psychological fiction

As an adolescent, Billy Abbott was preoccupied with having crushes on the wrong people: a lusty librarian, his stepfather, the wrestling star at his all-boys prep school. John Irving's newest novel, In One Person, is narrated by adult Billy as he looks back on life and shares the details of past relationships and sexual encounters, the books he read, the places he traveled, and tender moments and conflicts between his family members.

An absorbing and thought-provoking read, this novel explores a web of characters whose lives cross paths over the course of four decades, ending about 10 years from now. The two central characters are Bennie, a rock music promoter, and Sasha, his young assistant, but the story is told from multiple points of view and explores the lifelong echoes of chance encounters and the relentless impact of time passing. I'm often disappointed when I finally get around to reading an award-winning, critically acclaimed and popular title, because the work doesn't live up to the hype. Not so in this case.

This debut novel is written as a man's confession to his future wife.  British lawyer Nick Platt finds himself working in corporate law in the oil rich Russia of the early 2000's.  The story begins when Nick bumps into a pair of young and enticing Russian women.  These young women prove to be 'shady' characters, but no more shady than the business dealings Nick finds himself involved with.  The rest of the book finds Nick giving in to the seductions of Russia's women and wealth.  Snowdrops was recently shortlisted for the Booker Prize. 

Fourteen years ago, Jinx's mother was brutally murdered. Since then, Jinx, who feels responsible, has had a hard time maintaning relationships and being a mother to her young son. This book was included on the Man Booker 2011 Longlist. Check Our Catalog