The Grand Hotel

‘The Grand Hotel is the kind of place—and book—that answers our need for things that can be lacking in our lives: community, eccentricity, fun, freedom, history and magic.’
— Australian Women’s Weekly

‘Possibly the best nature writer in the country.’ — Sunday Age

Robbed of his zest for life by the absurd innovations of his local council, including knocking down the only pub in his beloved home town and roofing over a section of the creek to protect swimmers from the rain, artist Noel Lea exiles himself in the hills above Mangowak, on the southwest Victorian coast. He returns to find an unexpected destiny awaits. At a turning point in the town’s history it seems he has a crucial role to play, as the unlikely publican of an even unlikelier hotel.

From the award-winning author of The Patron Saint of Eels and Ron McCoy’s Sea of Diamonds, Gregory Day’s third novel is a witty, earthy and lyrical tour de force that takes some well-aimed swipes at the aspirations and absurdities of contemporary life.

• Year of Publication: 2010
• Genre: Literature
• Audience: Adult