Romantic Verse Narrative: The History of a Genre (European Studies in English Literature)

GO Romantic Verse Narrative: The History of a Genre (European Studies in English Literature)


Author: Hermann Fischer
Type: eBook
Language: English
Released: 1991
Publisher: No
Page Count: 301
Format: pdf
ISBN-10: 0521309646
ISBN-13: 9780521309646
Tags:Romantic Verse Narrative: The History of a Genre (European Studies in English Literature), tutorials, pdf, djvu, chm, epub, ebook, book, torrent, downloads, rapidshare, filesonic, hotfile, fileserve


Description:
From Publishers Weekly The smallest details of staid coupledom duel it out with a lusty alternate reality that begins when a woman passes up an opportunity to cheat on her longtime boyfriend in Shriver's latest (after the Orange Prize–winning We Need to Talk About Kevin). Irina McGovern, a children's book illustrator in London, lives in comfortable familiarity with husband-in-everything-but-marriage-certificate Lawrence Trainer, and every summer the two have dinner with their friend, the professional snooker player Ramsey Acton, to celebrate Ramsey's birthday. One year, following Ramsey's divorce and while terrorism specialist "think tank wonk" Lawrence is in Sarajevo on business, Irina and Ramsey have dinner, and after cocktails and a spot of hash, Irina is tempted to kiss Ramsey. From this near-smooch, Shriver leads readers on a two-pronged narrative: one consisting of what Irina imagines would have happened if she had given in to temptation, the other showing Irina staying with Lawrence while fantasizing about Ramsey. With Jamesian patience, Shriver explores snooker tournaments and terrorism conferences, passionate lovemaking and passionless sex, and teases out her themes of ambition, self-recrimination and longing. The result is an impressive if exhausting novel. (Mar.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Critics had divided reactions to Lionel Shriver's latest novel (after the Orange Prize?winning We Need to Talk About Kevin, ***1/2 Sept/Oct 2003). Though most considered her use of the dual narrative a clever literary device, not all agreed that it worked. Some found the alternating storylines confusing, while others were bored by the exhaustively catalogued details of Irina's everyday life. The Post-Birthday World doesn't provide easy answers to the questions it raises about relationships. Irina, however, proves to be a well-rounded, sympathetic character, and the relative failure or success of her dueling destinies depends as much on the reader's point of view as it does on her own. At 528 pages, Shriver's novel is a hefty examination of the possibilities—and regrets—in the decisions we make every day. Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.