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The Middlesteins (Paperback or Softback)
US $7.99
ApproximatelyS$ 10.35
Condition:
Brand New
A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages.
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US $4.47 (approx S$ 5.79) USPS Media MailTM.
Located in: Farmer City, Illinois, United States
Delivery:
Estimated between Wed, 22 Oct and Mon, 27 Oct to 94104
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30 days return. Seller pays for return shipping.
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eBay item number:185952892637
Item specifics
- Condition
- Brand New: A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages. See all condition definitionsopens in a new window or tab
- Binding
- TP
- EAN
- 9781455507207
- ISBN
- 1455507202
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Grand Central Publishing
ISBN-10
1455507202
ISBN-13
9781455507207
eBay Product ID (ePID)
150587818
Product Key Features
Book Title
Middlesteins : a Novel
Number of Pages
304 Pages
Language
English
Publication Year
2013
Topic
Family Life, Literary, Jewish
Genre
Fiction
Format
Trade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height
1.3 in
Item Weight
9.8 Oz
Item Length
8 in
Item Width
5.1 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Trade
TitleLeading
The
Reviews
Jami Attenberg's comic-tragic portrait of The Middlesteins , a quirky midwestern Jewish family collapsing under burdens of betrayal, desire, and obesity, is delish., Praise for THE MIDDLESTEINS: "THE MIDDLESTEINShad me from its very first pages, but it wasn't until its final pages that I fully appreciated the range of Attenberg's sympathy and the artistry of her storytelling.", Jami Attenberg writes with startling honesty and haunting compassion about characters caught between desire and obligation. Blunt and beautifully written,The Middlesteinspeels back the layers of one family's struggle to hold together even as its members fall apart, examining the commitments and betrayals, the guilt and grievances, the wounds and recoveries. Told with great hope and humor, this is a novel about fear and forgiveness, blame and acceptance, the roles we yearn to escape, and the bonds that prove unbreakable. It's a wonderful book., "Vibrant . . . Thanks to Attenberg's sure-handed prose, this agile narrative swiftly moves around in time and perspectives . . . Attenberg evokes memorable moments of authentic sadness and tenderness while thoughtfully and comically examining the question of what we inherit from our families. In the case of the Middlesteins, it is many things, including their sometimes-enduring love for each other."-- S. Kirk Walsh, San Francisco Chronicle, "[Attenberg's] characters' thoughts-Richard and Benny in particular-seem utterly real, and her wry, observational humor often hits sideways rather than head-on. . . [A] wonderfully messy and layered family portrait."-- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review), "Attenberg finds ample comic moments in this wry tale about an unraveling marriage. She has a great ear for dialog, and the novel is perfectly paced. . . . [She] seamlessly weaves comedy and tragedy in this warm and engaging family saga of love and loss."-- Library Journal, Praise for THE MIDDLESTEINS: "THE MIDDLESTEINS had me from its very first pages, but it wasn't until its final pages that I fully appreciated the range of Attenberg's sympathy and the artistry of her storytelling.", Jami Attenberg has a gift for making you sympathize with each and every one of her characters. The result is a rich family portrait that's sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hilarious, and gripping all the way through. The Middlesteins are every bit as complex and contradictory as your family, or mine. I'm still thinking about them long after I turned the final page., Jami Attenberg writes with startling honesty and haunting compassion about characters caught between desire and obligation. Blunt and beautifully written, THE MIDDLESTEINS peels back the layers of one family's struggle to hold together even as its members fall apart, examining the commitments and betrayals, the guilt and grievances, the wounds and recoveries. Told with great hope and humor, this is a novel about fear and forgiveness, blame and acceptance, the roles we yearn to escape, and the bonds that prove unbreakable. It's a wonderful book., "This gem of a book is swift, moving and brutally honest, but it has as family-centric moral at its heart: Without family, we are nothing."-- Susannah Cahalan, New York Post, Expansive heart and sly wit... Throughout this poignant novel, the characters wrestle with two defining questions: What do we owe each other after a life together? What do we owe ourselves?, Praise for THE MIDDLESTEINS: " THE MIDDLESTEINS had me from its very first pages, but it wasn't until its final pages that I fully appreciated the range of Attenberg's sympathy and the artistry of her storytelling."-- Jonathan Franzen, author of Freedom, [Attenberg's] characters' thoughts-Richard and Benny in particular-seem utterly real, and her wry, observational humor often hits sideways rather than head-on. . . [A] wonderfully messy and layered family portrait., The Middlesteins is a tender, sad and funny look at a family and their mother. In fact, it's so readable, it's practically edible., "Expansive heart and sly wit... Throughout this poignant novel, the characters wrestle with two defining questions: What do we owe each other after a life together? What do we owe ourselves?"-- Abbe Wright, O Magazine, With a wit that never mocks and a tenderness that never gushes, [Attenberg] renders this family's ordinary tragedies as something surprisingly affecting... Attenberg is superb at mocking the cliches of middle-class life by giving them the slightest turn to make people suddenly real and wholly sympathetic., Funny, compassionate tragicomedy...notable for the nimble way it combines humor and pathos. Attenberg can be wry and sharply funny, but there's a tenderness in her portrayal of her outsized main character and her family., "Jami Attenberg's comic-tragic portrait of The Middlesteins , a quirky midwestern Jewish family collapsing under burdens of betrayal, desire, and obesity, is delish."-- Elissa Schappell, Vanity Fair, "Jami Attenberg has a gift for making you sympathize with each and every one of her characters. The result is a rich family portrait that's sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hilarious, and gripping all the way through. The Middlesteins are every bit as complex and contradictory as your family, or mine. I'm still thinking about them long after I turned the final page."-- J. Courtney Sullivan, author of Commencement and Maine, "Jami Attenberg writes with startling honesty and haunting compassion about characters caught between desire and obligation. Blunt and beautifully written, THE MIDDLESTEINS peels back the layers of one family's struggle to hold together even as its members fall apart, examining the commitments and betrayals, the guilt and grievances, the wounds and recoveries. Told with great hope and humor, this is a novel about fear and forgiveness, blame and acceptance, the roles we yearn to escape, and the bonds that prove unbreakable. It's a wonderful book."-- Aryn Kyle, author of The God of Animals, "Hugely enjoyable . . . Attenberg has the Tolstoyan gift for creating life on the page. Sometimes all she needs to capture a soul is a couple of sentences. But the pleasure she takes in these people goes beyond compassion . . . When Attenberg shows us the world through their eyes, they're not just interesting and sympathetic; they're a treat to be with. I didn't want a single one of their narratives to end. . . . The book isn't merely a delight to read: it lifts you up."-- Craig Seligman, Bloomberg News, The most authentic, endearing fictional portrait of a family in recent memory. . . There is no page of this novel without compassion, empathy, humor and restraint., "[An] irresistible family portrait with piquant social commentary. Kinetic with hilarity and anguish, romance and fury, Attenberg's rapidly consumed yet nourishing novel anatomizes our insatiable hunger for love, meaning, and hope."-- Donna Seaman, Booklist (Starred Review), "With a wit that never mocks and a tenderness that never gushes, [Attenberg] renders this family's ordinary tragedies as something surprisingly affecting... Attenberg is superb at mocking the cliches of middle-class life by giving them the slightest turn to make people suddenly real and wholly sympathetic."-- Ron Charles, Washington Post, "Funny, compassionate tragicomedy...notable for the nimble way it combines humor and pathos. Attenberg can be wry and sharply funny, but there's a tenderness in her portrayal of her outsized main character and her family."-- Yvonne Zipp, Christian Science Monitor, Vibrant . . . Thanks to Attenberg's sure-handed prose, this agile narrative swiftly moves around in time and perspectives . . . Attenberg evokes memorable moments of authentic sadness and tenderness while thoughtfully and comically examining the question of what we inherit from our families. In the case of the Middlesteins, it is many things, including their sometimes-enduring love for each other., "Blazing, ferocious, and great-hearted. . . . THE MIDDLESTEINS will blow you away."-- Lauren Groff, author of Arcadia, This gem of a book is swift, moving and brutally honest, but it has as family-centric moral at its heart: Without family, we are nothing., [An] irresistible family portrait with piquant social commentary. Kinetic with hilarity and anguish, romance and fury, Attenberg's rapidly consumed yet nourishing novel anatomizes our insatiable hunger for love, meaning, and hope., The Middlesteinsis a tender, sad and funny look at a family and their mother. In fact, it's so readable, it's practically edible., [A] remarkable feat.... Clear-eyed funny and truthful and deeply moving, especially in the killer-punch of its ending... Refined, economical and beautifully crafted., "The Middlesteins is a tender, sad and funny look at a family and their mother. In fact, it's so readable, it's practically edible."-- Meg Wolitzer, NPR All Things Considered, "The most authentic, endearing fictional portrait of a family in recent memory. . . There is no page of this novel without compassion, empathy, humor and restraint."-- Carmela Ciuraru, Dallas Morning News, Hugely enjoyable . . . Attenberg has the Tolstoyan gift for creating life on the page. Sometimes all she needs to capture a soul is a couple of sentences. But the pleasure she takes in these people goes beyond compassion . . . When Attenberg shows us the world through their eyes, they're not just interesting and sympathetic; they're a treat to be with. I didn't want a single one of their narratives to end. . . . The book isn't merely a delight to read: it lifts you up., "The Middlesteins is a juicy, delicious, dark smorgasbörd of a novel."-- Royal Young, Interview Magazine, Attenberg finds ample comic moments in this wry tale about an unraveling marriage. She has a great ear for dialog, and the novel is perfectly paced. . . . [She] seamlessly weaves comedy and tragedy in this warm and engaging family saga of love and loss., "[A] remarkable feat.... Clear-eyed funny and truthful and deeply moving, especially in the killer-punch of its ending... Refined, economical and beautifully crafted."-- Stefan Fleischer, The Buffalo News
Synopsis
For more than thirty years, Edie and Richard Middlestein shared a solid family life together in the suburbs of Chicago. But now things are splintering apart, for one reason, it seems: Edie's enormous girth. She's obsessed with food--thinking about it, eating it--and if she doesn't stop, she won't have much longer to live. When Richard abandons his wife, it is up to the next generation to take control. Robin, their schoolteacher daughter, is determined that her father pay for leaving Edie. Benny, an easy-going, pot-smoking family man, just wants to smooth things over. And Rachelle-- a whippet thin perfectionist-- is intent on saving her mother-in-law's life, but this task proves even bigger than planning her twin children's spectacular b'nai mitzvah party. Through it all, they wonder: do Edie's devastating choices rest on her shoulders alone, or are others at fault, too? With pitch-perfect prose, huge compassion, and sly humor, Jami Attenberg has given us an epic story of marriage, family, and obsession. The Middlesteins explores the hopes and heartbreaks of new and old love, the yearnings of Midwestern America, and our devastating, fascinating preoccupation with food.
Item description from the seller
Seller feedback (2,025)
- j***j (41)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchasePlum Street Pickers was diligent, helpful and polite. Received the wrong item initially, but seller went above & beyond to fix it. Item was then promptly received in described condition and carefully packed. Would gladly buy from this seller again. Thank you for a great transaction.
- z***b (6)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseThe seller was very responsive. The beautiful plates were packaged well and arrived just as described. I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly they arrived and feel the value was right on the mark for my budget. They are up on my travel wall now. Thank you!Creazioni Luciano Italy Wall Ceramic Plates (Set Of 4) WS (#186805837452)
- i***s (210)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseSpeedy quick shipping, as described, great value & packaged recieved without issue.
Seller feedback (2,025)
- j***j (41)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchasePlum Street Pickers was diligent, helpful and polite. Received the wrong item initially, but seller went above & beyond to fix it. Item was then promptly received in described condition and carefully packed. Would gladly buy from this seller again. Thank you for a great transaction.
- z***b (6)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseThe seller was very responsive. The beautiful plates were packaged well and arrived just as described. I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly they arrived and feel the value was right on the mark for my budget. They are up on my travel wall now. Thank you!Creazioni Luciano Italy Wall Ceramic Plates (Set Of 4) WS (#186805837452)
- i***s (210)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseSpeedy quick shipping, as described, great value & packaged recieved without issue.