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The Cost of Living

Living Autobiography 2
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( 18,971 ratings, 2,025 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy is a memoir that captures Levy's reflections on life after her marriage ends. She explores themes of identity, independence, and the challenges of starting afresh, all while navigating the complexities of contemporary womanhood. The narrative provides a poignant and insightful look into the process of rebuilding and self-discovery.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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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?

You might like this book if you enjoy profound reflections on personal transformation, independence, and the search for a new identity. It's a compelling narrative that blends memoir and manifesto while exploring the challenges and triumphs of reinventing one's life.

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The Cost of Living

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy is a spellbinding blend of memoir and manifesto, an exploration of what it means to navigate modern womanhood amid the mingling tides of personal upheaval and societal change. Set during a transformative period in Levy's life, the narrative unfolds in the wake of her mother's death, the departure of her daughters from home, and the dissolution of her marriage. These pivotal events serve as a backdrop for Levy's profound contemplation of freedom and the cost one must pay to achieve it as an artist, a woman, a mother, and a daughter.

With a voice that is both incisive and poetic, Levy masterfully balances humour and pragmatism, drawing readers into her reflections on the surreal realities and relentless expectations of daily life. Her prose is graceful, yet unflinchingly honest, offering a rare and resonant wisdom that echoes long after the pages are turned.

Throughout the memoir, Levy does not shy away from the exhilarating yet terrifying challenge of seeking and embracing freedom. She presents a series of vignettes that are both deeply personal and universally relatable, delving into the intricate dynamics of female experience. From the profound to the mundane, each scene is imbued with Levy's characteristic eloquence and insight.

The Cost of Living transcends the bounds of a traditional memoir, becoming a clarion call for transformative freedom. Levy's exploration is not limited by her personal narrative; it is an expansive and thrilling meditation on what freedom means and how it might feel for women worldwide. Her candid and passionate voice encourages readers to contemplate their paths, confront societal norms, and ultimately, find their own ways to live freely.

In sum, Deborah Levy's The Cost of Living is a dazzling and essential read, a courageous and invigorating contribution to contemporary literature that is sure to inspire and provoke thought, offering a valuable perspective on the most pressing questions of our time.

Series: Living Autobiography

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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?

The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy impresses readers with its generous, sensual, and insightful narrative. Reviewers highlight its beautiful, witty, and sharp insights into the struggles and nuances of life, particularly from a woman's perspective. It is praised as both a memoir and a manifesto, offering clarity and exploring themes of personal reinvention, making it a profound and absorbing read.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241977569

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 February 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 148g

Pages: 208

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About the Author

Deborah Levy is the author of several novels including August Blue, Hot Milk and Swimming Home, alongside a formally innovative, critically acclaimed 'living autobiography' trilogy- Things I Don't Want to Know, The Cost of Living and Real Estate. She has been shortlisted twice each for the Goldsmiths Prize and Booker Prize and won the Prix Femina Etranger. She has also written for The Royal Shakespeare Company and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

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