(Current fiction and quality fiction of the past.)
As a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature one would expect substantial writings from Penelope Lively and, indeed, she’s done it again, "by Jove."
“What Ms. Lively has done in this captivating volume is to use all her copious storytelling gifts to show how a similar kind of random causality rules individual lives,” writes The New York Times critic Michiko Kakutani. “How one unlucky event can set off unexpected chain reactions, how the so-called butterfly effect — whereby the flapping of a tiny butterfly’s wings can supposedly lead to a huge storm elsewhere in the world — ripples through the ebb and flow of daily life.”
We are discussing, of course, “How It All Began” (Viking Adult) by Penelope Lively, who also wrote the Man Booker Prize-winning “Moon Tiger” and “The Photograph,” a Today Show Book Club selection.
According to the publisher, “Through a richly conceived and colorful cast of characters, Penelope Lively explores the powerful role of chance in people's lives and deftly illustrates how our paths can be altered irrevocably by someone we will never even meet. Brought to life in her hallmark graceful prose and full of keen insights into human nature, ‘How It All Began’ is an engaging, contemporary tale that is sure to strike a chord with her legion of loyal fans as well as new readers. A writer of rare wisdom, elegance, and humor, Lively is a consummate storyteller whose gifts are on full display in this masterful work.”
Penelope Lively was born in Cairo, Egypt, and studied at Oxford University. She is the author of many children's books and adult novels; a writer highly recommended by Examiner.
_______________________________________________________________________
EXAMINER’S BEST: How to write your 1st novel
EXAMINER’S NOVELS: Splat! A Light in Polanco
_______________________________________________________________________
Comments