Love in Idleness - Softcover

Craig, Amanda

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0316724858 ISBN 13: 9780316724852

Publisher: Little Brown Uk, 2003

Synopsis

When Polly and Theo Noble book the Casa Luna, near Cortona, for their summer holiday they plan a civilised Anglo-American house-party with Theo's brother Daniel, Daniel's girlfriend Ellen, and Polly's old schoolfriend Hemani in an idyllic Tuscan setting. Their children Tania and Robbie will have Hemani's son Bron to play with, and Theo's mother, Betty is expected keep her grandchildren under control by force of a personality that can curdle mayonnaise at a hundred paces. Even Ivo Sponge, the notorious journalist with whom Ellen was once entangled, should do little to spoil their pleasure. But the Casa Luna is a place where strange things happen, and anyone who lives there risks unexpected joys and sorrows. As both children and adults find it increasingly difficult to tell what is fantasy and what is reality, the tiny winged creatures who have persuaded Tania to brew a love potion start to take over . The result is that of the four couples who have begun the holiday together, all have swapped partners by the end (and one has swapped sex of partner!). This is a subtle and delectable comedy of manners about love, lies and the dangers of a strong imagination .

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

In her latest novel, Amanda Craig once again demonstrates not only her splendid skill for storytelling but also her incisive wit as she spins Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream into a delightful modern-day tale of love and lies, set against the magical landscape of Tuscany.

When an American lawyer, Theo Noble, and his English wife, Polly, rent an Italian villa–the Casa Luna–for their vacation, they envision an idyllic summer spent in the relaxing company of good friends and family: an eclectic Anglo-American mix. They have invited Theo’s brother, Daniel, as well as their friends Hemani and Ellen, to join them. While their children Tania and Robbie will have Hemani’s son, Bron, to play with, Polly hopes her mother-in-law can be counted on to control Tania’s and Robbie’s wild imaginations by force of a personality that can curdle mayonnaise at thirty paces. Even the arrival of Ivo Sponge, the journalist who Ellen–for some reason–detests most in the world, seems unlikely to interfere with the pleasure of exploring art and nature. But the Casa Luna is a place of enchantment and anyone who lives there risks discovering aspects of themselves and other people that go deeper than any clash of cultures. As the temperature rises, it soon becomes increasingly hard to tell what is imaginary and what is real.

Love in Idleness is at once a deft interpretation of Shakespeare and a delectable contemporary comedy of manners that is certain to captivate.

From the Back Cover:

“The magical descriptions of Italy and hilarious observations about love, travel, natives and foreigners in LOVE IN IDLENESS are but a few of its many pleasures. Amanda Craig has created a hot shimmery climate in which a cast of old friends, quirky family members and naughty children who make love potions come to know themselves and their hearts. LOVE IN IDLENESS is a delightful brew.”
--Jane Hamilton

“Amanda Craig is a marvelous writer - both playful and graceful, she gives darting sidelong glances into the human heart.  A book about an enchanted vacation, LOVE IN IDLENESS is the perfect summer read. Escapist in the best sense, it suggests that we may need to get lost in order to find ourselves.” — Allison Pearson

“Literate, surprising, and funny, Amanda Craig's haphazard houseparty in the Tuscan hills kept me in a midsummer night's dream from the moment the shutters were flung open until all ended well.” — Frances Mayes 

About this edition

• Publisher: Little Brown Uk
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0316724858
• ISBN 13: 9780316724852
• Binding: Paperback