The first half of this book contains longish short stories, the second half is a novella. What I love about Towles' writing is his ability to highlight the frailties of his characters with great warmth as well as humour, leaving the reader with a feel-good ending. Towles writing is often ironic and I was smiling often.
“A knockout collection. ... Sharp-edged satire deceptively wrapped like a box of Neuhaus chocolates, Table for Two is a winner.” —The New York Times
“Superb ... This may be Towles’ best book yet. Each tale is as satisfying as a master chef’s main course, filled with drama, wit, erudition and, most of all, heart.” —Los Angeles Times
Millions of Amor Towles fans are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter fiction: six stories based in New York City and a novella set in Golden Age Hollywood.
A father's will states that none of his adult children will inherit its 10,000 acre farm and assets unless they can all cooperate to make his coffin in four days. The novel is written from the viewpoint of each child, of the family solicitor, and of the father Tom (although he's already dead he tells the story as if he's alive and it works). The novel is written in past tense and close third person point of view. This is a well written book, very polished, and I finished it in two days. The very short chapters add to the narrative tension in this taut narrative that frequently made me laugh out loud.
MEET THE EDWARDS FAMILY. Tom Edwards is dying, and cranky. He's made his peace with the dying part. But he'd bet his property - the whole ten thousand acres of it - that there'd be no wailing at his funeral. His kids wouldn't be able to chop down a tree, let alone build a coffin to bury him in. . Then Tom has an idea ... . Christine is furious, David ashen-faced, and Sophie distracted. Only Jenny listens carefully as Vince Barton, of Barton & Sons, reads their father's will. Either they build his coffin - in four days -…
The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty is my favourite of all of Sebastian Barry's books. In tender prose, the novel tells the story of the life of a young Irish man from Sligo in Ireland, starting from World War one onwards. Eneas McNulty is caught up in the independence movement, a character on the wrong side of history, who is followed throughout his life by his old school friend who is trying to assassinate him for being on the wrong side. Written in third person and close point of view, the story is told in the most wonderful language.
Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as "the finest book to come out of Europe this year," The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty is acclaimed Irish playwright Sebastian Barry's lyrical tale of a fugitive everyman.
Sebastian Barry's latest novel, Days Without End, is now available.
For Eneas McNulty, a happy, innocent childhood in County Sligo in the early 1900s gives way to an Ireland wracked by violence and conflict. Unable to find work in the depressed times after World War I, Eneas joins the British-led police force, the Royal Irish Constabulary-a decision that alters the course of his life. Branded a…
Australia, 1972. Following the death of her beloved Aunt Hilda, widow Clare Barclay inherits Bellevue, an historic property in the Blue Mountains township of Numbulla, Australia. Giving up her teaching job to move to the mountains, Clare plans to restore the house to its original glory. She also hopes to track down a box of missing documents that may shed light on why husband Jack secretly second-mortgaged their former home.
Clare makes friends with the locals, including a young boy, Joe, and soon hears of plans to redevelop Numbulla and to exploit the land bordering the protected wilderness area. As she joins the protest against the rezoning, it’s clear someone doesn’t want her there and they’ll do anything to stop her…
Industry Reviews In Bellevue, Booth… create(s) believable characters enmeshed in convincing real-life struggles. She expertly builds an undercurrent of tension and uncertainty, while simultaneously constructing a strong sense of community among those who unite against the developers. The Canberra Times
Alison Booth writes exquisite literary fiction, astutely observing the nature and behaviour of her believable, often flawed characters. The Riot Act: March Book Shelf
This fine Australian novel's set in 1972 when Clare Barclay inherits Bellevue, Aunt Hilda's rundown property in Numbulla in the Blue Mountains. The descriptions of the area are breathtaking, but there's trouble in paradise. When Clare rejects a shifty developer's bid to buy Bellevue, he then tries to drive her out. She's also looking for a box of documents to solve a puzzle her late husband left behind. Luckily, she's been befriended by young Joe who forms a bond with her, and he tells part of the moving story. The Peterborough Telegraph
