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In "Dressing Down", the vigorous nudist and his wife separate and the story captures her final poignant gesture towards amends. In the hilarious "Invention", a husband is left behind when his wife finds fame after inventing the steering wheel muff and the narrator traces an ancestral line of inventors including a shepherd who discovered day-dreaming and others who developed the hyphen, word space and full-stop. This story brings together the main concerns of this collection: the investigation of long-term intimacies of people who inhabit "parallel weather systems" and a self-conscious teasing of the short story form. In "A Scarf", a failed writer who's eschewed "beginnings, middles and ends" for a feminist structure ends up removing her navel by plastic surgery after an unkind remark by her husband. Her friend fails to articulate the truth about a misunderstanding and realises that not one woman in her life "was going to get what we wanted..." and remained "too kind ... not knowing how to ask for what we don't even know we want." In "Ilk", a polished and wry spoof on academic musings about "buds of narrativity", a young untenured professor wonders where she stands on "narrative enclosures". A jammed vowel key in "Absence", forces the writer to complete the story without the use of this letter and creates a clever literary pun. One of the best stories is "Windows", in which two artists struggle against a new government tax on glass and have to paint in artificial light until they resolve their light-less gloom through art itself.
A provocative, tricky and often serious collection which asks profound questions of short fiction and love's mechanisms for survival.--Cherry Smyth
‘There are few writers currently at work who display such steely control of their material, such seemingly effortless range and variety.’ Alex Clark, Guardian
‘Shields is about the best we have, she does not just express what oft was thought; she snags the shadows of those thoughts, the thoughts we did not know we had. The effect – at once elating and visceral – feels like a conjurer pulling a handkerchief from your heart.’ Daily Telegraph
‘Her perceptions are so quick, her style is so acute, that she can tack a breath to the page and skewer a thought on the wing. It is her speciality to isolate moments that, because of some sensuous overkill they possess, remaining distinct in the mind for years, perhaps for a lifetime.’ Hilary Mantel, Sunday Times
‘It is the breadth of Carol Shields’ human sympathy that marks her out as a special writer. That breadth is gloriously evident in “Dressing Up for the Carnival”. Whether she is playing the clown or offering poignant reflections on the fragility of happiness, Shields writes with a grace and lucidity that few of her contemporaries can match.’ Sunday Telegraph
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Book Description Condition: Very Good. First Edition. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 19006531-20
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. DRESSING UP FOR CARNIVAL This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780679310211
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. First Edition. We're happy to combine shipping to save you some money. We're also always buying collectible book collections. Contact us for details. We're happy to provide pictures of any and all books for you, please just ask! Canadian first edition, first printing. Published by Random House in 2000. Virtually no wear to the jacket! ! Jacket is NOT price clipped. Covers are clean and bright. Edges are sharp. The book itself is in Fine condition with no bumps or marks. Previous owner's bookplate on front end page. The binding is straight and tight. NO remainder mark. Oversize and heavy items may require additional postage. Seller Inventory # sku520002914
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780679310211
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Used Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket is clean and intact, with minor edge and corner wear. Front and back covers have very slight edge and corner wear. Spine intact with no creasing or warping. Binding is tight and intact, pages clean and unmarked. Firefly sells new and used books through our store front. We try to add a detailed description to as many titles as possible. If you have questions regarding this title, please contact us. Photos available on request. Seller Inventory # 385303
Book Description hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Includes dust jacket. Signed. First Edition. Stated first Canadian edition. Signed by the author on the title page. DJ in mylar sleeve. Near fine copy. Seller Inventory # mon0003329774
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Book Description Hardcover. pp. 237. 8vo. ffep laid in loose, otherwise very good+ in very good dustjacket with slight rubbing along top edge. Seller Inventory # 051664