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The Artist of Disappearance
by Anita Desai
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Used
- Seller
-
Luddenham, New South Wales, Australia
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Random House, 2011. Hardcopy. Used. A triptych of beautifully crafted novellas make up Anita Desai's exquisite new book. Set in modern India, but where history still casts a long shadow, the stories move beyond the cities to places still haunted by the past, and to characters who are, each in their own way, masters of self-effacement. In 'The Museum of Final Journeys' an unnamed government official is called upon to inspect a faded mansion of forgotten treasures, each sent home by the absent, itinerant master. As he is taken through the estate, wondering whether to save these precious relics, he reaches the final - greatest - gift of all, looming out of the shadows. In 'Translator, Translated', middle-aged Prema meets her successful publisher friend Tara at a school reunion. Tara hires her as a translator, but Prema, buoyed by her work and the sense of purpose it brings, begins deliberately to blur the line between writer and translator, and in so doing risks unravelling her desires and achievements. The final story is of Ravi, living hermit-like in the burnt-out shell of his family home high up in the Himalayan mountains. He cultivates not only silence and solitude but a secret hidden away in the woods, concealed from sight. When a film crew from Delhi intrudes upon his seclusion, it compels him to withdraw even further until he magically and elusively disappears... Rich and evocative, remarkable in their clarity and sensuous in their telling, these stories remind us of the extraordinary yet delicate power of this pre-eminent writer.
Synopsis
A triptych of beautifully crafted novellas make up Anita Desai’s exquisite new book. Set in modern India, but where history still casts a long shadow, the stories move beyond the cities to places still haunted by the past, and to characters who are, each in their own way, masters of self-effacement. In ‘The Museum of Final Journeys’ an unnamed government official is called upon to inspect a faded mansion of forgotten treasures, each sent home by the absent, itinerant master. As he is taken through the estate, wondering whether to save these precious relics, he reaches the final – greatest – gift of all, looming out of the shadows. In ‘Translator, Translated’, middle-aged Prema meets her successful publisher friend Tara at a school reunion. Tara hires her as a translator, but Prema, buoyed by her work and the sense of purpose it brings, begins deliberately to blur the line between writer and translator, and in so doing risks unravelling her desires and achievements. The final story is of Ravi, living hermit-like in the burnt-out shell of his family home high up in the Himalayan mountains. He cultivates not only silence and solitude but a secret hidden away in the woods, concealed from sight. When a film crew from Delhi intrude upon his seclusion, it compels him to withdraw even further until he magically and elusively disappears… Rich and evocative, remarkable in their clarity and sensuous in their telling, these stories remind us of the extraordinary yet delicate power of this pre-eminent writer.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Petes Loved Books
(AU)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- Product_3509
- Title
- The Artist of Disappearance
- Author
- Anita Desai
- Format/Binding
- Hardcopy
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Random House
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 2011
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Bookseller catalogs
- www.peteslovedbooks.com;
Terms of Sale
Petes Loved Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Petes Loved Books
Biblio member since 2021
Luddenham, New South Wales
About Petes Loved Books
Used Books across all genres in excellent condition. Rare, collectable, fantasy, fiction, self help, business and non fiction with hard covers or paperback available across a range of prices
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- New
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