Claire Messud Knihy

Spoveď ženy, ktorú prebudila, premenila a napokon opustila túžba po úplne inom svete, ako bol ten jej. Nástojčivý, intímny a prenikavo emocionálny tón tohto rozprávania vás tiež premení a prebudí – a nikdy vás neopustí. Nora Eldridgeová je spoľahlivá, hoci nenápadná priateľka a susedka, zakaždým v pozadí a na okraji úspechov iných ľudí. Príchod rodiny Shahidovcov – fešáka Skandara, libanonského intelektuála, elegantnej Sireny, talianskej umelkyne, a ich syna Rezu – ju však vtiahne do komplikovaného a fascinujúceho nového prostredia. Hľadá šťastie a aj ho nachádza, ale najskôr musí prekročiť svoj tieň. Potom však zasiahnu Sirenine bezohľadné ambície a nasleduje ničivá zrada.

Svieži a pútavý portrét priateľstva dvoch žien, ktoré sa stretli v materskej škôlke a odvtedy si boli súdené. Julia Robinsonová a Cassie Burnesová sa poznajú od detstva a delia sa o všetko. Spoločnú majú aj túžbu uniknúť z dusivého zovretia svojho rodného mesta Roystonu v štáte Massachusetts. Ale dospievanie ich načas rozdelí. Julia je dievča zo strednej vrstvy, jej rodina je súdržná a šťastná. Cassie je v tomto iná: otec jej zomrel, keď bola maličká, a s matkou, ktorá ju vychováva sama, vychádza čoraz horšie. Keď do ich života vstúpi záhadný Anders Shute a zvedie jej matku, Cassie si pripadá nechcená a opustená. A tak sa pod vplyvom hnevu a zúfalej túžby nájsť odpovede na svoje otázky vyberie na cestu, ktorá zničí všetko – ešte aj jej najstaršie priateľstvo. Claire Messud napísala krásny aj nekonečne smutný príbeh o detstve, priateľstve a ľudských vzťahoch, ale aj neúprosné odhaľovanie poloprávd a lží, aké si nahovárame sami o sebe. Geniálne skombinovala folklórne motívy so žánrom Bildungsromana výsledok je strhujúci: dozviete sa, že naše výmysly mávajú až príliš reálne dôsledky.

A bestselling, masterful novel about the intersections in the lives of three friends, now on the cusp of their thirties, making their way—and not—in New York City. There is beautiful, sophisticated Marina Thwaite—an “It” girl finishing her first book; the daughter of Murray Thwaite, celebrated intellectual and journalist—and her two closest friends from Brown, Danielle, a quietly appealing television producer, and Julius, a cash-strapped freelance critic. The delicious complications that arise among them become dangerous when Murray’s nephew, Frederick “Bootie” Tubb, an idealistic college dropout determined to make his mark, comes to town. As the skies darken, it is Bootie’s unexpected decisions—and their stunning, heartbreaking outcome—that will change each of their lives forever. A richly drawn, brilliantly observed novel of fate and fortune—of innocence and experience, seduction and self-invention; of ambition, including literary ambition; of glamour, disaster, and promise—The Emperor’s Children is a tour de force that brings to life a city, a generation, and the way we live in this moment. A New York Times Book Review Best Book of the Year

Readers everywhere were introduced to the work of Irene Nemirovsky through the publication of her long-lost masterpiece, Suite Francaise. It is a novel about greed and loneliness, the story of an ageing Russian Jewish businessman,an exile in France, learning to confront death and the knowledge that wealth has not brought him happiness.

Isolation and the complexities of love are intricately examined in two novellas. In "A Simple Tale," Maria Poniatowski, an aging Ukrainian woman, navigates her newfound freedom in Canada while grappling with the weight of her past. Meanwhile, "The Hunters" follows an American academic in London whose obsession with his downstairs neighbors spirals into a potentially harmful fixation, highlighting how loneliness can fuel an overactive imagination. Together, these stories delve into personal struggles and the impact of solitude.

A collection of personal and critical essays on everything from childhood to womanhood, literature to visual arts and the relationship between form and meaning in storytelling.

"The Last Life" tells the story of the teenage Sagesse LaBasse and her family, French Algerian emigrants haunted by their history, brought to the brink of destruction by a single reckless act. Observed with a fifteen-year-old's ruthless regard for truth, it is a novel about secrets and ghosts, love and honour, the stories we tell ourselves and the lies to which we cling. It is a work of stunning emotional power, written in prose of matchless iridescence and grace. "'Powerful, Gripping, dark at its heart, this is an almost faultless novel" - "Evening Standard". "A joy to read. Messud's prose is lush, incantatory ...her observations are funnily astute, brimming with wit and imagination ...as elegant and precise as geometry" - "Independent". "Mesmerizing ...Ms Messud has written a large and resonant novel that is as artful as it is affecting" - "New York Times".

A jewel of a novel by New York Times -bestselling author Claire MessudWhen the Armstrong family moves from New York at the dawn of the 1970s, Australia feels, to Alice Armstrong, like the end of the earth. Residing in a grand manor on the glittering Sydney Harbour, her family finds their life has turned upside down. As she navigates this strange new world, Alice must weave an existence from its shimmering mirage.Lies and self-deception are at the heart of this keenly observed story. This is a sharp, biting, and playful tale with a cast of unscrupulous characters adrift in a dream life of their own making. Written with the characteristic delicacy of touch, humor, and emotional insight that make Claire Messud one of our greatest writers.“A novelist of unnerving talent.” —The New York Times Book Review“[Messud is] among our greatest contemporary writers.” —The New Yorker“A perfect frolic of a book, puffed on breezes of beauty and it waltzes you through a little fear, a little darkness, and tips you out, refreshed and laughing, into the sun.” — Helen Garner

Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2024, this novel explores profound themes of identity and belonging through the lives of its richly developed characters. Set against a backdrop of societal change, the narrative delves into personal struggles and the quest for meaning. The author masterfully weaves together multiple perspectives, creating a tapestry of experiences that resonate with contemporary issues. Readers will find themselves captivated by the emotional depth and intricate storytelling that challenges perceptions and invites reflection.

Marlene Dumas, an influential painter born in Cape Town and based in Amsterdam since 1976, delves into the complexities of identity and representation through her art. Her work, characterized by gestural and fluid styles, often features the human form and draws from a diverse archive of images, including art history, mass media, and personal photographs. Dumas skillfully reframes her subjects, examining the blurred lines between public and private identities, making her paintings both poignant and thought-provoking.