Pure (Miller novel)

Pure
The cover of the novel, showing the protagonist Jean-Baptiste Baratte seated and burying his head into his arms, as ravens surround and assail him.
First edition
AuthorAndrew Miller
Cover artistRoyston Knipe
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical novel
Set inParis, 1786
PublisherSceptre
Publication date
9 June 2011 (2011-06-09)
Publication placeEngland
Media typePrint and audiobook
Pages346
ISBN978-1-4447-2425-7
OCLC729332720
823.92
LC ClassPR6063 .I3564
Preceded byOne Morning Like a Bird (2008) 

Pure is a 2011 novel by English author Andrew Miller. The book is the sixth novel by Miller and was released on 9 June 2011 in the United Kingdom through Sceptre, an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton. The novel is set in pre-revolutionary France and the upcoming turmoil is a consistent theme throughout. It follows an engineer named Jean-Baptiste Baratte and chronicles his efforts in clearing an overfilled graveyard that is polluting the surrounding area. Baratte makes friends and enemies as the cemetery is both loved and hated by the people of the district.

Miller was inspired to write about the Les Innocents Cemetery after reading historian Philippe Ariès's brief description of its clearing and imagining the theatrics that must have been involved. The novel received positive reviews, particularly noting the quality of the writing. The novel was awarded the Costa Book Award 2011 for "Best Novel" and "Book of the Year", and was nominated for the Walter Scott Prize and South Bank award.