Help Yourself: Three scalding stories from the bestselling author of AMERICAN WIFE

Description

From the critically acclaimed and bestselling author of RODHAM comes a dazzling collection of stories that celebrates our humanity in all its pettiness and glory. 'Nobody else writes with such precision and amusement about the absolute inability of men and women to understand each other' RED MAGAZINE 'Recommended for anyone who enjoys short stories. She really doesn't shy away from sticky, nuanced subjects ... delivered with absolute poise. Delicious' PANDORA SYKES, The High-Low podcast ____________________________________ Sittenfeld's wryly hilarious and insightful new collection, HELP YOURSELF, illuminates human experience and gracefully upends our assumptions about class and race, envy and disappointment, gender and celebrity. Suburban friends fall out after a racist encounter at a birthday party is caught on video and posted on Facebook; an illustrious Manhattan film crew are victims of their own snobbery when they underestimate a pre-school teacher from the Mid-West; and a group of young writers fight about love and narrative style as they compete for a prestigious bursary. Connecting each of these three stories is Sittenfeld's truthful yet merciless eye. Full of tenderness and compassion, this dazzling collection celebrates our humanity in all its pettiness and glory. A STYLIST Best Books for Autumn title Featured in the Sunday Times Guide to Culture Praise for CURTIS SITTENFELD- 'You won't want these stories to end' REESE WITHERSPOON 'Perfect miniatures in deadpan prose' GUARDIAN 'Clear-eyed and compulsive' MAIL ON SUNDAY

Curtis Sittenfeld is the author of the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling Rodham. Other novels include American Wife and Prep, both bestsellers and longlisted for the Orange Prize, The Man of My Dreams, Sisterland, Eligible, and the acclaimed short story collections You Think It, I'll Say It and Help Yourself. Her stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Esquire, Oprah Magazine and the New York Times magazine. Sittenfeld was also the guest editor for the 2020 Best American Short Stories anthology. She lives with her family in the American Midwest. Follow her on Twitter @CSittenfeld

Sharp yet understated, assured but self-questioning, Sittenfeld take on race, sexism and the wokerati * EVENING STANDARD * Sittenfeld is in a league of her own * OBSERVER * A potent mix of biting truths, entertainment and rigorous social observation. Sittenfeld has never been sharper * FINANCIAL TIMES * Sittenfeld has an analytical eye for the festering grudges and deep-seated disrespects of everyday life. Exceptionally sharp * SUNDAY TIMES * Short, sharp, thought-provoking. Perfect for these times * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING * Sittenfeld's genius lies in her ability to sneak in complex issues into superficially low-key narratives * STYLIST MAGAZINE, LOVES * Stories with a feminist perspective that fizz with intelligence, smart observation and darkly dry humour. * SPECTATOR * Combining wit and wry compassion, these stories are brilliantly entertaining * SUNDAY EXPRESS * An impeccable study of human flaws and frailties, fizzing with wit and empathy * i-Paper: Best Story Collections 2020 * An impeccable study of human flaws and frailties, fizzing with wit and empathy * I-Paper, Best Story Collections 2020 * Sittenfeld's talent for creating characters that elicit an uneasy mix of scorn and sympathy is on full display. This author at her very best * DAILY MAIL *