Five Photos of My Wife by Agn?s Desarthe (English) Paperback Book

Description: Five Photos of My Wife by Agnès Desarthe, Adriana Hunter The English debut of a bestselling novelist, kin to Penelope Fitzgerald and Louis Begley in style and subtlety. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description The English debut of a bestselling novelist, kin to Penelope Fitzgerald and Louis Begley in style and subtlety. At eighty, Max Opass is still reeling from the death of his wife a year earlier. His two grown-up children live abroad with their own families, his son in Bolivia, his daughter in Japan: he writes awkwardly to his daughter with the news of his humdrum activities and tells her that hes decided to have his wifes portrait committed to paper or canvas, permanently and posthumously. So, he looks up Artists in the Yellow Pages, picks a few for arbitrary reasons, and calls them up. He asks each if they will paint a portrait of his wife, using his five favourite photographs of her for their sole visual reference. One artist – successful and modish – intimidates him; another – an amateur raising kids by herself – prompts him to pity; a pair of art students baffle him; and a bridge-playing acquaintance turns out to have elderly hots for him. Each encounter, each portrait, is both comic and moving, like Max. As these accumulate, the reader comes to realise that Maxs grasp on who his wife really was is not so sure after all. The book oscillates calmly between being amusing and being reflective, and delivers a powerful slow punch at its close.Agnès Desarthe began her writing life as a childrens writer, and it shows here: as in Gretta Mulrooneys Araby, not a word is wasted and the pace is even and sure. In its sympathetic but unsentimental portrayal of a deluded old man, the book is reminiscent of Louis Begleys work. And in her dry wit, exquisite ear for conversation and reverberating sense of more being meant than at first seems apparent, there are echoes of Penelope Fitzgerald or Hilary Mantel. Author Biography Agnes Desarthe is a prize-winning author of childrens books, among her published books for adults are Five Photos of My Wife and Good Intentions. Review Desarthe is a daring and imaginative writer. Through Max Opass, she lets her lucid prose plunder dreams and question the meaning of existence. Observer A rare tribute to the love of a wife... Desarthes novel, lucidly translated by Adriana Hunter, is delicate, subtle and full of charm. Daily Mail Ageing and frailty, both physical and emotinal, are rarely presented with such sheer beauty. Five Photos of My Wife has a limpid, effortless elegance: prose by Chanel. Scotland on Sunday Long Description The English debut of a bestselling novelist, kin to Penelope Fitzgerald and Louis Begley in style and subtlety. At eighty, Max Opass is still reeling from the death of his wife a year earlier. His two grown-up children live abroad with their own families, his son in Bolivia, his daughter in Japan: he writes awkwardly to his daughter with the news of his humdrum activities and tells her that hes decided to have his wifes portrait committed to paper or canvas, permanently and posthumously. So, he looks up Artists in the Yellow Pages, picks a few for arbitrary reasons, and calls them up. He asks each if they will paint a portrait of his wife, using his five favourite photographs of her for their sole visual reference. One artist successful and modish intimidates him; another an amateur raising kids by herself prompts him to pity; a pair of art students baffle him; and a bridge-playing acquaintance turns out to have elderly hots for him. Each encounter, each portrait, is both comic and moving, like Max. As these accumulate, the reader comes to realise that Maxs grasp on who his wife really was is not so sure after all. The book oscillates calmly between being amusing and being reflective, and delivers a powerful slow punch at its close. Agn Review Quote Desarthe is a daring and imaginative writer. Through Max Opass, she lets her lucid prose plunder dreams and question the meaning of existence.Observer A rare tribute to the love of a wife… Desarthes novel, lucidly translated by Adriana Hunter, is delicate, subtle and full of charm.Daily Mail Ageing and frailty, both physical and emotinal, are rarely presented with such sheer beauty. Five Photos of My Wife has a limpid, effortless elegance: prose by Chanel.Scotland on Sunday Feature * One of five titles in the free literary magazine Flamingo Firsts, distributed through bookshops and libraries and mailed to subscribers of literary magazines (poster available) * Features on and in the From Flamingo newsletter Competition: Julie Myerson, Muriel Spark, Elena Lappin, Penelope Fitzgerald, Esther Freud, Hilary Mantel, Anne Tyler Details ISBN0007291604 Year 2008 Translator Adriana Hunter ISBN-10 0007291604 ISBN-13 9780007291601 Format Paperback Media Book Imprint Flamingo Place of Publication London Country of Publication United Kingdom Translated from French Replaces 9780007100927 DEWEY 843.914 Illustrations black & white illustrations Pages 176 Language English Publication Date 2008-07-01 UK Release Date 2008-07-01 Birth 1949 Affiliation San Diego State University Position Professor of English Qualifications PhD Author Adriana Hunter Publisher HarperCollins Publishers Alternative 9780007100927 Audience General AU Release Date 2011-03-23 NZ Release Date 2011-03-23 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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