{"product_id":"9781398535206-usual-desire-to-kill","title":"The Usual Desire to Kill","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA wry, propulsive, exquisitely observed debut about a singularly eccentric family and the sibling rivalry, generational divides, and long-buried secrets that shape them. This is an extraordinary novel from a seasoned playwright with a flare for dialogue and, in the end, immense empathy for the mysterious intimacies of marriage, family, and love.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Hilarious and heartbreaking’ MONICA ALI\u003cbr\u003e 'Deeply funny and knowing' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eMEG WOLITZER\u003cbr\u003e 'Witty, moving' ANN NAPOLITANO\u003cbr\u003e 'Poignant, funny and brilliantly told' POSY SIMMONDS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn often hilarious, surprisingly moving portrait of a long-married couple, seen through the eyes of their wickedly observant daughter – for fans of \u003ci\u003eA Man Called Ove \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Royal Tenenbaums\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Miranda’s parents live in a dilapidated house in rural France that they share with two llamas, eight ducks, five chickens, two cats, and a freezer full of food dating back to 1983.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Miranda’s father is a retired professor of philosophy who never loses an argument. Her mother likes to bring conversation back to the War, although she was born after it ended. Married for fifty years, they are uncommonly set in their ways. Miranda plays the role of translator when she visits, communicating the desires or complaints of one parent to the other and then venting her frustration to her sister and her daughter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A wry, propulsive, exquisitely observed story of a singularly eccentric family and the sibling rivalry, generational divides, and long-buried secrets that shape them. This is an extraordinary debut novel from a seasoned playwright with a flare for dialogue and, in the end, immense empathy.\u003cbr\u003e ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ‘Hilarious and heartbreaking. Barnes’s dialogue is pitch-perfect, and her characters dance off the page and straight into your heart’\u003cb\u003e Monica Ali, author of \u003ci\u003eLove Marriage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ‘Camilla Barnes deftly deciphers the secret language of one family, often with deeply funny and knowing results. I loved spending time in the very specific, complicated and memorable world of this novel’ \u003cb\u003eMeg Wolitzer, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Wife\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e ‘I love nothing more than reading about eccentric families, and the family in \u003ci\u003eThe Usual Desire to Kill\u003c\/i\u003e is just that. Miranda and her sister work to uncover the true story of their parents' marriage, only to have their brilliant, quirky mother and father deflect them at every turn. Barnes has written a witty, moving novel about characters who, even when they seem incapable of speaking honestly, are worth listening to nonetheless’ \u003cb\u003eAnn Napolitano, author of \u003ci\u003eHello Beautiful\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ‘An account of two ageing, secretive, disputatious and thoroughly maddening parents – poignant, funny and brilliantly told through gritted teeth’ \u003cb\u003ePosy Simmonds, author of \u003ci\u003eCassandra Darke\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEARLY READERS' REVIEWS FOR \u003ci\u003eTHE USUAL DESIRE TO KILL\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ‘Family saga at its very best told with a tenderness that matches the dark humour in equal parts. I think this a book a lot of people will identify with’\u003cbr\u003e ‘Hugely relatable. Endearingly flawed characters with real depth and an insightful understanding of the ways in which family dynamics play out’\u003cbr\u003e ‘A unique yet weirdly relatable family saga’\u003cbr\u003e ‘Funny, honest, and engaging’\u003cbr\u003e ‘An observant and darkly witty debut’\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41793806467169,"sku":"9781398535206","price":12.96,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_31782035.jpg?v=1734596836","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781398535206-usual-desire-to-kill","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}