Cold City
Cold City by Cathy McSporran is a debut novel published by Freight Books in 2014, featuring 224 pages in English. This work employs speculative fiction to delve into themes of mental illness and the complexities of familial relationships. The narrative follows Susan McPherson, who, after witnessing her deceased father on the streets of Glasgow, faces a personal crisis that leads her to a psychiatric institution. There, she navigates a blurred line between reality and an alternate, snow-covered city.
Readers will find a rich exploration of Susan’s experiences as she grapples with her mental health and the surreal dynamics of her new environment. In this alternate city, she encounters her brother Jamie, now married to Claire, amidst a backdrop of rising militant paganism and Christian fundamentalism. The story introduces Raj, a mysterious artist whose work reflects Norse legends, further complicating Susan’s journey. As she becomes entangled in the struggles of this parallel world, the narrative raises questions about her ability to reconcile her experiences and return to her original reality.
Official synopsis Publisher
A stunning debut novel uses speculative fiction to explore mental illness and our darkest feelings about our family
Two weeks after his death, Susan McPherson sees her father on the street in Glasgow. Not long after, she takes an overdose and is committed to a psychiatric institution. There, she is given a cocktail of drugs and soon finds herself moving between the reality of hospital and an alternate city, permanently covered in snow and ice. In her new world her gay brother, Jamie, is now married to Claire. The country is dominated by militant pagan groups and Christian fundamentalism is on the rise, led by the charismatic preacher, McLean. Susan is befriended by Raj, a mysterious man who creates paintings of wolves and Norse legends. As Susan is drawn into the struggles and relationships of this new parallel world, her grip on the “first world” loosens further. Can she resolve the crises in the ice-bound city in order to return to reality? For fans of Marge Piercy’s Woman on the Edge of Time, Scarlett Thomas’s The End of Mr Y, and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go.
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