Items related to When It Happens to You
Tales of love, loss, and betrayal are at the heart of When It Happens to You, the debut novel in stories from actress and author Molly Ringwald. A Hollywood icon, Ringwald defined the teenage experience in the eighties in such classic films as Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, and Sixteen Candles. Ringwald brings that same compelling candour she displayed in her film roles to the unforgettable characters she has created in this series of intertwined and linked stories about the particular challenges, joys and disappointments of adult relationships. Her characters grapple with infertility and infidelity, fame and familial discord, in a magnificent debut that will resonate broadly with readers - from fans of Melissa Banks to Meg Wolitzer to Lorrie Moore.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review:
'[A] graceful and deft debut.'-- --Booklist
WHEN IT HAPPENS TO YOU unfurls like a ripped-up tapestry of lost souls, a puzzle-like pictorial to be woven together by the reader as the denizens of the eight separate stories collapse in and out of each other's lives --Observer
Ringwald s writing is tight and funny, cut through with everyday sadness ... [Our] comparisons would be to Miranda July and Jennifer Egan ... This is a collection that revels in the ordinary and the feelings that are common to all of us ... an intelligent and thoughtfully written book --Emerald Street
'Ringwald writes movingly about loss, eloquently delineating the problems that all people face in a novel which, though fragmented, maintains real pace. This is a slim volume with a long reach.' --Express
'Ringwald writes with the deceptively simple understanding of a kind, worldly-wise older sibling; something that lends a strange intimacy to the stories... At her best, [she] exposes the ordinary by chipping off its varnish. Which is, in the end, what makes it sparkle.' --Times
'This one time Hollywood A-lister can't just act, she can also write. This is an engaging, surprisingly competent and convincing collection of linked short stories exploring life and love.' --Daily Mirror
'A deft exploration of the human capacity to rediscover oneself when faced with betrayal'
'With her assured and deftly wrought novel-in-stories ... Ringwald plays out the all-too-familiar tragedies of adult life. [Her] stories ring with authenticity, voices so true and honest that we imagine she s been eavesdropping on our conversations. Once again she connects us' -- Vanity Fair
'Molly Ringwald understands how families work and uses her considerable talents to make them come alive on the page' -- GARY SHTEYNGART, AUTHOR OF SUPER SAD TRUE LOVE STORY
'Actress Molly Ringwald displays true literary talent in this collections of linked stories exploring infertility, infidelity, estrangement and divorce ... [Her] craft and keen insights make her debut shine.'--PEOPLE
'Most people who buy Ringwald s fiction debut will probably do so because they grew up watching her movies, but if they actually read the book they should forget she wrote it on the first page ... [a] collection of empathetic, closely observed tales' -- BOSTON GLOBE
'One of 2012 s most dazzling debut novels ... [her] stories echo Raymond Carver, Amy Hempel and Lorrie Moore' -- A. M. HOMES, AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE, SALON
'Ringwald weaves an emotional narrative that avoids getting bogged down in melodrama. With an economy of language, she keeps the story moving, taking readers inside characters heads without leaving them there too long. Ringwald s storytelling succeeds as much on the page as her acting has done on screen. I look forward to her next literary performance' --WASHINGTON POST
--Express
The one time Hollywood A-lister can t just act, she can also write. This is an engaging, surprisingly competent and convincing collection of linked short stories, exploring life and love --Daily Mirror
'A deft exploration of the human capacity to rediscover oneself when faced with betrayal' --Express
From the Back Cover:
WHEN IT HAPPENS TO YOU unfurls like a ripped-up tapestry of lost souls, a puzzle-like pictorial to be woven together by the reader as the denizens of the eight separate stories collapse in and out of each other's lives --Observer
Ringwald s writing is tight and funny, cut through with everyday sadness ... [Our] comparisons would be to Miranda July and Jennifer Egan ... This is a collection that revels in the ordinary and the feelings that are common to all of us ... an intelligent and thoughtfully written book --Emerald Street
'Ringwald writes movingly about loss, eloquently delineating the problems that all people face in a novel which, though fragmented, maintains real pace. This is a slim volume with a long reach.' --Express
'Ringwald writes with the deceptively simple understanding of a kind, worldly-wise older sibling; something that lends a strange intimacy to the stories... At her best, [she] exposes the ordinary by chipping off its varnish. Which is, in the end, what makes it sparkle.' --Times
'This one time Hollywood A-lister can't just act, she can also write. This is an engaging, surprisingly competent and convincing collection of linked short stories exploring life and love.' --Daily Mirror
'A deft exploration of the human capacity to rediscover oneself when faced with betrayal'
'With her assured and deftly wrought novel-in-stories ... Ringwald plays out the all-too-familiar tragedies of adult life. [Her] stories ring with authenticity, voices so true and honest that we imagine she s been eavesdropping on our conversations. Once again she connects us' -- Vanity Fair
'Molly Ringwald understands how families work and uses her considerable talents to make them come alive on the page' -- GARY SHTEYNGART, AUTHOR OF SUPER SAD TRUE LOVE STORY
'Actress Molly Ringwald displays true literary talent in this collections of linked stories exploring infertility, infidelity, estrangement and divorce ... [Her] craft and keen insights make her debut shine.'--PEOPLE
'Most people who buy Ringwald s fiction debut will probably do so because they grew up watching her movies, but if they actually read the book they should forget she wrote it on the first page ... [a] collection of empathetic, closely observed tales' -- BOSTON GLOBE
'One of 2012 s most dazzling debut novels ... [her] stories echo Raymond Carver, Amy Hempel and Lorrie Moore' -- A. M. HOMES, AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE, SALON
'Ringwald weaves an emotional narrative that avoids getting bogged down in melodrama. With an economy of language, she keeps the story moving, taking readers inside characters heads without leaving them there too long. Ringwald s storytelling succeeds as much on the page as her acting has done on screen. I look forward to her next literary performance' --WASHINGTON POST
--Express
The one time Hollywood A-lister can t just act, she can also write. This is an engaging, surprisingly competent and convincing collection of linked short stories, exploring life and love --Daily Mirror
'A deft exploration of the human capacity to rediscover oneself when faced with betrayal' --Express
When it happens to you, you will be surprised. That thing they say about how you knew all the time, but just weren't facing it? That might be the case, but nevertheless, there you will be.
Molly Ringwald mines the complexities of modern relationships in this gripping and nuanced collection of interlinked stories. Writing with a deep compassion for human imperfection, Ringwald follows a Los Angeles family and their friends and neighbors while they negotiate the hazardous terrain of everyday life—revealing the deceptions, heartbreak, and vulnerability familiar to us all.
In "The Harvest Moon," a stay-at-home mom grapples with age, infertility, and an increasingly distant husband. In "Ursa Minor," a former children's television star tries to rebuild his life after being hospitalized for "exhaustion." An elderly woman mourns the loss of her husband and her estranged relationship with her daughter in "The Little One." In "My Olivia," a single mother finds untapped reserves of strength to protect her flamboyant six-year-old son who wishes only to wear dresses and be addressed as Olivia. And in the devastating title story, a betrayed wife chronicles her pain and alienation, leading to an eviscerating denouement.
As the lives of these characters converge and diverge in unexpected ways, Ringwald reveals a startling eye for the universality of loss, love, and the search for connection. An unflinching yet poignant examination of the intricacies of the human heart, When It Happens to You is an auspicious literary debut.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherSimon & Schuster UK
- Publication date2012
- ISBN 10 1471114236
- ISBN 13 9781471114236
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages256
- Rating
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