Items related to THE BELIEVERS.
Synopsis
Unusual book
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From the Back Cover
When radical New York lawyer Joel Litvinoff is felled by a stroke, his wife, Audrey, uncovers a secret that forces her to reexamine everything she thought she knew about their forty-year marriage. Joel’s children will soon have to come to terms with this discovery themselves, but for the meantime, they are struggling with their own dilemmas and doubts.
Rosa, a disillusioned revolutionary, has found herself drawn into the world of Orthodox Judaism and is now being pressed to make a commitment to that religion. Karla, a devoted social worker hoping to adopt a child with her husband, is falling in love with the owner of a newspaper stand outside her office. Ne’er-do-well Lenny is living at home, approaching another relapse into heroin addiction.
In the course of battling their own demons—and one another—the Litvinoff clan is called upon to examine long-held articles of faith that have formed the basis of their lives together and their identities as individuals. In the end, all the family members will have to answer their own questions and decide what—if anything—they still believe in.
Hailed by the Sunday Times (London) as "one of the outstanding novels of the year," The Believers explores big ideas with a light touch, delivering a tragic, comic family story as unsparing as it is filled with compassion.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Heller (What Was She Thinking?; Notes on a Scandal) puts to pointed use her acute observations of human nature in her third novel, a satire of 1960s idealism soured in the early 21st century. Audrey and Joel Litvinoff have attempted to pass on to their children their lefty passions—despite Audrey's decidedly bourgeois attitude and attorney Joel's self-satisfied heroism, including the defense of a suspected terrorist in 2002 New York City. When Joel has a stroke and falls into a coma, Audrey grows increasingly nasty as his secrets surface. The children, meanwhile, wander off on their own adventures: Rosa's inherited principles are beleaguered by the unpleasant realities of her work with troubled adolescents; Karla, her self-image crushed by Audrey, has settled into an uncomfortable marriage and the accompanying pressure to have children; and adopted Lenny, the best metaphor for the family's troubles, dawdles along as a drug addict and master manipulator. Though some may be initially put off by the characters' coldness—the Litvinoffs are a severely screwed-up crew—readers with a certain mindset will have a blast watching things get worse. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherFig Tree
- Publication date2008
- ISBN 10 0670916129
- ISBN 13 9780670916122
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages256
- Rating
Buy New
Learn more about this copy
US$ 30.61
Shipping:
US$ 13.31
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Seller Image
The Believers
Seller: The Glass Key, Montmorillon, France
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardback. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: very good. Later printing. 3rd impression. Claret cloth boards stamped in gilt on the spine. A clean, unmarked and tightly bound copy in an unclipped dust jacket. Seller Inventory # 103441
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Believers
Seller: AwesomeBooks, Wallingford, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. The Believers 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 # 7719-9780670916122
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
THE BELIEVERS.
Seller: MusicMagpie, Stockport, United Kingdom
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. 1725996915. 9/10/2024 7:35:15 PM. Seller Inventory # U9780670916122
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Believers
Published by
Penguin Books Ltd, United Kingdom, London, 2008
ISBN 10: 0670916129
ISBN 13: 9780670916122
Used
Paperback
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. A comic, tragic, supremely entertaining novel about one family's struggles with the consolations of faith and the trials of doubt. When Audrey makes a devastating discovery about her husband, New York radical lawyer Joel Litvinoff, she is forced to re-examine everything she thought she knew about their forty-year marriage. Joels children will soon have to come to terms with this unsettling secret themselves, but for the meantime, they are trying to cope with their own dilemmas. Rosa, a disillusioned revolutionary, is grappling with a new-found attachment to Orthodox Judaism. Karla, an unhappily married social worker, is falling in love with an unlikely suitor at the hospital where she works. Adopted brother Lenny is back on drugs again. In the course of battling their own demons and each other, every member of the family is called upon to decide what - if anything - they still believe in. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR001285753
Quantity: 5 available
Stock Image
The Believers
Seller: Goldstone Books, Llandybie, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Good. Ex-Library Book. Has usual library markings and stamps inside. All orders are dispatched within one working day from our UK warehouse. We've been selling books online since 2004! We have over 750,000 books in stock. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied. Seller Inventory # mon0006020141
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Believers
Seller: Reuseabook, Gloucester, GLOS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. 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 # CHL5403116
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Believers
Seller: Reuseabook, Gloucester, GLOS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Used; Very Good. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine. Seller Inventory # CHL1370805
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
THE BELIEVERS.
Seller: GF Books, Inc., Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Book is in Used-VeryGood condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain very limited notes and highlighting. 1.19. Seller Inventory # 0670916129-2-3
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Believers
Seller: Bahamut Media, Reading, United Kingdom
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. 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 # 6545-9780670916122
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
The Believers
Seller: Merandja Books, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. Reprint. A hardback book with both book and jacket in fine condition, dated 2008. Seller Inventory # 044295
Quantity: 1 available