The Essence of the Thing by Madeleine St John

The Essence of the Thing by Madeleine St John

An exciting new talent, shortlisted for the 1997 Booker Prize, hailed as ‘a triumph’ by The Times, and a poignant observer of human hearts, foibles and follies. ‘’There isn’t a false note in the book, nothing but ravishing grace, wit and tender feelings.’ Mail on Sunday Nicola’s problems began when she is finally told by her partner, Jonathan, ‘that we should part…’. She nips out to the off-licence to buy cigarettes and returns to find a stranger in her living room. The stranger looks like Jonathan, talks like Jonathan, yet Nicola did not recognise him as the man he was before. Jonathan had always been predictable, but now Nicola wondered where was the man she loved? How did he become such a mystery all of a sudden? Since when did a solicitor have hidden depths? Friends gather round, always ready to offer encouragement or insult her ex-husband, yet Nicola must face up to the adjustments of Life After Jonathan. It is not the experience of liberation, empowerment and excitement it is meant to be. Madeleine St John’s third novel is haunting and hilarious. St John is at her bittersweet best writing of the things women will do to hold on to love and the things men will do to escape it .

‘An astute observation of English manners’ Independent on Sunday

‘The touch is light, the dialogue crisp and funny, and the strength to be gained from friendships shines like a beacon’ Sunday Times

‘Delivered with humour and her dialogue is so real, you could almost believe she’s been eavesdropping in lots of west London households’ She

Madeleine St John was born in Sydney and graduated from the University there in 1963. She has spent most of the intervening years living in London. This is the author’s third novel, her first being Women in Black and in 1996, A Pure Clear Light.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780007291359
ISBN 10	0007291353
Title	The Essence of the Thing
Author	Madeleine St John
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	HarperCollins Publishers
Year published	2008-07-01
Number of pages	240
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.