Lionel Shriver

The Motion of the Body Through Space

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

In Lionel Shriver's entertaining send-up of today's cult of exercise?which not only encourages better health, but now like all religions also seems to promise meaning, social superiority, and eternal life?an aging husband's sudden obsession with extreme sport makes him unbearable. After an ignominious early retirement, Remington announces to his wife Serenata that he's decided to run a marathon. This from a sedentary man in his sixties who's never done a lick of exercise in his life. His wife can't help but observe that his ambition is ?hopelessly trite.? A loner, Serenata disdains mass group activities of any sort. Besides, his timing is cruel. Serenata has long been the couple's exercise freak, but by age sixty, her private fitness regimes have destroyed her knees, and she'll soon face debilitating surgery. Yes, becoming more active would be good for Remington's heart, but then why not just go for a walk? Without several thousand of your closest friends? As Remington joins the cult of fitness that increasingly consumes the Western world, her once-modest husband burgeons into an unbearable narcissist. Ignoring all his other obligations, he engages a saucy, sexy personal trainer named Bambi, who treats Serenata with contempt. When Remington sets his sights on the legendarily grueling triathlon, MettleMan, Serenata is sure he'll end up injured or dead. And even if he does survive, their marriage may not. The Motion of the Body Through Space is vintage Lionel Shriver written with psychological insight, a rich cast of characters, lots of verve and petulance, an astute reading of contemporary culture, and an emotionally resonant ending.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: HarperCollins
• Seitenzahl: 496
• Erscheinungstermin: 19. Mai 2020
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 224mm x 145mm x 33mm
• Gewicht: 454g
• ISBN-13: 9780063000193
• ISBN-10: 0063000199
• Artikelnr.: 57681645

Autorenporträt

Although Lionel Shriver has published many novels, a collection of essays, and a column in the Spectator since 2017, and her journalism has been featured in publications including the Guardian, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, she in no way wishes for the inclusion of this information to imply that she is more “intelligent” or “accomplished” than anyone else. The outdated meritocracy of intellectual achievement has made her a bestselling author multiple times and accorded her awards, including the Orange Prize, but she accepts that all of these accidental accolades are basically meaningless. She lives in Portugal and Brooklyn, New York.

Rezensionen

'Enjoyably abrasive... a compelling read... sardonic and elegant' Evening Standard

'Scabrously funny... few authors can be as entertainingly problematic as Shriver' Guardian

'With laugh-out-loud and sad moments, it's a pinpoint-sharp novel' Woman and Home

'Darkly funny... Shriver is so good at making wry observations about human behaviour and this is particularly witty on the dynamics between couples who have been together a long time' Good Housekeeping

'Shriver is an exuberant novelist, fertile in ideas, robust in argument and disdainful of economy... She writes bold and fearless comedy and delights in slaughtering the sacred cows of the stupid times we live in. Few novelists now raise a laugh. Shriver does so time and again' Allan Massie, The Scotsman

'A satire on fitness zealotry with a side serving of culture-war intrigue... diverting' Financial Times

'Mischievous Lionel Shriver takes aim at the narcissistic modern cult of exercise. When Serenata's usually sedentary husband, Remington, takes up exercise and engages an attractive personal trainer called Bambi, the couple's lives are turned upside down.' The Times Best Books for Summer 2020