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Wife

The Intensely Witty and Empathetic Novel from the Author of The Exhibitionist

Charlotte Mendelson

$34.99

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English
MANTLE
13 August 2024
'A master at family drama' - The Times

'One of the funniest writers in Britain' - The Guardian

Set in the world of London academia, both past and present, Wife by Charlotte Mendelson is heart-breaking and funny, profound and gripping, as it takes the reader from the end of a relationship to its beginning, and back again.

When Zoe moves in with Penny, their relationship looks perfect; after all, everyone wants a wife. But this is the story of how love can become a disaster . . .

When Zoe Stamper, specialist in Ancient Greek Tragedy, meets fellow academic Dr Penny Cartwright at a faculty music recital, she seems impossibly glamorous to Zoe, who is, after all, several rungs down the academic pecking order - and a nervous ingénue as far as Penny's sophisticated circle is concerned. But Penny leaves Zoe a cryptic note, and a passionate affair ensues . . .

Once Penny confesses all to her live-in lover, Justine, their happiness seems assured. But there is something else Penny needs as badly in her life as Zoe's adoration, and thus the beginning of their affair might also have signalled its end . . .

Wife is a beautifully observed and coruscating novel about the joys of passionate love and motherhood, and those left behind in its wake when passion curdles.
By:  
Imprint:   MANTLE
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 235mm,  Width: 153mm,  Spine: 28mm
Weight:   452g
ISBN:   9781529052824
ISBN 10:   1529052823
Pages:   368
Publication Date:  
Recommended Age:   From 18 years
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Charlotte Mendelson's previous novel, The Exhibitionist, was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction and was The Times Novel of the Year 2022, as well as a book of the year in The Guardian and Good Housekeeping. Her other novels include Almost English, which was longlisted for both the Man Booker and the Women's Prize for Fiction; When We Were Bad, which was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction and was a book of the year in The Observer, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The New Statesman and The Spectator; Daughters of Jerusalem, which won both the Somerset Maugham Award and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize; and Love in Idleness. Wife is her sixth novel.

Reviews for Wife: The Intensely Witty and Empathetic Novel from the Author of The Exhibitionist

[A] devastating treat of a novel: funny, furious, dark and delicious -- Sarah Waters, bestselling author of <i>Fingersmith</i>, on <i>The Exhibitionist</i> A delicious, heartbreaking family snapshot . . . Fabulously written and utterly compelling -- Marian Keyes, bestselling author of <i>Grown Ups</i>, on <i>The Exhibitionist</i> It takes the most ferocious intelligence, skill and a deep reservoir of sadness to write a novel as funny as this. I adored it -- Meg Mason, bestselling author of <i>Sorrow and Bliss</i>, on <i>The Exhibitionist</i> One of the funniest writers in Britain . . . A precision of observation that made me laugh frequently and smile when I wasn’t laughing -- <i>The Guardian </i>on <i>The Exhibitionist</i> Mendelson is a master at family drama . . . Exhilarating -- <i>The Times </i>on <i>The Exhibtionist</i> A deliciously funny tale of dysfunctional families. . . Reading Mendelson’s easy, assured prose is like sinking into something soft and velvety -- <i>The Telegraph</i> on <i>Almost English</i> As intelligent as it is funny. A beautifully observed literary comedy as well as a painfully accurate description of one big old family mess. A joy -- <i>Observer </i>on <i>When We Were Bad</i> Brilliant and witty . . . Mendelson's second bewitchingly erotic and darkly dramatic novel confirms her as a stylish, perceptive chronicler of the heart's hidden desires -- <i>Daily Mail </i>on <i>Daughters of Jerusalem</i>


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