Items related to The Essence of the Thing
Synopsis
Page edges tanned. Shipped from the U.K. All orders received before 3pm sent that weekday.
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About the Author
Madeleine St John was born in Sydney and graduated from the University there in 1963. She has spent most of the intervening years living in London. This is the author's third novel, her first being Women in Black and in 1996, A Pure Clear Light.
From Publishers Weekly
The difficulties of committing to a relationship make wonderful fodder for St. John's insightful, often hilarious third novel (after A Pure Clear Light). Out of the blue, Jonathan, a 30-something London lawyer, bluntly informs Nicola, his live-in girlfriend of six years, that they should split up because he feels the relationship "just isn't working." The impact of this decision stuns Nicola, who dutifully moves out of their apartment and tries to understand where things went wrong. Creating a brilliant primer on the battle of the sexes, the author brings together the observations of Nicola's married friends, Susannah and Geoffrey; Jonathan's married friends, Lizzie and Alfred; and the parting couple's respective parents. Although it is occasionally difficult to immediately discern who is speaking, the multiple viewpoints work well to enliven the pace and present a multifaceted glimpse into Nicola's predicament and Jonathan's unexpected reactions to the domestic tragedy he set in motion. Watching Nicola grieve for her lost love, readers experience everything from her bewildered sense of denial that she and Jonathan are actually breaking up to her final acceptance of her changed circumstances, and the bittersweet conclusions she comes to as she seeks other possibilities for romance and excitement. Using spare prose, sparkling dialogue and painfully true observations on family life, St. John creates a winning combination of humor and pathos.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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- PublisherFourth Estate Ltd
- Publication date1998
- ISBN 10 1857027078
- ISBN 13 9781857027075
- BindingPaperback
- Rating
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The Essence of the Thing
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
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Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.45. Seller Inventory # G1857027078I3N00
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The Essence of the Thing
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.45. Seller Inventory # G1857027078I4N10
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The Essence of the Thing
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. 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 # GOR003114646
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The Essence of the Thing
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
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Paperback. Condition: Good. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine. Seller Inventory # GOR001776924
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The Essence of the Thing
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Condition: Very Good. Very Good condition. Shows only minor signs of wear, and very minimal markings inside (if any). 0.57. Seller Inventory # 353-1857027078-vrg
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The Essence of the Thing
Seller: Merandja Books, Cornwall, United Kingdom
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. First Thus. The things women will do to hold on to love and what men do to escape it. A paperback book in very good condition, dated 1998. Seller Inventory # 023888
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The Essence of the Thing
Seller: Reuseabook, Gloucester, GLOS, United Kingdom
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Paperback. 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 # CHL1617894
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The Essence of the Thing
Seller: Brit Books, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Used; Very Good. ***Simply Brit*** Welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there is something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality. Seller Inventory # 3793021
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The Essence of the Thing
Seller: Book Haven, Wellington, WLG, New Zealand
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paper Back. Condition: Good. Nicola only went to buy cigarettes and upon returning finds a stranger in her apartment. He looks like her live-in boyfriend, Jonathan, but he can't actually be the dependable known quantity whom Nicola loves that goes by the name of Jonathan. Can he? Before Nicola stands a man who is strong and adorable just like the old Jonathan, only this one is no longer hers! This sad tale of love gone south still has its funny side. You have either to laugh or cry when you see, as acutely and elegantly as St John captures it here, the things women will do to hold on to love, and the things men will do to escape it. 'St John's intelligence transforms a simple story into a much larger commentary on love and loss.' - Mademoiselle 'The Essence of the Thing grabs the reader's sympathy and attention from the startling first pages and doesn't let go.' - Newsday 'A brisk, sophisticated, and artful narrative' - New York Times Book Review. 240 pages. Seller Inventory # 1518927
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The Essence of the Thing
Published by
HarperCollins Publishers Limited, 1998
ISBN 10: 1857027078
ISBN 13: 9781857027075
Used
Paperback
Seller: Boobooks, ARMIDALE, NSW, Australia
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. An exciting new talent, shortlisted for the 1997 Booker Prize, hailed as 'a triumph' by The Times, and a poignant observer of human hearts, foibles and follies. ''There isn't a false note in the book, nothing but ravishing grace, wit and tender feelings.' Mail on Sunday Nicola's problems began when she is finally told by her partner, Jonathan, 'that we should part.'. She nips out to the off-licence to buy cigarettes and returns to find a stranger in her living room. The stranger looks like Jonathan, talks like Jonathan, yet Nicola did not recognise him as the man he was before. Jonathan had always been predictable, but now Nicola wondered where was the man she loved? How did he become such a mystery all of a sudden? Since when did a solicitor have hidden depths? Friends gather round, always ready to offer encouragement or insult her ex-husband, yet Nicola must face up to the adjustments of Life After Jonathan. It is not the experience of liberation, empowerment and excitement it is meant to be. Madeleine St John's third novel is haunting and hilarious. St John is at her bittersweet best writing of the things women will do to hold on to love and the things men will do to escape it . Used- Good, General shelf wear and scuffing. Seller Inventory # 24800708
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