Aaron J Clarke: 10 books

Adam Carlson takes for his research topic an unfinished novel by Noelene Richards, a friend of Virginia Woolf. Trying to finish this extraordinary masterpiece, Adam begins to obsess about the book and its author, an obsession compounded by drugs. This clever debut novel by Aaron J Clarke, a...

'Death in Xanadu' is a savage indictment against the movie industry, and in this world of celluloid fantasy, the ultimate power belongs to the studio mogul Carlton Hislop, who can either destroy careers or create them – on the condition that they submit themselves to him. Author Aaron...

The seven stories in this selection span Clarke’s early career, ranging from 'The Woman in Question', a drug affected man who is unable to let go of the woman he loves that ultimately leads him to the person responsible for her death. In 'The Wager', an unscrupulous man bets...

In this finely drawn novella, Clarke portrays the free-spirited Sonia sacrificing her scruples and, more importantly, her first love, the handsome gardener, to the callous millionaire, John. Like the flowers that grow in his garden, John’s obsessive love for Sonia is tainted with corruption and...

Drawing upon personal events, Clarke invites readers of his poetry to meet a romantic and sensitive soul. He explores death and desire, questions what it means to be good, and pays homage to the divine and nature, observing it with impressionist intensity. Moreover, the language is simple, yet blended with the ornate to create poetry of great beauty.

In 'The Sinner’s Kiss', Clarke tells the story of betrayal, revenge in France and Morocco during the fin de siècle. Three women are drawn to the Lothario, Gabriel. Madame de Rosa desires him to be her instrument of revenge. Justine and Esmée, in contrast, desire him to escape the confines of society,...

‘Before the Fall’ is a retelling of Henry James’ ‘The Golden Bowl’, but with a twist as it involves the gay lovers, Marty Townsend and Carlton Aspern, seducing and manipulating the widowed Australian millionaire Clara de Veer and her daughter Maggie. The precious vase, with its almost invisible...

On the verge of committing suicide, Cécile, a middle-aged woman, suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, contemplates her life in Townsville, and with that of her husband, Alain – whom in hindsight she believes to have made a mistake in marrying. Cécile believes her marriage to be flawed because Alain...

In the distant future, a man downloads an ancient novel and instead of instantly transferring the novel into his brain, the man does something profound, he reads the text. As he reads the novel set in 1940s Townsville, he is involved in the story of Mr. Wilbur’s immoral desires for Sam. 'The Cat'...

Inspired by a real-life 19th century scandal, Clarke deftly writes about the privileged world of the Victorian upper-class, where Hugh is forced by his overbearing mother, Lady Lillian, to conform to society’s views concerning sex. Hugh’s inquisitive and rebellious nature leads Lady Lillian to...