Christina Stead Libri

«Non c’è frase di questo romanzo che non commuova e non sospinga verso la prossima con spontanea curiosità e gratitudine. Poi, però, finisce, ma giusto all’ultima parola e non a una di meno» (Aldo Busi).In una calda primavera del 1942 una sensuale ventiquattrenne, dopo aver inutilmente aspettato la telefonata del suo uomo del momento, lascia la sua stanza d’albergo e si butta per le vie del Village, depressa. È piena di debiti ma gira in taxi, va a letto all’alba ma lavora fino al tramonto – e affronta una mondanità sfrenata con il solo corredo di «completini lisi e infeltriti». Sotto la scorza cinica e dissoluta conserva una polpa romantica, perché non ha smesso di cercare l’Amore. Ma dentro la polpa romantica nasconde un nocciolo pragmatico, perché continua a desiderare il matrimonio e la famiglia. Com’è arrivata Letty Fox a questo punto della sua vita? La Stead ce lo racconta con una scrittura in cui la parola assume un profilo duro, potente, spietato, capace di rendere ogni vibrazione emotiva.

The story follows Robert Grant, a charismatic yet unscrupulous businessman in New York, whose life takes a turn when he encounters Barbara Kent, a formidable woman who challenges his ways. As their relationship develops, Robert's questionable actions come to light, leading to a confrontation that tests his character and ambitions. The narrative explores themes of love, deception, and the consequences of a reckless lifestyle.

The narrative features four interconnected novellas that explore themes of women's independence and resistance to societal norms. Honor Lawrence stands out as a compelling character who embodies this struggle, showcasing her determination to forge her own path. Through vivid storytelling, the author delves into the complexities of female empowerment and the challenges faced by women in their quest for autonomy.

Eleanor Herbert Brent is a beautiful English woman who believes in respectability and nurtures a desire to be a wife and mother in the 'dear old fashioned way'. But sexuality too forms her personality, and as a young graduate on the loose in London she explores it with every man she meets. She experiences everything: a restless, promiscuous youth, a wholesome suburban marriage, life on the fringes of literary London. Only one thing remains beyond her reach: the experience of real love; this and this only could transform Miss Herbert into the passionate woman she really is.

Set against the tumultuous backdrop of interwar Paris, the story unfolds a complex love triangle that explores themes of romance and rivalry. As political upheaval shapes the city, the narrative delves into the evolving roles of women, showcasing their burgeoning independence and the challenges they face. The characters navigate their passions and ambitions, reflecting the societal changes of the era.

With an Introduction by Randall Jarrell. Sam and Henny Pollit have too many children, too little money, and too much loathing for each other. As Sam uses the children's adoration to feed his own voracious ego, Henny watches in bleak despair, knowing the bitter reality that lies just below his mad visions. A chilling novel of family life, the relations between parents and children, husbands and wives, The Man Who Loved Children, is acknowledged as a contemporary classic.

Exploring the tumultuous dynamics of family life, the novel delves into the strained relationship between Sam and Henny Pollit, who grapple with financial struggles and mutual disdain. Sam's self-serving nature contrasts sharply with Henny's despair as they navigate the complexities of parenthood and marital discord. This contemporary classic offers a poignant examination of the emotional turmoil within a dysfunctional family, highlighting the impact of ego and disillusionment on both parents and their children.

An assortment of characters gather, at the close of WWII, at a hotel on Lake Geneva. In the claustrophobic atmosphere, their eccentricities and their desperation, jealousies and vindictiveness, are revealed

Par une brumeuse matinée de 1934, Elvira Western quitte son confort londonien et son mari pour rejoindre à Paris son jeune amant, Oliver Fenton, un étudiant anglais exalté. Mais, rapidement, l'escapade se transforme en journées languides dans les cafés de Saint-Germain-des-Prés en compagnie de journalistes débauchés, de bourgeois extravagants et d'une danseuse de cabaret désargentée. De flûtes de champagne en apéritifs, de déconvenues amoureuses en rencontres nocturnes surréelles, Elvira doute de son choix, jusqu'à regretter sa vie avec Paul, son époux, qui tente de la reconquérir. Ce drame romantique avant-gardiste dépeint, dans le Paris fantasmagorique et électrique de l'entre-deux-guerres, les passions paradoxales d'une femme trop intelligente, espiègle et inconstante pour aimer les hommes.