The Viaduct

Book excerpt: A political prisoner, A., has just been released from a long term of imprisonment for writing a seditious book. Fearing re-arrest, he leaves town, setting off on foot along a disused railway track running over a huge viaduct that looms over the city. As his journey progresses through a surreal and nightmarish landscape, he passes through strange towns and villages and meets other travelers following the same path for reasons of their own, with his pursuers always at his heels. A. does not know what awaits him at the terminus of the railroad line, and the ultimate horrific revelation of what lies at the end of his journey will linger with the reader long after finishing the book. The Viaduct (1983), the first novel by David Wheldon (1950-2021), was chosen by Graham Greene and William Trevor as the winner of the Triple First Award and earned praise from critics on both sides of the Atlantic, who compared it to the works of Franz Kafka and Samuel Beckett. A haunting, enigmatic novel told in a stark prose style that reinforces the book's surreal, dreamlike quality, it is a story that is both compulsively readable and endlessly thought-provoking. This reissue of Wheldon's cult classic is the first in decades and features a new introduction by Aiden O'Reilly. "A remarkable novel and I am amazed that it is a first one." - Graham Greene "The Viaduct is not just a promising first novel. In its own right, and by any standards, it is a fascinating and original work of art. I still remember the book vividly long after reading it; this is the real test of fiction." - William Trevor "A mysterious, gripping allegory - spare, accomplished and mature . . . A remarkable achievement, this is one of those books that bypass the head and go straight to the raw edge of consciousness, evoking an irresistible and disturbing response." - Sunday Telegraph "Strange, dream-like . . . this award-winning novel has a rare and skilful technique." - Daily Post "A strange prose poem about a strange and dream-like journey . . . a haunting power." - The Daily Telegraph "Written authoritatively . . . a deeply thought-out statement about human life and aspiration." - The Guardian