▁of ▁Material s , ▁with ▁Ess ays , ▁Re views , ▁and ▁Comment s ▁by ▁J . ▁R ans om ▁Clark , ▁Emer it us ▁Professor ▁of ▁Political ▁Science , ▁Mus king um ▁College ▁▁▁ ▁Category : Data ▁collection ▁Category : Int elligence ▁analysis <0x0A> </s> ▁In ▁The ▁Winter ▁Dark ▁is ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁novel ▁by ▁Australian ▁author ▁Tim ▁W inton . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁ ▁The ▁setting ▁is ▁a ▁valley ▁called ▁the ▁S ink , ▁which ▁is ▁isolated ▁and ▁surrounded ▁by ▁forest . ▁The ▁people ▁who ▁come ▁there ▁are ▁lon ely , ▁have ▁troubles ▁or ▁are ▁drawn ▁by ▁the ▁land . ▁The ▁sol itude ▁is ▁dist urbed ▁by ▁a ▁myster ious ▁creature ▁which ▁k ills ▁liv est ock ▁and ▁ex poses ▁the ▁hidden ▁fear s ▁in ▁everyone . ▁ ▁Re views ▁ ▁As ▁review ed ▁at ▁Library Th ing ▁the ▁theme ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁is , ▁" the ▁way ▁you ▁can ' t ▁escape ▁the ▁past . ▁Wh atever ▁you ' ve ▁done ▁will ▁come ▁out . ▁' If ▁only ▁we ▁hadn ' t ▁so ▁many ▁things ▁to ▁hide , ▁so ▁many ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁fear ▁to ▁get ▁us .' " ▁The ▁thing ▁that ▁is ▁men acing ▁the ▁characters ▁isn ' t ▁external , ▁it ▁is ▁within ▁themselves . ▁The ▁book ▁is ▁susp ense ful , ▁o min ous , ▁int imate ▁and ▁cla ust roph ob ic . ▁ ▁The ▁Independent ▁on ▁Sunday ▁wrote ▁that , ▁' Tim ▁W inton ' s ▁raw ▁and ▁v ibr ant ▁language