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Synopsis
An authoress is invited by a lecturer who has devoted his life to studying and teaching her nine novels and 27 short stories. As she arrives to speak to his students he feels he has a chance to resolve the one remaining mystery at the heart of things.
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About the Author
Michael Frayn is the author of ten novels, including the bestselling Headlong and Spies. He has also written 13 plays, among them Noises Off and Copenhagen, which won three Tony Awards in 1999. He lives in London.
From Publishers Weekly
As wickedly funny as it is intelligent and perceptive, this first work of fiction in 16 years by the British playwright ( Noises Off ; The Benefactors ) and novelist ( Sweet Dreams ) is a reader's delight. In a series of letters to a colleague in Australia, the nameless narrator, a literary critic at a provincial British university, gradually unfolds the story of his marriage--a dream come true that has turned into a nightmare. Having based his reputation on his literary criticism of the works of the novelist JL, the narrator invites her to speak to his students. She comes; he falls in love but bumbles the aftermath of their coupling; he pursues her nonetheless; they marry. But the union of writer and critic is not ideal. With impeccable timing, Frayn gradually reveals the academic's conundrum: though his wife is colorless and dull in person, she has the trick of turning life into eventful fiction, while he, poor man, can neither influence what she writes (he tries) nor write as well--in fact, write at all (he tries that too). Mordantly witty, the letters disclose first the writer's glee at having "cornered the market, as it were," then his desperation: he loses his job since it's unseemly that "a husband expound his own wife." The author has the trick his protagonist lacks: he can take a serious theme, spin it out into deliciously calibrated comedy, then darken it with a touch of rue. The poignant ending adds perfection to this flawless comedy of manners. First serial to the New Yorker.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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The Trick of It
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The Trick of It
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The Trick of It
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The Trick of It
Published by
Penguin Publishing Group, 1991
ISBN 10: 0140126511
ISBN 13: 9780140126518
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The Trick of It
Published by
Penguin Publishing Group, 1991
ISBN 10: 0140126511
ISBN 13: 9780140126518
Used
Softcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
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Paperback. Condition: Used; Good. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading. Seller Inventory # CHL3984675
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The Trick of It This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780140126518
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780140126518
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