The State Were In by Ann Beattie

The State Were In by Ann Beattie

The State We're In is the first new collection in a decade from the writer that John Updike credited with creating 'an entirely different kind of short story'. Cool, ironic and witty, these stories are sharply observed, but underpinned with a quiet tenderness. Told through the voices of vivid and engaging women of all ages, The State We're In explores their doubts and desires and reveals the unexpected moments and glancing epiphanies of daily life. Some of Beattie's idiosyncratic and compelling characters have arrived in the coastal state of Maine by accident, while others are trying to escape. The collection is woven around Jocelyn, a disaffected teenager living with her aunt and uncle for the summer, forging new friendships, avoiding her mother's calls, taking writing classes, and encountering mortality for the first time. Beattie's voice is mesmerising and her keen insight into the human heart cuts through our preconceptions and prejudices. The State We're In is a pitch-perfect meditation on the singular strangeness of life.

Dense with off-kilter insight and suggestive characterisation, these are pieces that wrongfoot you in the best way -- Alex Clark * Observer *
Beattie's handling of this subject is subtle, discomfiting and strangely beautifulShe is particularly adept at noticing the magic of the world in which her characters live so uneasily' -- Matthew Adams * Sunday Telegraph *
The comedy is subtle, the writing is polished... Delicious to read - mischievous, witty, ironic and truthful -- Kate Saunders * The Times *

ANN BEATTIE is the author of nine short story collections and eight novels. She has been included in four O. Henry Award collections, in John Updike's The Best American Short Stories of the Century, and in Jennifer Egan's The Best American Short Stories 2014. In 2000, she received the PEN/Malamud Award for achievement in the short story. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has a story in the forthcoming Pushcart Prize 40th anniversary issue. She and her husband, Lincoln Perry, live in Maine and Key West, Florida.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781783782918
ISBN 10	1783782919
Title	The State Were In
Author	Ann Beattie
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Granta Books
Year published	2016-01-07
Number of pages	224
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.