Granite

Granite is the third and most profound novel in the so-called "Dartmoor Trilogy" of John Trevena (the pseudonym of Ernest George Henham). It is a story about the spiritual strengths and weaknesses of the rural people who lived on the moors during the end of the nineteenth century in England. Poverty and temperance are just two of the issues that plague the numerous, entertaining characters who live in Fursdon. Typical of the author's other novels, the natural world also functions as a character in the plot and as a suitable backdrop to the tumultuous conflicts between the human protagonists. This novel is the crowning acheivement of Trevena's long career of writing novels and the publication of numerous short stories. In Granite, he struggles with organized religion and the despair of loneliness that appears to be heightened by the atmosphere of the moors. There are also charming and humerous moments to savor as well.This edition of Granite includes detailed annotations of the many Biblical, mythological and geographical references in the novel so that the reader may better appreciate the craft with which Trevena weaves his tale.