Lionel Shriver Knihy

Román Musíme si promluvit o Kevinovi je koncipovaný jako série brutálně upřímných dopisů, které hlavní hrdinka Eva píše svému odcizenému manželu Franklinovi. Snaží se v nich najít odpověď na otázku, proč jejich syn tři dny před svými šestnáctými narozeninami zastřelil sedm spolužáků a učitelku. Eva se v dopisech nevyhnutelně vrací do Kevinovy a tím i své minulosti a zabývá se složitými rodinnými a rodičovskými vztahy. Když se Eva jakožto úspěšná podnikatelka provdala za mnohem konvenčnějšího Franklina, nebyla si vůbec jistá, zda chce mít dítě, a Kevin, jako by to tušil. Odmalička se k ní choval otevřeně nepřátelsky. Působil dojmem dítěte, které je necitlivé k ostatním a čas od času vysloveně zlovolné. Otec synovy nedostatky umíněně přehlížel a jeho problematické chování nepřímo kladl za vinu Evě. Příchod mladší sestry Celie, která byla v mnoha ohledech Kevinovým opakem, situaci vůbec nevylepšil, a příběh s děsivou nevyhnutelností směřoval ke dni masakru. Mistrně napsaný hororový příběh zasadí čtenáři v závěru ještě jednu nečekanou ránu.

Worshiped by his fans and fellow band members, the Derailleurs, Checker Secretti seems to live a charmed existence until another musician's admiration and envy sparks off strange events and ultimate tragedy

This striking collection of essays from a prize-winning, New York Times bestselling author showcases the sharp talent of Lionel Shriver, known for her willingness to embrace “under-expressed, unpopular or downright dangerous” viewpoints. The anthology features thirty-five curated pieces drawn from her columns, essays, and op-eds in prominent publications like the Spectator, the Guardian, and the New York Times, alongside unpublished works. In this collection, Shriver’s iconoclastic and personal voice shines as she offers her skeptical and contrarian opinions on a diverse array of topics, including religion, politics, illness, family, gender, immigration, and consumerism. She critiques the concept of language “crimes” and challenges arbitrary limitations on speech that threaten artistic expression and intellectual freedom. Each essay reflects sentiments that have drawn controversy and even threats of “cancellation.” Shriver also provides insights into her novels and the complexities of artistic success. By revisiting and expanding upon earlier pieces, she invites readers—especially those with “enlightened” progressive views—to engage with challenging ideas, often leading to unexpected agreements. This collection is a timely synthesis of Shriver's expansive work, revealing her as a provocative and assured writer.

Set in 2029, the narrative unfolds during a bloodless world war that devastates American savings as the dollar's value collapses, giving way to the bancor, a new global currency. In a drastic response, the president announces a default on loans, leading to rampant money printing and soaring inflation that erodes the remaining wealth of savers. The story explores the economic turmoil and its impact on families, highlighting themes of financial instability and the consequences of government decisions.

This collection features thought-provoking essays from a bestselling author known for their insightful exploration of complex themes. With a blend of personal reflection and broader societal commentary, the work delves into various aspects of life, relationships, and human experiences. The author's distinctive voice and keen observations offer readers a compelling and engaging perspective on contemporary issues, making this collection a notable addition to their literary repertoire.

What do you pack for the rest of your life? The explosive new novel from the Orange Prize-winning author of We Need to Talk About Kevin

From the Orange Prize-winning author of We Need to Talk About Kevin 'Enjoyably abrasive... a compelling read... sardonic and elegant' Evening Standard 'Scabrously funny... few authors can be as entertainingly problematic as Shriver' Guardian

When Pandora picks up her older brother Edison at her local Iowa airport, she literally doesn't recognise him. Edison's slovenly habits, appalling diet and know-it-all monologues drive her health-and-fitness freak husband Fletcher insane. Fletcher eventually delivers his wife an ultimatum - it's him or me. Putting her marriage and two adoptive children on the line, Pandora chooses her brother - who, without her support in losing weight, will surely eat himself into an early grave.

'Seldom is a book as funny, important and timely ... I was laughing out loud at the same time as my blood was running cold' JOHN CLEESE 'Viciously funny... an exhilarating satire' THE TIMES 'Merciless... a welcome distraction' ECONOMIST, Best Books of 2024 What if calling someone stupid was illegal? In a reality not too distant from our own, the worst thing you can call someone is 'stupid'. Everyone is equally clever, and discrimination based on intelligence is 'the last great civil rights fight'. Exams and grades are discarded and you don't need a qualification to be a doctor. When best friends Pearson and Emory find themselves on opposing sides of this new culture war, their relationship begins to fracture. And soon, Pearson's determination to cling onto the 'old, bigoted way of thinking' begins to endanger her job, her safety and even her family... Hilarious, deadpan and scathing, MANIA is a frighteningly plausible glimpse into what the world could become - or is already - from the pen of a master storyteller.

A best fiction book of 2021 for The Times 'Hilarious... Fiery phrases spit and crackle. Disgust expands and bursts into belly laughs... a very funny book' Sunday Times 'Thought-provoking, timely, and extremely funny' Metro

In 2029, the Mandible family faces a grim reality as their hopes for a substantial inheritance dissolve amidst America's insurmountable national debt and the collapse of the dollar. With an emerging international currency threatening their financial stability, a looming bloodless world war is set to obliterate the savings of countless American families. Each family member grapples with disappointment and the harsh necessity of survival. Recently prosperous Avery is frustrated by her inability to buy basic necessities, while her sister Florence struggles to accommodate strays in her cramped home. Their father, Carter, is resentful of the burden of caring for his demented stepmother, as nursing home costs skyrocket. Meanwhile, Nollie, an expatriate author, returns at 73 to an America that is unrecognizable. Only Florence's unconventional teenage son, Willing—an economics enthusiast—might hold the key to salvaging their once-prominent family from destitution. This narrative offers a chilling yet darkly humorous exploration of a potential future decline for the United States, showcasing the author's sharp insights and wit.

The New Novel From The Orange Prize Winning Author Of We Need To Talk About Kevin It All Hinges On One Kiss. Whether Irina Mcgovern Does Or Does Not Lean In To A Specific Pair Of Lips In London Will Determine Whether She Stays With Her Disciplined, Intellectual Partner Lawrence Or Runs Off With Ramsey, A Hard-Living Snooker Player. Using A Parallel Universe Structure, We Follow Irina'S Life As It Unfolds Under The Influence Of Two Drastically Different Men. Lawrence Is Irina'S Partner Of Nearly Ten Years. Ramsey Is The Ex-Husband Of A Sometime Friend, A Once-A-Year Acquaintance To Whom Irina Has Never Paid A Great Deal Of Attention. Where Lawrence Is Supportive And Devoted; Ramsey Is Flighty And Spontaneous. Lawrence Is Emotionally Withdrawn To The Point Of Repression; Ramsey Is Fiery And Passionate, But Volatile. The Contrasts Between The Two Men Have Ramifications For Irina'S Relationships With Friends And Family, For Her Career As An Illustrator, And More Importantly, For The Texture Of Her Daily Life. This Love Is About Trade-Offs. Both Men In Irina'S Dual Future Are Worthy Of Her Affection But Deeply Flawed. The Answer Is That There Is No Perfect Answer: One Of The Things That Draws Us To Our Mates Is What Is Wrong With Them. The Post-Birthday World Is Written With All The Subtlety, Perceptiveness And Drama That Made We Need To Talk About Kevin An International Bestseller.

Every book club member has felt the pressure to pick out a new title for the whole group to read and enjoy. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a book that helped you to make that all-important decision and maintain your place of respect in the book club? Fear no more, this comprehensive guide is here to help, shining an illuminating light on the treasures of the literary world, from The Bell Jar to Brick Lane, Mrs. Dalloway to Middlesex. Containing a diverse selection of books to choose from, the guide includes a non-spoiler synopsis, background information on the author, historical context, interesting discussion points and facts, and potential companion volumes. Compiled by a range of English literature experts and avid readers, this informative and enthusiastic guide is guaranteed to inspire.

"Following the death of her worthy liberal parents, Corlis McCrea moves back into her family's grand Reconstruction mansion in North Carolina, willed to all three siblings. Her timid younger brother has never left home. When her bullying black-sheep older brother moves into "his" house as well, it's war. Each heir wants the house. Yet to buy the other out, two siblings must team against one. Just as in girlhood, Corlis is torn between allying with the decent but fearful youngest and the iconoclastic eldest, who covets his legacy to destroy it. A Perfectly Good Family is a stunning examination of inheritance, literal and psychological: what we take from our parents, what we discard, and what we are stuck with, like it or not."--Amazon.com.

Set against the backdrop of Kenya, the story explores the complex relationship between Eleanor Merritt, an altruistic family-planning worker, and Calvin Piper, a charismatic yet misanthropic thinker. As Eleanor strives to uplift the impoverished, she becomes entangled in Calvin's controversial views on population control, which challenge her ideals. Their romance unfolds amidst a provocative examination of responsibility and moral dilemmas, blurring the lines between love and ideology.

Ever since Willy Novinsky picked up a racquet at the age of four, tennis has been her one love, until the day she meets Eric Oberdorf. She's a middle-ranked professional tennis player and he's a Princeton graduate who took up playing tennis at the age of eighteen. They marry. Married life starts well but soon gives way to full-tilt competition.

Ostracized as a kid, Edgar Kellogg has always yearned to be popular. A disgruntled New York corporate lawyer, he's more than ready to leave his lucrative career for the excitement and uncertainty of journalism. When he's offered the post of foreign correspondent in a Portuguese backwater that has sprouted a homegrown terrorist movement, Edgar recognizes the disappeared larger-than-life reporter he's been sent to replace, Barrington Saddler, as exactly the outsize character he longs to emulate. Infuriatingly, all his fellow journalists cannot stop talking about their beloved "Bear," who is no longer lighting up their work lives. Yet all is not as it appears. Os Soldados Ousados de Barba—"The Daring Soldiers of Barba"—have been blowing up the rest of the world for years in order to win independence for a province so dismal, backward, and windblown that you couldn't give the rat hole away. So why, with Barrington vanished, do terrorist incidents claimed by the "SOB" suddenly dry up? A droll, playful novel, The New Republic addresses weighty issues like terrorism with the deft, tongue-in-cheek touch that is vintage Shriver. It also presses the more intimate question: What makes particular people so magnetic, while the rest of us inspire a shrug? What's their secret? And in the end, who has the better life—the admired, or the admirer?

Serenata Terpsichore, hoofdpersoon van Li Shriver’s nieuwste roman De weg van de meeste weerstand , is net zestig geworden, heeft in haar leven vele kilometers hardgelopen en gezwommen en talloze buikspieroefeningen gedaan om haar lichaam in conditie te houden. Maar nu zit deze ‘fitgirl’ avant la lettre plotseling thuis met versleten knieën. Ze verwacht steun te vinden bij haar onlangs gepensioneerde echtgenoot Remington, maar die wrijft onbedoeld zout in de wonde door zelf, voor het eerst in zijn zittende leven, aan duursport te gaan doen. Eerst loopt hij een marathon en daarna heeft hij zijn zinnen gezet op een extreme triatlon. Terwijl Remingtons nieuwe obsessie gevaarlijke vormen aanneemt, blijft Serenata letterlijk en figuurlijk achter met haar kapotte knieën, zorgen om haar man en tegelijkertijd een diepe, knagende afgunst.

Douze nouvelles caustiques et cruelles dans lesquelles une artiste rejetée par son meilleur ami entreprend de lui reprendre un cadeau qu'elle lui a offert ; un couple décide de chasser son fils de 30 ans qui devient une vedette des réseaux sociaux en mettant en scène cette expulsion ; une femme s'évertue à posséder une maison prétendument hantée. Premier recueil.

Was, wenn die alten Freunde nicht zur neuen Partnerin passen? Weston liebt Paige, doch als es ans Heiraten geht, verlangt sie von ihm ein Opfer. Er soll sich von seiner langjährigen Freundin – und Ex-Flamme – Jillian lossagen, die Paige schon immer etwas zu einnehmend, zu schillernd, kurz: zu gefährlich fand. Weston setzt sich zur Wehr. Aber beweist das nicht, dass Paige mit ihrer Forderung ins Schwarze trifft? Lionel Shrivers entwaffnender Beziehungsroman über Eifersucht, Vereinnahmung und Vertrauen greift eine Geschichte auf, die so alt ist wie die Liebe selbst. Die Orange-Prize-Autorin seziert brutal ehrlich und doch humorvoll, wie eine Verwerfung, die eben noch beherrschbar schien, sich unversehens in eine zwischenmenschliche Katastrophe verwandelt. Eine grandios zugespitzte Dreiecksgeschichte, die jedem aus der Seele spricht! »Ein kurzes, brutales Juwel von einem Roman.« Evening Standard »Diese Frau kann einfach keinen Satz schreiben, der nicht intelligent wäre ... Lionel Shriver hat den Blick eines John Updike oder einer Patricia Highsmith.« The Time

Van de bestsellerauteur van 'We moeten het over Kevin hebben' en Big Brother komt een nieuwe, grote roman over de instorting van een familie – tegen de achtergrond van een financiële crisis van apocalyptische proporties. We schrijven 2029. In een speciale tv-uitzending deelt de Amerikaanse president Alvarado zijn staatsburgers mee wat niemand ooit voor mogelijk had gehouden: het land kan zijn torenhoge schulden niet meer afbetalen. De almachtige dollar is niets meer waard. Dit nieuws is in eerste instantie een ver-van-mijn-bed-show voor Florence Mandible, die met haar vriend Esteban en haar dertienjarige zoon Willing in een comfortabel, bijna afbetaald rijtjeshuis in Brooklyn woont. In korte tijd echter zet de nationale financiële crisis zich onverbiddelijk om in een persoonlijke: grootvaders in mysterie verhulde fortuin, waarop Florence, haar ouders en haar broers en zussen al jaren zinspelen, gaat in rook op. En plotseling is dat comfortabele huis in Brooklyn de enige veilige haven voor het hele gezin. Tot de dementerende stiefgrootmoeder aan toe.