Vital Parts - A Novel

Thomas Berger

Sinossi

A bitterly comic novel of middle-aged angst and middle-class American life in the 1960s, by the acclaimed author of Little Big Man It is the late sixties in suburbia, and Carlo Reinhart’s life is a mess. He’s fat, broke, middle aged, and unemployed. His anarchist son hates him, and his wife has taken a younger lover and thrown Carlo out of the house. In fact, the only one who doesn’t consider him contemptible and ridiculous seems to be Carlo’s adoring, overweight daughter, who is almost as pathetic as he is. Even his affair with a twenty-two-year-old nymphomaniac is strangely unsatisfying. Then, just as he’s reaching his lowest point, the self-styled Ultimate Human Irrelevancy is offered a golden opportunity to grab a piece of the American Dream, thanks to the reappearance of his old school chum Bob Sweet. Bob, who has a gift for success, is inviting Reinhart to get in on the ground floor of his latest venture: cryonics. But while Carlo loves the taste of the good life that his friend has suddenly provided, he’s not quite certain whether Sweet wants him as a partner . . . or as a human popsicle. The third novel in Thomas Berger’s acclaimed Carlo Reinhart Series, Vital Parts is a stingingly hilarious swipe at twentieth-century culture and mores. Unrestrained and unapologetic, it is a tour de force from a master satirist that stands alongside Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces, and the novels of Kurt Vonnegut as a trenchant and funny comment on American life.

Disponibile da: 04/11/2014.

Lunghezza di stampa: 432 pagine.

Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

I Heart My Little A-Holes - A...

Karen Alpert

Following the success of Go the F**k to Sleep, Confessions of a Scary Mommy, and Ketchup Is a Vegetable, a collection of funny, warm, and charmingly profane tales from the frontlines of parenthood by the author of the popular Baby Sideburns blog. 
Once upon a time you and your partner had a perfect life: dinners out, weekend mornings cuddling in bed, brunch with friends. Then you gave birth to a poop machine (or two). Now, it's all about the pediatrician, breast pumps, princess dresses, and minivans. And discovering that your pride and joy is actually a little A-hole. 
When your son wakes you up at 3:00 A.M. because he wants to watch Caillou, he's an a-hole. When your daughter outlines every corner of your living room with a purple crayon, she's an a-hole. When your rug rats purposely paint the kitchen ceiling with their smoothies, they're a-holes. At times like these, it's only natural to want to kill them (or yourself). But it's against the law (and there's the suicide hotline). Plus, there's that whole loving them more than anything in the whole world thing. 
In I Heart My Little A-Holes, Karen Alpert shares hilarious stories, lists, and deep thoughts on the joys and horrors of raising children. Accompanied by cheery illustrations and photos I Heart My Little A-Holes will make you laugh so hard you'll wish you were wearing a diaper.

Mostra libro

Little Culinary Triumphs

Pascale Pujol

“Sexy encounters, irreverent humor, and subtle twists keep up the pace of this quirky tale about a variety of French appetites” (Publishers Weekly). Sandrine works as a functionary in an employment office, but there is a lot more to her than one might suspect from her job description. With a volcanic personality and an imagination to match, she is also a world-class cook waiting for the right occasion to realize her dream of opening a restaurant of her own. With a master plan that one could only describe as Machiavellian, Sandrine ropes Antoine, an unemployed professor, into her venture. A carousel of extravagant characters follows: the giant Senegalese man, Toussaint N’Diaye; the magical chef, Vairam; the extravagantly flatulent Alsatian Schmutz and his twelve-year-old daughter Juliette (IQ 172!); the alluring psychologist and Kama Sutra specialist Annabelle Villemin-Dubreuil. Plans for the restaurant proceed smoothly until Sandrine discovers a shady newspaper operation next-door that leads her to a sinister magnate’s plot . . . Set in the storied and culturally diverse Parisian quarter of Montmartre, made famous by artists, writers, and bon vivants of every ilk, this heartwarming, comic tale is a must for foodies, Francophiles, and lovers of a good story well told. “This farcical novel envelops readers in the sights, sounds, and smells of Montmartre and is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Mary Simses, Laura Madeleine, and Nina George. With lively characters and a dreamy setting, Little Culinary Triumphs will awaken the Francophile in all.” —Booklist “Pujol keeps the tone light as she takes on serious themes of economics and immigration. . . . The plot adds characters like ingredients in a recipe until everything finally sets like a creamy quiche. Will everybody get what they want—or deserve? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s fun watching the schemes unfold.” —The Star Tribune

Mostra libro

Oh Sh*t I Almost Killed You! - A...

BSN Sonja Schwartzbach

Do no harm. Take no sh*t.Whether you're a new nurse or a veteran member of the clan, the nursing learning curve is a vast one. Part how-to-guide with a touch of memoir thrown in, take the time to laugh and cry with an author that says what everyone else in the field is thinking.

Mostra libro

How Not to Get Married - A...

George Mahood

“…beautiful, funny, sometimes heart-breaking…” 
“…I’m a vicar and I laughed all the way through…” 
“…he’s like a young Bill Bryson…” 
“…should be required reading…” 
Something old. Something new. Something a wedding photographer would never tell you… until today. 
After a decade photographing over 250 weddings, author George Mahood is ready to lift the lid on the industry and expose the truths about what he has learned. 
Sometimes controversial, often insightful, but always amusing, George Mahood offers some practical advice to those planning their own wedding, sharing stories of the weddings he photographed (as well as his own marriage), while shedding some light on the role of the wedding photographer and what it is like to document the glorious ups and often disastrous downs of the most important day in these couples' lives. 
“…whether you're getting married, have no intention of getting married or are already married (insert appropriate option here), you'll have a great read…”

Mostra libro

Cowboy Etiquette

Texas Bix Bender

Henry Ward Beecher said “the common sense of one century is the common sense of the next.” That said, these pocket-sized humor books pack quite a bit of punch—lines that is. With more than 1.5 million copies in print, their all-new look will leave a whole new generation in stitches!

Mostra libro

The Worst Call Ever! - The Most...

Kyle Garlett, Patrick O'Neal

In any sport, whenever an official takes the field, court, ice, ring, or pitch, they do so with a bright red bull's-eye on their backs. For even with their great accuracy and passion for the game, they do make errors—occasionally, great big fat ones—that change the tide of sports history.In The Worst Call Ever, keepers of truth and enlightenment, sportswriters Kyle Garlett and Patrick O'Neal, expose the most injurious mistakes and desecrations, document their lasting damage—which to some wronged parties has evolved into a condition akin to post-traumatic stress disorder—and hopefully become the soothing balm of reconciliation.Each piece details the play in question and examines the players and stakes involved, the scope of the injustice, and the path of change that was often its result. Garlett and O'Neal cover mishaps in all sports, from the four Major Leagues to golf and auto racing to even curling, in this fascinating look at the worst calls in sports history.

Mostra libro