Hunt, trek, and feast among Neanderthals in this stunning novel by the radical Nobel Laureate and author of Lord of the Flies. This was a different voice; not the voice of the people. It was the voice of other. When spring comes, the people leave their winter cave, foraging for honey, grubs, and the hot richness of a deer's brain. They awaken the fire to heat their naked bodies, lay down their thorn bushes, and share pictures in their minds. But strange things are happening: inexplicable scents and sounds. Unimaginable beasts are half-glimpsed in the forest; upright creatures of bone-faces and deerskins. What the people don't know is that their day is already over … 'Extraordinary … Genius … Remarkable in the literature of the twentieth century.' Ben Okri'A stun gun to read … Truly a masterpiece.' Monique Roffey'An earthquake in the petrified forests of the English novel.' Arthur Koestler'An astonishing, underrated novel.' Robert Mac Farlane'Beautiful, powerful … A visionary dream . Shakespearean.' Ted Hughes'A master fabulist, and a brilliantly creative interpreter of remote history … An iconoclast.' John Fowles'A tour de force … Genius.' Daily Telegraph'Alarming, eye-opening, desolating, mind-invading and unique.' New Statesman