Phantom Life. [Vie fantôme. English]

New York : Pantheon Books ; Random House, Inc., c1989., 1989. Fine. 1st American ed. ; 245 pp. ; ISBN: 0394564537 :; 9780394564531 LCCN: 88-43203 ; OCLC: 18835278 ; "Pierre is a teacher, married for ten years, the father of two children, not so much trapped by his wife as happily enmeshed in the routine of his household; his affair with 25-year-old Laure--a single librarian--adds spice, freedom, and danger to his life. But Laure realizes that what is freedom for Pierre is constraint for her and struggles with conflicting feelings: pity and condescension toward people who march lock-step into marriage versus her longing for ordinary family life. Her self-esteem demands that she distinguish her ""understanding"" with Pierre from the adulterous ""affairs"" that other people engage in, though she realizes t hat she is playing out every cliche about love with a married man: she is condemned to live a phantom life waiting for him to phone, being unable to call him at home; spending most of their time in bed since they cannot be seen in public; dealing with separations over holidays and family-oriented vacation times; suffering from curiosity and jealousy over his life ""at home."" "--Kirkus reports ; dust jacket back flap has tear ; slight soiling to fore edge, else FINE/G