Items related to The Doctor's House (Premier Plus Series)
Synopsis
hardcover large print edition; like new dust jacket (s1)
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Review
In The Doctor's House Ann Beattie gives us a brother, a sister, and a mother--all attempting to make sense of themselves, each other, and their tyrannical father/husband. The novel consists of three narratives. First, Nina, a forlorn copyeditor still mourning her husband's sudden death, takes an interest in her brother Andrew's past sexual exploits and relationships (he contacts ex-lovers who then seek out Nina to mull over his wayward promiscuity). Second, Nina's alcoholic mother, always distant from her children and hurt by her physician husband's self-absorption and countless affairs, offers her view. Third, Andrew analyzes his father's behavior and gives us his take on looking up old flings.
Unfortunately Nina and Andrew aren't terribly engaging: a depressed Nina trudges through life, and the majority of the novel proceeds accordingly. The mother's point of view is the most interesting. She shares hypotheses about why her children are inseparable yet estranged from their parents. The reader hears about the father only through the family's accounts of his rage, twisted logic, and proclivities, all of which easily justify the dysfunctional state of the family. Nina summarizes her family in succinct prose: "My father never smiled; my mother narrowed her eyes when her lips turned up, as if happiness caused her discomfort. Andrew did smile: a slow, almost dreamy smile, his face so relaxed he might have been falling asleep to sweet dreams as he looked into your eyes. I never saw that expression except for the times we were alone." The Doctor's House has its moments, but fans of Beattie will continue to champion her stories foremost. --Michael Ferch
About the Author
Ann Beattie is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She has published six novels and seven story collections. Her work has been included in Best American Short Stories of the Century and in three O. Henry Award collections. It has earned her an award in literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the PEN/Bernard Malamud Award for lifetime achievement in the short-story form. She and her husband, Lincoln Perry, live in Maine, Key West, and Charlottesville, where Beattie teaches writing and literature at the University of Virginia.
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- PublisherCenter Point Pub
- Publication date2002
- ISBN 10 1585471992
- ISBN 13 9781585471997
- BindingLibrary Binding
- Number of pages264
- Rating
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The Doctor's House
Published by
Center Point Pub, Thorndike, Maine, U.S.A., 2002
ISBN 10: 1585471992
ISBN 13: 9781585471997
Used
Hardcover
Seller: The Yard Sale Store, Narrowsburg, NY, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hard Cover. Condition: Good. Reliable LARGE PRINT in the plastic protective covers the dust jacket underneath. Stamped discard by the library. Withdrawn from the library in the hard cover. Some shelf wear and scuff to the covers and the page edge. Useful, large print text. Enjoy this presentable edition. Seller Inventory # LPHC05060900108
Quantity: 1 available
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The Doctor's House (Premier Plus Series)
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 32-1585471992-G
Quantity: 1 available
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The Doctor's House [Large Print]
Published by
Center Point Publishing, Thorndike, Maine, 2002
ISBN 10: 1585471992
ISBN 13: 9781585471997
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Orielis' Books, CHAPEL HILL, NC, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good+. Large Print Edition. Large print edition, 262 pp. Corners bumped, slight edge wear. Jacket in new Brodart with a bit of edge wear. An attractive copy. "Beattie's masterful chronicle opens with a woman's exploration of her own brother's sexual appetites, detailing his myriad betrayals of his wife, lovers, and family. Nina, a reclusive copyeditor, should have better things to do than track her brother's escapades, but after her husband's death she has become solitary and defensive - and just as obsessive as Andrew. As the novel unfolds, events are told again from the mother's perspective, who at once illuminates and undermines her daughter's account. Finally, as the brother speaks for himself, it becomes increasingly clear that Nina is probably less innocent and less detached than she would ahve us believe. "; 7¾" - 9¾" Tall. Seller Inventory # 007100
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Doctor's House
Published by
Center Point Pub, Thorndike, Maine, U.S.A., 2002
ISBN 10: 1585471992
ISBN 13: 9781585471997
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: UHR Books, Hollis Center, ME, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hard Cover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good -. Large Print Edition. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Seller Inventory # Pa1663
Quantity: 1 available