The Cage - Softcover

"Vivid and meticulous... Jones has forged a piece of poetry of the most uncanny and macabre kind - a timely reminder to us all that humanity cannot ever be taken for granted, that it hangs, always, and all too terrifyingly, by the very skin of its teeth." Guardian

"Lloyd Jones' new and possibly best novel will hold you in its narrative grip from its first page... This is exciting, risk-taking writing...Is it a fable? Probably, although it's open enough for you to make your own interpretation, possibly more than one. Does it have antecedents? Numerous: Orwell, with the occupants of the hotel constantly watching the occupants of the cage: Cormac McCarthy's The Road, with its air hopeless bleakness; the Kafkaesque way unsettling events are described with deadpan detachment; and all the absurdity and hopelessness of a Beckett play." --North & South

"A profound and unsettling allegorical fable... Its powerful message camouflaged by almost fairytale simplicity. The Cage explores how quickly humanity and dignity can segue into brutality when communication breaks down. Trust is revealed as fragile, forever at the mercy of authoritarian impulse." --Qantas Magazine

'The puzzle of where the human essence lies and is shared is implicit in Jones' dark parable.' Age

'It is (also) brilliant. It compels and repels.' NZ Listener

'With archetypal characters and a setting that is only roughly outlined, the story is contemporary yet feels out of time and place.' --Australian