The Paper Lovers

Description

This is the story of two married couples and an affair. The Paper Lovers by Gerard Woodward opens with a man who suddenly develops a crush on one of his wife's friends. As his affections deepen, he becomes aware that she too has feelings for him. Soon they transgress. But what does this mean? Is it love? Will they be caught? The second part of the story is about the crisis of identity that comes with betrayal. If you are no longer faithful to yourself, to your spouse or to your God, who are you now? If you have been deceived, diminished, your world destroyed without your knowledge, who are you now? And in each case: how might you live on, who might you become?

Gerard Woodward is the author of a number of novels, including Nourishment and an acclaimed trilogy comprising: August (shortlisted for the 2001 Whitbread First Novel Award), I'll Go to Bed at Noon (shortlisted for the 2004 Man Booker Prize) and A Curious Earth. He was born in London in 1961, and published several prize-winning collections of poetry before turning to fiction. His collection of poetry, We Were Pedestrians, was shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize. He is Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.

Beautifully written novel about marital infidelity from a Booker-shortlistee * Sunday Times, Must Reads * Among his many gifts is Woodward's extraordinary skill in taking all the big themes - sex, truth, faith, obsession, existential crisis, the works! - and wrapping them up with such deft lightness of touch that the pages all but turn themselves. This is contemporary family drama at its most compelling, and with a brutally exquisite ending. -- Nathan Filer, author of The Shock of the Fall Hugely enjoyable, a unique love story that's both witty and poignant. -- John Boyne, author of The Heart's Invisible Furies What really makes this book so impressive and enjoyable is the writing, whether it is Woodward's occasional tongue-in-cheek similes or his convincing insights into all manner of things * Sunday Times * Woodward's prose has a rare and wondrous texture that comes from his ongoing play between the comedic and tragic moments of his characters' lives. The Paper Lovers is a beautifully wrought narrative with a devastating ending - an intimate exploration of requited and unrequited desire in all its forms. I couldn't put it down till I was done, and then I wanted to laugh and cry all at once, at the sheer absurdity of being human. An epic novel that should draw comparisons with Greene's The End of the Affair. -- Nikita Lalwani, author of The Village An unsettling tale of passion, faith and identity . . . Woodward has always been a keen observer of the family dynamic and here he deals confidently with love, marriage, betrayal and suburban stasis . . . the way in which Woodward navigates these choppy waters is engrossing * Observer * The wry truths that Woodward teases from the ensuing identity crises are universal in their poignancy * Mail on Sunday * A mordantly ironic novel . . . Paper, we're reminded at one point, has an edge, and there are plenty of those to Woodward's discomforting tale * Daily Mail * An immensely clever, tense, troubling and satisfying book, with so many little chambers of interest and so many huge issues subtly handled. -- Jim Crace, Man Booker Prize-shortlisted author of Harvest A closely observed allegory of obsession and redemption * Guardian * Woodward is an agile writer * TLS * Gerard Woodward is one of our finest writers . . . he writes with subtlety and skill * Daily Telegraph * The pains and perils of adultery are brilliantly exposed in this haunting novel. * The Times, The 100 best books to read this summer *