Dark Places is a powerful literary novel by Australian author Kate Grenville, first published in 1994 and also known in the U.S. under the title Albion’s Story. It revisits the events of Grenville’s earlier novel Lilian’s Story from the perspective of Albion Gidley Singer — a man who appears outwardly respectable as husband, father and community figure, but whose inner life is shadowed by fear, loathing, and destructive impulses that drive him toward chilling behaviour. Through his voice and viewpoint, the novel explores themes of power, denial, self-deception and the dark corners of the human psyche.

The narrative is unsettling and compelling, confronting readers with an intimate look inside a character whose own justification for his actions exposes unsettling truths about ego, obsession and the stories we tell ourselves. Grenville brings sharp intelligence and rich language to this intense psychological portrait, earning the book critical recognition including the 1995 Victorian Premier’s Literary Prize for Fiction and a shortlist position for the Miles Franklin Award.

Author: Kate Grenville