Truth and Beauty: A Friendship - Hardcover

Patchett, Ann

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060572140 ISBN 13: 9780060572143

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2004

Synopsis

The author of Bel Canto describes her intimate twenty-year friendship with the late Lucy Grealy, tracing their introduction at a writer's workshop, the integral part their friendship played in their writing careers, and her witness to Grealy's medical deterioration. Reader's Guide available. 150,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

'Truth and Beauty, Patchett's account of her relationship with Grealy, is not a story of commonplace camaraderie. Theirs is a love story, a first-love story, an account of devotion so intense that it compares to conventional friendship as closely as double cream does to Dream Topping. Her luminously detailed book, written in the aftermath of Lucy's death is an intentionally warts-and-all portrait of the woman 'with whom I was a native speaker'. Signing on for a love affair with her, Ann Patchett was committing herself not only to great joy but also, seemingly, to tragedy.' Elspeth Linder, Observer

Praise for Bel Canto:

‘A beguiling mix of thriller, romantic comedy, and novel of ideas...Crisply written, immaculately plotted, and often very funny, it is that rarity – a literary novel you simply can’t put down.’ The Times

‘Like the blueprint of operatic performance that she has imported, Patchett slides from strutting camp to high tragedy, minute social comedy to sublime romanticism.’ Alex Clark, Guardian

‘Expect miracles when you read Ann Patchett’s fiction. Comparisons are tempting to the unabashed romanticism of Laurie Colwin, the eccentric characters of Anne Tyler, the enchantments of Alice Hoffman. But Patchett is unique; a generous, fearless and startlingly wise young writer.’ New York Times

About the Author:

Ann Patchett is the author of four previous novels, Bel Canto which won the Orange Prize, The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft and The Magician’s Assistant. She writes for the New York Times Magazine, Elle, GQ, The Paris Review and Vogue. She lives in Nashville,TN.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0060572140
• ISBN 13: 9780060572143
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256