A Man in the Zoo (Mint Editions (Humorous and Satirical Narratives)) - Softcover

Garnett, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 151329136X ISBN 13: 9781513291369

Publisher: Mint Editions, 2021

Synopsis

A Man in the Zoo (1924) is a novel by David Garnett. Published several years after Garnett was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Hawthornden Prize for Lady into Fox (1922), his third novel explores themes of race and empire while showcasing the author’s original―and often controversial―literary style. “It was a warm day at the end of February, and Sunday morning. In the air there was a smell of spring, mixed with the odours of different animals―yaks, wolves, and musk-oxen, but the two visitors did not notice it. They were lovers, and were having a quarrel.” On a beautiful day at the local zoo, John Cromartie and Josephine Lackett find themselves falling out of love. Among the animals, Josephine explains that she can no longer explain their relationship to her family, who expect her to marry a man of equal social stature. Insulting John, she tells him he should live in the zoo before storming off. Heartbroken, and perhaps a little vindictive, John resolves to remain at the zoo with the animals she thinks he belongs with. This edition of David Garnett’s A Man in the Zoo is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.

With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

About this title

About the Author

David Garnett (1892-1981) was a British writer. Born in Brighton, East Sussex, Garnett was the son of Edward Garnett, a critic and publisher, and Constance Clara Black, a translator of Russian known for bringing the works of Chekhov and Dostoevsky to an English audience. A pacifist, he spent the years of the First World War as a conscientious objector working on fruit farms along the eastern coast England. As a member of the Bloomsbury Group, he befriended many of the leading artists and intellectuals of his day. After publishing his debut novel, Dope Darling (1918), under a pseudonym, he won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Lady into Fox (1922), an allegorical fantasy novel. His 1955 novel Aspects of Love was adapted into a musical of the same name by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Alongside poet Francis Meynell, Garnett founded the Nonesuch Press, an independent publisher known for its editions of classic novels, poetry collections, and children’s books. Garnett, a bisexual man, had relationships with fellow Bloomsbury Group members Francis Birrell and Duncan Grant, and was married twice in his life. Following the death of his first wife Ray, with whom he had two sons, Grant married Angelica Bell, the daughter of Grant and Vanessa Bell, whose sister was renowned novelist Virginia Woolf. Together, the Garnetts raised four daughters, three of whom went on to careers in the arts. Following his divorce from Angelica, Garnett spent the rest of his life in Montcuq, France.

From the Back Cover

Young and in love, John Cromartie and Josephine Lackett want to get married. But as their relationship gets more and more serious, Josephine fears disappointing her aristocratic family by marrying a working-class man. When she gets cold feet, John chooses to live among the animals at the zoo. A Man in the Zoo is a novel by David Garnett.

Edition details

• Publisher: Mint Editions
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 151329136X
• ISBN 13: 9781513291369
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 62