Never sentimental, at once corrosive and elegiac, <i>House Mother Normal</i> is a remarkable achievement

New York Times

Don’t think that because Johnson took stylistic risks that he must be unapproachable

- Guardian,

With an introduction by poet Andrew Motion.

Eight residents in a home for the elderly sit down to dinner, along with the House Mother herself, and each takes it in turn to relay the proceedings of the evening from their own, individual perspective. By virtue of the novel’s clever structure, the reader’s comprehension of events is limited so as to allow them a powerful experience: Johnson’s humorous yet deeply compassionate depiction of what it means to live life and grow old.

In his heyday, during the 1960s and early 1970s, B. S. Johnson was one of the best-known novelists in Britain. A passionate advocate for the avant-garde, he became famous for his forthright views on the future of the novel and for his unique ways of putting them into practice. House Mother Normal: A Geriatric Comedy is Johnson’s most richly characterized, humane and sympathetic work.

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An hilarious and deep-feeling portrayal of what it means to live and what it means to grow old.
'A remarkable achievement' New York Times

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781447200383
Publisert
2013-02-14
Utgiver
Pan Macmillan; Picador
Vekt
162 gr
Høyde
196 mm
Bredde
131 mm
Dybde
14 mm
Aldersnivå
00, G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
224

Forfatter
Introduksjon ved

Om bidragsyterne

In his heyday, during the 1960s and early 1970s, B. S. Johnson was one of the best-known novelists in Britain. His work includes Travelling People, Albert Angelo and House Mother Normal. A passionate advocate for the avant-garde in both literature and film, he became famous for his forthright views on the future of the novel and for his idiosyncratic ways of putting them into practice.