The Sentimentalists - Couverture souple

Skibsrud, Johanna

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1554470781 ISBN 13 : 9781554470785

Editeur : Gaspereau Pr, 2009

Synopsis

Rare book

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

"Yes, sentimentality: that phenomenon by which the emotional need of the viewer takes precedent over the reality of the object; sentimentality: the excessive and inappropriate infusion of meaning, the incorrect alignment of form and content; sentimentality: a child's perception, the stain of immaturity, sister to stereotype, father of prejudice, the soul of dramatic irony! What happiness: to surrender the child's frantic and broad assertions about the world for the nuance and subtlety of true understanding! What joy: to abandon these delusions, to marry form with content, to live without sentimentality!" - from The Sentimentalist The author begins by offering a definition: sentimentality, he says, is “the excessive and inappropriate infusion of meaning, the incorrect alignment of form and content.” Viewed in this way, sentimentality is an existential quagmire: how is one to know the “true” significance of others’ words, gestures, and actions? How is one to know the “true” significance of one’s own? Through the stories that follow the author stays close-cropped to this dilemma, highlighting the misunderstandings that occur between boyfriends and girlfriends, lovers, peers, colleagues, parents and children, and exploring the ways in which these fundamental misunderstandings can be rooted in or result in fundamental misunderstandings about ourselves. Written by Stavros Stavros Cover design by Tom Maven

Quatrième de couverture

'Deeply moving ... I was engrossed by the elegant plotting and intelligent writing.' Patrick Ness, Guardian

'Will stay with you long after you read the last page.' Claire Messud

Haunted by the horrific events he witnessed during the Vietnam War, Napoleon Haskell is exhausted from years spent battling his memories. As his health ultimately declines, his two daughters move him from his trailer in North Dakota to Casablanca, Ontario, to live with the father of a friend who was killed in action. It is to Casablanca, on the shores of a man-made lake beneath which lie the remains of the former town, that Napoleon's youngest daughter also retreats when her own life comes unhinged. Living with the two old men, she finds her father in the twilight of his life and rapidly slipping into senility. With love and insatiable curiosity, she devotes herself to learning the truth about him; and through the fog, Napoleon's past begins to emerge.

'Evocative prose reminiscent of Marilynne Robinson ... loaded with emotional resonance.' Observer

'Beautiful ... subtle, sharp and truthful.' The Times

'Outstanding ... The emotional power is relentless ... an intelligent, reserved novel.' Irish Times

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Gaspereau Pr
• Date d'édition: 2009
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1554470781
• ISBN 13: 9781554470785
• Reliure: Broché
• Illustrateur: Bates Wesley
• Nombre de pages: 216
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible