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A wonderful new collection on topical themes from the controversial product-placement author of The Bulgari Connection.A superb new collection of shrewd, sharp, insightful, with a cheerfully dark view of the world.The wronged wife remains a lingering presence even after the mistress has moved in to her home. Oriole, an enormously successful businesswoman married to the ineffectual Hugh, begins to re-evaluate her life, when her best crockery keeps mysteriously flying through the air. A sculptor finds love while protecting a Roman graveyard from property developers. A Christmas gathering turns murderous for one unhappy guest. A travel writer watches, horrified, as her father runs of with her best friend, but is soon planning revenge.The entire collection is shot through with Weldon's trademark mischievous deceitfulness, her hidden meanings and agendas. Rich, mad, greedy, deceitful, vulnerable her characters may be, but the stories maintain a defiantly optimistic air and sparkle with the irrepressible wit with which Weldon writes about the lives of modern men and women.
A series of sharp, interconnected narratives explores the hidden fractures in modern relationships and the absurdities of contemporary life. Each story centers on characters navigating personal betrayals, professional shifts, or domestic instability, often finding themselves at the mercy of their own impulsive desires or external social pressures. Weldon employs a biting, observational tone to dissect the lives of the wealthy and the vulnerable alike, revealing the underlying chaos beneath polished exteriors. The narrative framework shifts between domestic drama and dark comedy, maintaining a consistent focus on the irony of human ambition and the fragility of social status.
This collection reflects the author's established reputation for cynical wit and keen social observation. The stories are characterized by a detached, mischievous narrative voice that invites readers to examine the moral ambiguities of the characters. The work suggests a preoccupation with the performative nature of modern life, where status and material possessions often mask deeper existential dissatisfaction. The prose maintains a brisk, biting rhythm that aligns with the author's signature style of exposing the absurdities inherent in contemporary relationships.
Page Count:
240
Publication Date:
2002-01-01
Publisher:
Flamingo
ISBN-10:
0002258536
ISBN-13:
9780002258531
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