The Waiting Game - Softcover

Rubens, Bernice

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0349109028 ISBN 13: 9780349109022

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group, 1998

Synopsis

At "The Hollyhocks" old people's home, the inhabitants are "waiting for the scythe." As they do, Lady Celia runs a blackmail business on the side, Mr. Cross keeps a tally of residents' deaths, and Mrs. Bellamy decides she can't take it any more and slits her throat. Meanwhile, two newcomers also cause disturbance, as hidden pasts, unusual sexual preferences, and wickedly dark humor are mixed to delicious effect.

About this title

About the Author

Bernice Rubens was born in Wales & later read English at the University of Wales. In 1970 she won the Booker Prize for THE ELECTED MEMBER. A FIVE YEAR SENTENCE was also nominated for the award. 2 books have been filmed, I SENT A LETTER TO MY LOVE and MADAME SOUSATZKA, & MR WAKEFIELD'S CRUSADE was made into a TV series.

From AudioFile

What a pleasure to discover a new narratorÐespecially femaleÐwho has a speaking voice as eloquent as those of Nadia May and Davina Porter! Miriam Margolyes reveals clearly why she is such a respected actress as she chronicles here the poignant day-to-day lives of aging residents in a British retirement home. Her inspiring narration gives each of the "guests" a distinctive voice as they discuss their horoscopes at the breakfast table or exchange symptoms over their coffee cups in the lounge. As we hear them talking on tape after tape, we come to feel almost as if they are old family friends ... until, that is, they are no longer around to play "the waiting game." J.C. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Edition details

• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0349109028
• ISBN 13: 9780349109022
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256