grinned again.
"Yes."
He buttered some toast and chewed it. She smiled, and smoothed his hair with her fingers and palms.
"I had a d-dream," Joe said.
"Now there's a change."
"There was . . ."
She shook her head, but she leaned toward him, about to listen.
"There was . . . ?" she said.
Joe rubbed his eyes and blinked. He looked out of the window and gasped. The summit of a blue tent stood high over the rooftops at the village's edge.
"What's that?"
"Eh?"
"L-look, Mum."
He jabbed the air. A blue tent, a blue paler than the morning sky. A great blue tent that trembled slightly in the morning breeze.
"What?" she said.
"There, look, Mum."
She narrowed her eyes and peered.
"Tent," he said. "A tent."
"Oh . . . Aye. Now where might that come from?"
They gazed at it together, the slope of blue rising from the dusty red rooftops.
"Fancy that," she said. "A circus or something, eh? Last time a circus came to Helmouth was in . . ." She shrugged. "Before our time, I reckon."
Joe shoved a piece of toast into his mouth. She put her arm around him as he prepared to go out.
"Now, then, Joseph Maloney," she said.
He lowered his eyes, then turned them to her.
"You know what I'm going to say, don't you?"
"Yes, Mum."
"You make sure you get into school today. OK?"
"OK, Mum."
She kissed him.
"Don't want that rotten Wag Man coming round again, do I?"
"No, Mum."
"You. What a lad. Sometimes wonder what I brought into the world. How can a lad be so lovely and so much trouble? Can you answer me that?"
"No, Mum."
"No, Mum. Come on, then, give us a kiss."
She took him to the door, watched him walk through the garden to the front gate. She raised her finger as he turned to wave. "Be sure, now," she said.
"Yes, Mum," he said, then hurried toward the Cut.
From the Hardcover edition.
A sooty darkness permeates the writing, illuminated by sudden bursts of sunlight and the music of skylarks. (The Daily Telegraph 2001-04-14)
There is a mystical quality about David Almond's writing that makes him quite unlike any other author (Financial Times 2001-04-07)
A powerful story of love, persecution and freedom, it is his best novel to date (and that's saying something). (The Scotsman 2001-11-29)
David Almond's books are strange, unsettling, wild things...like all great literature, beyond classification. An exhilarating, though not always easy read for anyone who, like Joe, has tigers and larks in their heart. (The Guardian 2001-03-07)
Mysterious and enigmatic. (The Bookseller 2001-03-09)
A life-changing story of hope, love and encouragement for a boy who's been all but written off. (The Sunday Times 2001-02-25)
A lyrical and haunting story. (The Daily Telegraph 2001-12-01)
A subtle, sophisticated book. Almond's speciality is an enchanting blend of the magical and the real. (The Times 2001-11-21)
This gripping book will enrich your soul and fire your imagination. (The Daily Telegraph 2001-02-17)
David Almond continues to combine literary success with huge popularity as a children's writer, and he retains his winning ways here in this intriguing story, as ever full of mystery and lyrical imagination. .. High quality and an unmissable story - lucky children!' KIDS OUT, March 2001
Les informations fournies dans la section « A propos du livre » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.
Frais de port :
EUR 5,76
De Royaume-Uni vers Etats-Unis
Vendeur : WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, Royaume-Uni
Hardback. Etat : Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. N° de réf. du vendeur GOR004645889
Quantité disponible : 2 disponible(s)
Vendeur : AwesomeBooks, Wallingford, Royaume-Uni
Etat : Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . N° de réf. du vendeur 7719-9780340764824
Quantité disponible : 4 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Goldstone Books, Llandybie, Royaume-Uni
Hardcover. Etat : Very Good. All orders are dispatched within one working day from our UK warehouse. We've been selling books online since 2004! We have over 750,000 books in stock. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied. N° de réf. du vendeur mon0003925576
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Reuseabook, Gloucester, GLOS, Royaume-Uni
Hardcover. Etat : Used; Very Good. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine. N° de réf. du vendeur CHL1424089
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : MostlySignedBooks, San Francisco, CA, Etats-Unis
Hardcover. Etat : Fine. Etat de la jaquette : Fine. 1st UK edition. Fine in fine dust jacket. SIGNED by author on title page (signature only). 1st UK edition, 1st printing, complete number line. Dust jacket has mild wear to the upper edge. Book has minor softening to the base of the spine. 208 p. Audience: Children/juvenile; Young adult. By the Carnegie Medal-, Guardian Children's Fiction Prize-, Michael L. Printz Award-, Nestlé Smarties Book Prize-, Boston Globe Horn Book Award-, Katholischer Kinder-und Jugendbuchpreis-, Silver Pencil and three Silver Kisses-, Le Prix Sorceress-, and Hans Christian Andersen Award-winning author of 'Skellig' and 'A Song for Ella Grey'. Where possible, all books come with dust jacket in a clear protective plastic sleeve, sealed in a ziplock bag, wrapped in bubble wrap, shipped in a box. Signed by Author(s). N° de réf. du vendeur Alibris.0008510
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Bahamut Media, Reading, Royaume-Uni
Etat : Very Good. Shipped within 24 hours from our UK warehouse. Clean, undamaged book with no damage to pages and minimal wear to the cover. Spine still tight, in very good condition. Remember if you are not happy, you are covered by our 100% money back guarantee. N° de réf. du vendeur 6545-9780340764824
Quantité disponible : 4 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Willis Monie-Books, ABAA, Cooperstown, NY, Etats-Unis
Hardcover. Etat : Very Good. Etat de la jaquette : Very Good. First Printing. N° de réf. du vendeur 87290
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Garys Books, Apache Junction, AZ, Etats-Unis
Hardcover. Etat : Fine. Dust Jacket Included. 1st Edition. 0340764821 First edition, First printing. Not inscribed clipped or otherwise marked. Dust jacket in protective cover. Shipped in a box. Complete # line 10987654321. Fine/Fine. N° de réf. du vendeur SKU1009625
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Devoted2Books, Greenville, SC, Etats-Unis
Hardcover. Etat : As New. Etat de la jaquette : As New. 1st Edition. FIRST UK EDITION, SIGNED by author on title page. An as new, crisp, unread copy in unblemished dust jacket protected by plastic book protector. Signed by Author(s). N° de réf. du vendeur ABE-1697562168254
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Devoted2Books, Greenville, SC, Etats-Unis
Hardcover. Etat : As New. Etat de la jaquette : As New. 1st Edition. FIRST UK EDITION, SIGNED by author on title page. An as new, crisp, unread copy in unblemished dust jacket protected by plastic book protector. Signed by Author(s). N° de réf. du vendeur ABE-1703705758406
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)