With a Zero at its Heart

Charles Lambert was born in 1953 in England, but, apart from brief spells in Ireland, Portugal and London, has lived and worked in Italy since 1976. He is the author of three novels, Little Monsters, Any Human Face and The View from the Tower, as well as a collection of prize-winning stories, The Scent of Cinnamon and Other Stories, and a novella, The Slave House.

'Poetic, tender and funny.' Guardian‘Nabokov once said that "imagination is a form of memory". This brief, luminous book bears out that idea in arresting snapshots of one man's life. The sentences prove to be every bit as lovely as Vaughan Oliver's cover design.’ Jonathan Lee, author of Joy‘An unusual and wonderful book.’ Viv Groskop, Red Magazine‘Each beautifully crafted episode in this exquisite book is coruscating, profound and original. Lambert’s fearless precision and integrity reminded me of Italo Calvino’s work. Dazzling.’ Angela Jackson, author of The Emergence of Judy Taylor‘A brilliant and heart-breaking novel written with great grace and tenderness. If Frank O’Hara had written fiction, it might have looked like this.’ Jenny Offill, author of Dept. of Speculation‘Compelling and oddly compulsive. Each short paragraph is well expressed and sensitively written and above all feels very honest and clean.’ Culturefly'A collection of beautiful fragments entwined within an unforgettable novel.' Caroline Smailes, author of The Drowning of Arthur Braxton'Beautifully crafted life in miniatures. Incredibly original.' A.M. Bakalar, author of Madame Mephisto'There is cool precision to each discrete paragraph. These, which kaleidoscopically can be read in any order or pattern, form a fascinating portrait of a very specific life.' David Rose, author of Posthumous Stories