- 96 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
The Monstrous Heart
About this book
Mag lives in a rustic cabin in the Canadian wilds, far from neighbours and further from her past. It's an unremarkable life, save for the enormous bear carcass on the kitchen table. But when her estranged daughter Beth turns up on the doorstep having been freshly released from prison, the past becomes terrifyingly present - and the bear isn't the only thing with a dangerous bite.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription.
At the moment all of our mobile-responsive ePub books are available to download via the app. Most of our PDFs are also available to download and we're working on making the final remaining ones downloadable now. Learn more here.
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1 million books across 1000+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn more here.
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more here.
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS or Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access The Monstrous Heart by Oliver Emanuel in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Psychology & Addiction in Psychology. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
BETH: Why would anyone want to get closer to nature?
What’s that about? Nature is a fucker.
It’s cruel. Vindictive. Nature will give you cancer, burn your house down then send a flood to wash away your family.
I like the city.
I like bright lights, concrete.
I find pavements comforting.
I don’t have a lot of nightmares – I mostly sleep very well, despite what you might imagine – but when I do have a nightmare, I’m always in the country. Or by the sea. Or up a hill.
I wouldn’t say no to a cup of tea.
Silence.
MAG: Beth.
BETH: Tea? Silence.
MAG: Beth.
BETH: Oh shit. Do you have tea in Canada? You’re not one of those countries that only does fucking coffee are you?
MAG: Beth.
BETH: If I’d known, I would’ve bought a box of Tetley.
Silence.
Nice place this. Cosy.
She sniffs.
What’s that funny smell?
MAG: Smell?
BETH: There’s a smell, a shit smell.
MAG: It doesn’t smell of anything.
BETH: It stinks.
MAG: No.
BETH: Like wood… a tree… what’s that tall tree called with the leaves –
MAG: Oak?
BETH: The other one.
MAG: Beech? Yew? Chestnut? Pine?
BETH: Pine! That’s it!
MAG: The cabin is made of it.
BETH: Aye same as they use in the toilet. This place stinks like a toilet.
Silence.
MAG: Beth.
BETH: What?
MAG: Go. Now. Before –
BETH: Are you kicking me out?
MAG: Yes.
BETH: Aye?
MAG: Beth.
BETH: Without letting me rest my bones and quench my thirst?
MAG: Beth?
BETH: Seriously?
MAG: Do I look like I’m joking?
BETH: I don’t know what you look like. It’s been a very long time since I clapped eyes on you. How long is it actually?
MAG: Can you keep your voice down?
BETH: I’m not shouting.
Silence.
You look old.
You look tired.
You look sick.
Are you sick?
MAG: I’m not sick.
BETH: Are you sure?
MAG: Beth.
BETH: Have you got cancer?
MAG: What? No.
BETH: Have you had a check-up recently? It’s quite hard to tell with some types of cancer, I hear. Some types of cancer can present without any overt symptoms.
MAG: I don’t have cancer.
BETH: Diabetes? Early onset dementia?
MAG: I’m in perfect health, thank you very much.
BETH: You look bad, though.
I suppose now your ovaries have packed in, it’s just one thing after another.
The end won’t be far off.
MAG: I’m not even 50.
BETH: I know that.
Don’t you think I know that?
Don’t you think I know how old my darling mother is?
Silence.
Hello Mummy dearest darling hello hello. Hello.
Silence.
I’ve thought about you. A lot.
I tried not to but the mind is its own creature isn’t it?
I imagined you.
Your life.
This is not it.
This is not what I expected.
Aren’t you going to look at me?
Silence.
MAG: How did you find us, Beth? I thought I’d never see you again. You – you can’t just show up like this. What you’re doing. This. It’s not allowed. I can’t allow it.
BETH: You invited me –
MAG: No.
BETH: Yes –
MAG: Invited you? I never did.
BETH: You opened the door.
MAG: What?
BETH: I knocked, you opened the door, stepped back. What else is that except an invitation?
MAG: No that was – no – I didn’t (expect) –
BETH: What?
MAG: Shock.
BETH: You didn’t turn me away.
MAG: I was –
I wasn’t expecting –
We don’t get visitors.
BETH: No?
MAG: Never. If I’d known I wouldn’t have opened the door –
BETH: Thanks a lot!
MAG: No, Beth. You said I’d never see you again. You said it. You promised.
BETH: Oh well. Promises.
Silence.
BETH shrugs off her coat, lets it fall to the floor in a heap. She stands up, moves to the ta...
Table of contents
- Front Cover
- Half-Title Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- Dedication
- Characters
- Scene
- Acknowledgements