"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: "These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity." Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, "Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure." And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment:
The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone.But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. --Kerry Fried
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. 'A sparkling celebration of sexual intrigue. stylish, original, bizarrely beautiful' - Francis Wyndham, Sunday Telegraph, Books of the YearDiscover this 'sparkling celebration of sexual intrigue' (Telegraph) from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Line of Beauty.The Spell is a comedy of sexual manners that follows the interlocking affairs of four men- Robin, an architect in his late forties, who is trying to build an idyllic life in Dorset with his younger lover, Justin; Robin's 22 year old son Danny, a volatile beauty who lives for clubbing and casual sex; and the shy Alex, who is Justin's ex-boyfriend.As each in turn falls under the spell of romance or drugs, country living or rough trade, a richly ironic picture emerges of the clashing imperatives of modern gay life. At once lyrical, sceptical and romantic, The Spell confirms Alan Hollinghurst as one of Britain's most important novelists. A study of sexual appetite and of the more nebulous longings that accompany it; this is also a comedy of manners. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780099276944
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9780099276944
Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 9780099276944
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 272 pages. 7.72x5.12x0.67 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0099276941
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. The Spell is a comedy of sexual manners that follows the interlocking affairs of four men: Robin, an architect in his late forties, who is trying to build an idyllic life in Dorset with his younger lover, Justin; Robin's 22 year old son Danny, a volatile beauty who lives for clubbing and casual sex; Seller Inventory # B9780099276944
Book Description Condition: New. In eng. Seller Inventory # ria9780099276944_new
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0099276941
Book Description Condition: New. Buy with confidence! Book is in new, never-used condition. Seller Inventory # bk0099276941xvz189zvxnew
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0099276941
Book Description Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware - Discover this 'sparkling celebration of sexual intrigue' (Telegraph) from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Line of Beauty.The Spell is a comedy of sexual manners that follows the interlocking affairs of four men: Robin, an architect in his late forties, who is trying to build an idyllic life in Dorset with his younger lover, Justin; Robin's 22 year old son Danny, a volatile beauty who lives for clubbing and casual sex; and the shy Alex, who is Justin's ex-boyfriend. As each in turn falls under the spell of romance or drugs, country living or rough trade, a richly ironic picture emerges of the clashing imperatives of modern gay life. At once lyrical, sceptical and romantic, The Spell confirms Alan Hollinghurst as one of Britain's most important novelists. 272 pp. Deutsch. Seller Inventory # 9780099276944