Literary Fiction· United Kingdom
The Electric Michelangelo
by Sarah HallAggregate Editorial Score69/100
★Costa Book Award
Published 2004352 pagesEnglish
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The Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall is a landmark work of literary fiction, first published in 2004. Cy Parks, the son of a Morecambe boarding house keeper, becomes a tattooist and travels to Coney Island in the 1930s, where he encounters a fierce, mysterious woman named Grace. Hall's Costa Prize-shortlisted novel is a gorgeous meditation on art, the body, and transformation. Themes of tattooing, Coney Island, art run through the work. The book has received recognition from Costa Book Award 2004.
Book Details
About the Category
📖 Literary Fiction
Character-driven fiction that prioritises style, theme, and psychological depth.
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🇬🇧 United Kingdom
This book is part of United Kingdom's rich literary tradition.
Explore books from United Kingdom →Editorial Assessment
Sarah Hall published The Electric Michelangelo in 2004, and it has since become one of the more widely recognised works of literary fiction from United Kingdom. The book's treatment of tattooing, Coney Island, art, love accounts for much of its enduring reputation.
The book's place in the literary record rests on its presence across major prize lists and critical surveys. Among its recognitions: Costa Book Award 2004. Its aggregate editorial score of 69/100 reflects recognition from 1 independent editorial sources, from international prizes to specialist critical journals.
What distinguishes The Electric Michelangelo is how it handles its central concerns — tattooing, Coney Island, art, love — without reducing them to neat conclusions. The book invites close reading and holds up well to it.
Sarah Hall's role in the literature of United Kingdom is well established. The Electric Michelangelo can be read as both a standalone achievement and as part of a broader national literary conversation about identity, history, and the possibilities of narrative form.
About this assessment: Editorial scores are aggregated from 1 independent sources including major literary prizes, critical surveys, and leading publications. Our editorial team reviews and contextualises this data. Rankings reflect critical consensus, not personal opinion or popularity metrics. Learn about our methodology.
Awards & Recognition
Costa Book Award
winner · national
200462
Sarah Hall is a celebrated author from United Kingdom known for influential works of literary fiction.
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