Synopsis
After an unplanned admission to a nursing home, Mr. Scobie must protect himself and his dreams from the soul-killing proprietress, Matron Price. Playing Brahms and reciting Wordsworth is not enough. Yet his very simple riddle and its ordinary answer may change the institution forever. Can a voice calling for dignity be heard? "A satire of great verve and acerbity" (New York Times Book Review), comparable to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
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About the Author
Elizabeth Jolley (1923-2007) is one of Australia's most celebrated writers, with a formidable international reputation, and during the 1980s and 1990s was widely acclaimed with a wide readership in the U. S. Born in England in 1923, she was brought up in a strict, German-speaking household and attended a Quaker boarding school. She became a nurse, married, and with three children moved to Western Australia in 1959. Although she wrote all her life, it was not until she was in her fifties that her books started to receive the recognition they deserved. Her work won every major award in Australia, and was several times selected as a New York Times Notable Book. Excerpts from her novels (including Cabin Fever, Book 2 in the Trilogy) were published in The New Yorker. Her novels include The Sugar Mother, Foxybaby, Miss Peabody's Inheritance, and Mr. Scobie's Riddle. Elizabeth Jolley died in 2007.
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Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for Mr. Scobie's Riddle
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Mr. Scobie's Riddle
Published by
Penguin Books / The Literature Board of the Australia Council, Australia, 1984
ISBN 10: 014006656X
ISBN 13: 9780140066562
Used
MassMarket
First Edition
Seller: biblioboy, North Providence, RI, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
MassMarket. Condition: Near Fine. First Edition Thus. Penguin Books / The Literature Board of the Australia Council 1984. First Edition Thus. Mass Market Paperback. 014006656X . First edition thus, This is a copy of the Australian edition but with "First published in the United States of America, 1984" on the copyright page. A typed sticker has been added to the front cover, indicated that this will be a paperback original, and with have different art, and be a slightly larger trim size. Additionally, a corrected [US] ISBN# of 0-14-007490-2 is given, and reviewer Alan Ryan's name has been printed to the right of that. 226 pages. Near Fine or better copy save that the text paper is starting to tan. An interesting edition. bx243. Seller Inventory # 30280
Stock Image
Mr. Scobie's Riddle
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Acceptable. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00068307775
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Mr. Scobie's Riddle
Published by
Penguin Books, Ringwood, 1984
ISBN 10: 014006656X
ISBN 13: 9780140066562
Used
Pictorial Wraps
Seller: Bookwood, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Pictorial Wraps. Condition: Very Good. Reprint. Front cover blurb: "Winner of The Age Book of the Year Award". Cover illustration by John Burge. A Penguin Original. Mass market paperback. Printed in Australia. Very slight shelfwear, former owner's neat ink name to first page, otherwise a very nice clean tight solid softcover copy. 226pp. SB-99. Seller Inventory # 034619
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Mr Scobie's Riddle
Published by
Penguin Books Australia, Ringwood, Victoria, 1983
ISBN 10: 014006656X
ISBN 13: 9780140066562
Used
Paperback Original
First Edition
Seller: Tony Power, Books, North Vancouver, BC, Canada
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Paperback Original. Condition: Fine (rm). First Australian Edition. | Remainder mark else fine -- illus. wraps. Paperback original. Seller Inventory # 000117
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Mr Scobie's Riddle
Seller: Lily Books, Armidale, NSW, Australia
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Soft cover. Condition: Good. Tanning of pages. Scratches on covers due to shelf wear. Original price sticker back cover. Mr. Scobie's admission to a nursing home offers a severe challenge to its domineering proprietress, Matron Hyacinth Price. Seller Inventory # 000235
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Mr. Scobie's Riddle
Published by
Penguin Books, 1983
ISBN 10: 014006656X
ISBN 13: 9780140066562
Used
Soft cover
First Edition
Seller: Archive, Sth Hobart, TAS, Australia
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. Very Good Owners Name To The Fep Pp 226. Seller Inventory # 013858
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Mr. Scobie's Riddle
Seller: Barclay Books, York, WA, Australia
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. 'Startlingly good. It divines riddles of mortality.' The Age Mr Scobie's arrival at the nursing home of St Christopher and St Jude - and descent into the clutches of Matron Hyacinth Price - is accidental. Adrift in his own memories but preserving a gentle politesse, Mr Scobie stands apart from the others. For long-term resident and eccentric, Miss Hailey, he represents a kindred spirit; for Matron Price - a lady of questionable practices - the latest victim. This bleakly comic investigation of old age, exile and displacement shows Elizabeth Jolley at her finest. It is written with wry humour, melancholy and great warmth. Winner of The Age Book of the Year 1993. 1983, First edition. A very good copy only marked by light age tanning of the pages and a previous owners details on the first page. Seller Inventory # 20346200
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£ 13.55
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Mr Scobie's Riddle [An Australian Original].
Published by
Penguin Books, Melbourne, 1983
ISBN 10: 014006656X
ISBN 13: 9780140066562
Used
Softcover
First Edition
Seller: BOOKHOME SYDNEY, Annandale Sydney, NSW, Australia
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
1st ed. Paperback trade, very good condition, pages lightly toned as common, minor edgewear, cover design differs from stock photo. 226 pp. This unusual award-winning Australian novel by Elizabeth Jolley is a satire about nursing homes. Mr Scobie's arrival at the dysfunctional nursing home of St Christopher and St Jude, run erratically by Matron Price, changes lives. A very simple riddle, plus nephew Hartley and a group of nocturnal poker players, ultimately lead to change in the establishment. The author was a former nurse. Seller Inventory # 24728
Stock Image
Mr Scobie's Riddle
Published by
Penguin Books, Ringwood, 1983
ISBN 10: 014006656X
ISBN 13: 9780140066562
Used
Soft Cover
First Edition
Seller: Arapiles Mountain Books - Mount of Alex, Castlemaine, VIC, Australia
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Soft Cover. Condition: F-. First Edition. 12mo. original printed paper wraps (a trifle rubbed & creased, occ. spots & marks); pp. [xiv (last blank)], 226. A near fine copy. Seller Inventory # 036940
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£ 27.09
£ 26.02 shipping
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Quantity: 1 available