Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
All characters reduced
Even in Paradise - cover

We are sorry! The publisher (or author) gave us the instruction to take down this book from our catalog. But please don't worry, you still have more than 500,000 other books you can enjoy!

Even in Paradise

Elizabeth Nunez

Publisher: Akashic Books

  • 0
  • 1
  • 0

Summary

"King Lear in the Caribbean--except in this novel, the flattery and deceit of Glynis (Goneril) and Rebecca (Regan) lose out to the principled, honest love of their younger sister, Corinne (Cordelia)."--O, the Oprah Magazine, 10 Titles to Pick Up NowNamed a Must-Read Book by the New York Post"An epic tale of family betrayal and manipulation couched in superbly engaging prose and peopled with deftly drawn characters. In a story structure as rhythmic as the ebb and flow of the water surrounding Trinidad and Barbados, this revisiting of the classic story of King Lear becomes a subtle, organic exploration of politics, class, race, and privilege. A dazzling, epic triumph."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred review"[Narrator] Émile remarks on parallels to King Lear repeatedly, but there is much more to unpack here. The issue of racism is woven throughout, as are regional problems such as access to Barbados's beaches and poverty in Jamaica's Tivoli Gardens. This is also a celebration of the arts, culture, and natural beauty of the islands. Shakespeare's work is a tragedy, but for Émile 'the future shimmers before [him] full of wondrous possibilities.' Nunez treats her source material with a deft touch, making this story impressive in its own right."--Publishers Weekly"Nunez's textured and engaging novel explores familial discord, along with questions of kinship and self-identity....With a nod to King Lear, Nunez crafts an introspective tale as her vividly drawn characters navigate complications of heritage, race, and loyalty."--Booklist"Even if you're not familiar with King Lear, William Shakespeare's great tragedy, you will still enjoy Even in Paradise by Elizabeth Nunez...The author's drama heads to a new place: the Caribbean. We meet Peter Ducksworth, a widower of English ancestry, who retires to beatific Barbados...Ducksworth’s plan to divide his land evenly among his three daughters goes horribly awry when he cuts off his youngest. Having been deceived by the older two, he sees his dreams of a heaven on earth turn hellish. Nunez inspires with this one."--Essence Magazine"Nunez has written a Caribbean reimagining of King Lear that adds colonialism and racism to the story of three sisters, the men they love and their battle over the deed to their father's beloved property. Themes of greed, jealousy and resentment play out after their father confuses flattery with love and disowns his favorite daughter."--Ms. Magazine"Novelist Nunez, who tackled The Tempest in her 2006 novel, Prospero’s Daughter, here offers a retelling of King Lear. Both novels feature a cast of multicultural characters and a Caribbean setting."--Library JournalPeter Ducksworth, a Trinidadian widower of English ancestry, retires to Barbados, believing he will find an earthly paradise there. He decides to divide his land among his three daughters while he is alive, his intention not unlike that of King Lear, who hoped "That future strife/May be prevented now." But Lear made the fatal mistake of confusing flattery with love, and so does Ducksworth. Feeling snubbed by his youngest daughter, Ducksworth decides that only after he dies will she receive her portion of the land. In the meantime, he gives his two older daughters their portions, ironically setting in motion the very strife he hoped to prevent.Beautifully written in elegant prose, this is a novel about greed, resentment, jealousy, betrayal, and romantic love in the postcolonial world of the Caribbean, giving us a diverse cast of characters of African, Indian, Chinese, Syrian/Lebanese, and English ancestry.
Available since: 03/14/2016.

Other books that might interest you

  • South of the Slot - Iconic American author London brings a story ahead of its time in this influential story about class and labour - cover

    South of the Slot - Iconic...

    Jack London

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    John Griffith Chaney was born on January 12th, 1876 in San Francisco.   
     
    His father, William Chaney, was living with Flora Wellman when she became pregnant.  Chaney insisted she have an abortion.  Flora's response was to turn a gun on herself.  Although her wounds were not severe the trauma made her temporarily deranged. 
     
    In late 1876 his mother married John London and the young child was brought to live with them as they moved around the Bay area, eventually settling in Oakland where now, calling himself Jack, he completed grade school. 
     
    Jack worked hard at several jobs, sometimes 12-18 hours a day, but his dream was university.  He studied hard and borrowed the money to enrol in the summer of 1896 at the University of California in Berkeley. 
     
    In 1897, at 21, Jack searched out newspaper accounts of his mother's suicide attempt and for the name of his biological father. He wrote to Chaney, then living in Chicago, who claimed he could not be Jack’s father because he was impotent and casually asserted that London's mother had relations with other men.  Jack, devastated by the response, quit Berkeley and went to the Klondike. Other accounts suggest that his dire finances presented Jack with the excuse he needed to leave. 
     
    In the Klondike Jack began to gather material for his writing but also accumulated many health problems, including scurvy, which together with hip and leg problems he would carry for the rest of his life. 
     
    During the late 1890's Jack was regularly publishing short stories and by the turn of the century full blown novels. 
     
    By 1904 Jack had married, fathered two children and was now in the process of divorcing.  A stint as a reporter on the Russo-Japanese war of 1904 was equal amounts trouble and experience. But that experience was always put to good use in a continuing and remarkable output of work. 
     
    In 1905 he married Charmian Kittredge who at last was a soul and companion who brought him some semblance of peace despite his advancing alcoholism and his incurable wanderlust. 
     
    Twelve years later Jack had amassed both wealth and a literary reputation through such classics as ‘The Call of the Wild’, ‘White Fang’ and many others. He had a reputation as a social activist and was a tireless friend of the workers.   
     
    Jack London died suffering from dysentery, late-stage alcoholism and uremia, aged only 40, on November 22nd 1916 at his property in Glen Elen in California 
     
    In ‘South of the Slot’ Jack London reveals yet another facet of his writing talents. In turn of the Century San Francisco, a Professor of Sociology explores the working-class neighbourhoods gradually revealing an alter-ego with his Union loving personality and name.  The question is which is his real character.
    Show book
  • Some Words with A Mummy - cover

    Some Words with A Mummy

    SAMPI Books, Edgar Allan Poe

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    "Some Words with a Mummy" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe that satirizes 19th-century science and attitudes, featuring gentlemen who awaken an ancient Egyptian mummy, challenging their views on life, technology, and health.
    Show book
  • The Green Light - cover

    The Green Light

    Barry Pain

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Barry Eric Odell Pain (1864-1928) was an English journalist, poet, and writer. The Green Light is an iconic horror story describing graphically the rapid decline into psychosis of a man who has murdered his wife.
    Show book
  • Comedy of Errors The (Argo Classics) - cover

    Comedy of Errors The (Argo...

    William Shakespeare

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic prose and verse read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly remastered stories are now available to download for the first time. 
    ‘We came into the world like brother and brother, 
    And now let's go hand in hand, not one before another.’ 
    How do any of us really know who we are? A man arrives in a strange town only to find that everyone knows his name, but thinks he’s someone else. A woman wonders why her husband is not the man he was, but starts to rather like it. Confusion mounts as everyone uncouples from themselves. Will they ever find themselves again? And do they really want to? 
    All of the Shakespeare plays within the ARGO Classics catalogue are performed by the Marlowe Dramatic Society and Professional Players. The Marlowe was founded in 1907 with a mission to focus on effective delivery of verse, respect the integrity of texts, and rescue neglected plays by Shakespeare’s contemporaries and the less performed plays of Shakespeare himself. The Marlowe has performed annually at Cambridge Arts Theatre since its opening in 1936 and continues to produce some of the finest actors of their generations. 
    Thurston Dart, Professor of Music at London University and a Fellow of Jesus College Cambridge, directed the music for this production. 
    The full cast includes: Denis McCarthy; Michael Hordern; George Rylands; George Rylands; Michael Bates; Michael Bates; Peter Orr; Clive Swift; Terrence Hardiman; Dudley Jones; Lally Bowers; Joan Hart; Janette Richer; Janette Richer; Prunella Scales. 
    The Comedy of Errors is a testament to the best of European theatre, with a short runtime that doesn't compromise on the quality of the performance. The performing prowess of the cast is evident in every scene, making it a top pick for any theatre lover. 
    For fans of Richard Parsons (GCSE English Shakespeare Text Guide), and Arthur Miller (Incident at Vichy).
    Show book
  • Mother Goose: Volland Popular Edition - cover

    Mother Goose: Volland Popular...

    Eulalie Osgood Grover

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Mother Goose's melodies belong to the children, and no addition or change should be made except by those who are in such close sympathy with the child-heart that they may act with the child's authority.This present edition of "Mother Goose" preserves the best of the verses which became so popular in England and America as to first demand their publication. It is the only truly classic edition that has been published in modern times.Not all the favorites among the nursery rhymes are here, only those that first helped to make the fame of the fictitious but no less worthy patron of childhood. May her fame and her melodies be lovingly preserved to give joy and inspiration to many future generations of little children.-Eulalie Osgood Grover (1915)
    Show book
  • The Red Badge of Courage - cover

    The Red Badge of Courage

    Stephen Crane

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    The Red Badge of Courage is the story of an eighteen-year-old boy whose romantic ideas about military life move him to join the Civil War, a conflict that is, to this day, the deadliest war in American history. Henry Fleming, the boy, often referred to as “the youth,” is from New York, the state to suffer the most casualties. When “the youth” finds himself in the middle of his first battle against a regiment of Confederate soldiers, he panics and deserts his regiment. From this premise, Stephen Crane explores the boy’s struggle to gain courage and maturity. There is no critical consensus on if and how Henry comes to better understand himself and the world. But readers have long praised the novel’s depiction of the chaos and psychological intensity of war. 
     
    Cover illustrated by: Sheila Wong 
    Sheila Wong is a graphic designer and illustrator based in the Pacific Northwest. Her work often pulls from a variety of experiences - from growing up as a child of Chinese immigrants in the Midwest, to years working in tech support and then design in the heart of Silicon Valley. When not at work, she is usually looking for new places to go camping, or building mechanical keyboards.
    Show book