{"title":"Beryl Bainbridge","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBeryl Bainbridge\u003c\/strong\u003e crafts compelling narratives that delve into the complexities of human relationships with sharp wit and subtle humour. Her novels often blend dark themes with moments of levity, creating a distinctive tone that lingers long after the final page.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect richly drawn characters and immersive settings, with stories that explore the unexpected twists of ordinary lives. Works like \u003cem\u003eAn Awfully Big Adventure\u003c\/em\u003e exemplify her talent for combining emotional depth with a keen eye for the quirks of everyday existence.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"an-awfully-big-adventure-by-beryl-bainbridge-9781917092500","title":"An Awfully Big Adventure","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLiverpool, 1950. Sixteen-year-old Stella is hired as assistant stage manager by a repertory theatre company and soon falls into a heady infatuation with the director, Meredith — failing to notice how he shows not only no interest in her, but in any woman. When the celebrated actor O'Hara arrives to take the lead in their production of \u003ci\u003ePeter Pan\u003c\/i\u003e, it sets in motion a drama offstage of lost innocence, tragedy, and miscommunication.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePeopled by a cast of eccentric characters and the air thick with the scent of greasepaint and cigarettes, \u003ci\u003eAn Awfully Big Adventure\u003c\/i\u003e is an evocative and sharp-edged novel for fans of Penelope Fitzgerald, Muriel Spark, and Camilla Grudova.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47494955466988,"sku":"9781917092500","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781917092500-an-awfully-big-adventure.jpg?v=1775793485"},{"product_id":"the-bottle-factory-outing-by-beryl-bainbridge-9781917092371","title":"The Bottle Factory Outing","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFreda and Brenda divide the bed they share with a barricade of books, then spend their days working side by side in a wine-bottling factory. A picnic out at Windsor Park for the two women and their colleagues offers promise for Freda and terror for Brenda. Passions run high before coming to a brutal and startling end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith an unforgettably dark heart, \u003ci\u003eThe Bottle Factory Outing\u003c\/i\u003e is laugh-out-loud funny, grubbily evocative and slyly weird, and is for fans of Muriel Spark, Anita Brookner and early Ian McEwan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47496556839148,"sku":"9781917092371","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781917092371-the-bottle-factory-outing.jpg?v=1775798885"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/beryl-bainbridge.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}