Pack of Cards

By Penelope Lively and Lively Penelope

Book Overview

An "abundantly rich collection" of short stories by the Man Booker Prize-winning author (The New York Times Book Review).

In Pack of Cards, Penelope Lively shares moments in the everyday world that are not always open to observation, as she delves into the minutiae of her characters' lives.

Whether she writes about a widow on a visit to Russia, a small boy's consignment to boarding school, or an agoraphobic housewife, Lively takes the reader behind a closed curtain, through the locked door, and into a world that seems at first mundane--then proves to be uniquely memorable.

"Witty, profoundly civilized . . . This captivatingly intelligent collection confirms Lively's place as one of Britain's most imaginative and important contemporary writers." --Library Journal

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802136249
• ISBN13: 9780802136244
• Release Date: March 1999
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Sensitive Writer with Consistent Style

Lively's complete short stories (they're all here) showcase how well she writes. Lively is especially adept at illustrating how a person comes to change (change one's mind, change one's attitude, fall out of love, grow up, et cetera). Lucky for the reader, many if not all of these stories work with the theme of how a person does change. Again and again, we see that she is remarkably good at constructing the feelings and thoughts of adolescents, and this reviewer suspects it is partly because Lively has indelible memories of her own amazing childhood; read also her Oleander, Jacaranda autobiographical work, hinted at in the marvelous short story about an English girl returning from a childhood in colonial India. Lively is purely talented as a wordsmith, with amazing economy and clever, rather elegantly composed dialogue. The book is excellent from start to finish.

Absolute & Delightful Perfection!

In this collection of short stories, Penelope Lively conjurs up worlds and characters and prose that touch the heart and often bring laughter and tears. The deftness of the writing is astonishing. This book is a perfect bedside companion for all seasons.