The Birthday Party

Name: The Birthday Party
Brand: Allen & Unwin
SKU: 9781804270226
Price: 39.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

By Laurent Mauvignier

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3.74

( 2,258 ratings, 396 reviews)

Summary

The Birthday Party by Laurent Mauvignier unfolds in a peaceful French village where a seemingly ordinary birthday celebration spirals into a gripping drama. As the characters converge, long-hidden secrets and tensions surface, unsettling the harmony of the gathering and altering relationships in unexpected ways. This novel beautifully captures the interplay of personal histories and the fragile dynamics of human connections.
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Format: Paperback / softback

$39⁹⁹

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The Birthday Party

$39⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy unraveling complex human emotions and intricate family dynamics under the guise of a seemingly simple celebration. It beautifully explores tension, secrets, and the subtle shifts in relationships within a vivid, atmospheric setting. Perfect for readers who appreciate character-driven narratives with a touch of suspense and unexpected twists.

Told in rhythmic, propulsive prose that weaves seamlessly from one consciousness to the next over the course of a day, Laurent Mauvignier's The Birthday Party is a gripping tale of the violent irruptions of the past into the present, written by a major contemporary French writer.

Description

Longlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize.

Buried deep in rural France, little remains of the isolated hamlet of the Three Lone Girls, save a few houses and a curiously assembled quartet: Patrice Bergogne, inheritor of his family's farm; his wife, Marion; their daughter, Ida; and their neighbour, Christine, an artist.

While Patrice plans a surprise for his wife's fortieth birthday, inexplicable events start to disrupt the hamlet's quiet existence: anonymous, menacing letters, an unfamiliar car rolling up the driveway. And as night falls, strangers stalk the houses, unleashing a nightmarish chain of events.

Told in rhythmic, propulsive prose that weaves seamlessly from one consciousness to the next over the course of a day, Laurent Mauvignier's The Birthday Party is a deft unravelling of the stories we hide from others and from ourselves, a gripping tale of the violent irruptions of the past into the present, written by a major contemporary French writer.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Laurent Mauvignier's The Birthday Party is praised for its captivating narrative style, marked by long, rhythmic sentences that build tension and suspense. The book is celebrated for giving voice to marginalised characters and exploring themes of violence and human connection against the backdrop of an isolated farm setting. Reviewers highlight its literary excellence and emotional depth, capturing the reader's imagination with its evocative prose.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781804270226

Publisher: Fitzcarraldo Editions

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 18 January 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Fitzcarraldo Editions

Contributors:

Translated by Daniel Levin Becker

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 125.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 504

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Laurent Mauvignier Literary Fiction

About the Author

Laurent Mauvignier was born in Tours in 1967. He gained a degree in Fine Art from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1991, and published his first novel, Loin d'eux [Far from Them], in 1999. He has since written numerous novels, including In the Crowd (2006), The Wound (2009) and Continuer [Carrying On] (2018), all published by Editions de Minuit, and is the winner of eleven literary prizes, including the Prix Wepler and the Prix Amerigo-Vespucci. He is also a playwright and has written scripts for TV and film. The Birthday Party is his first book with Fitzcarraldo Editions.