Michael Cunningham Boeken

De Griekse immigrant Contantine Stassos is het voorbeeld van 'the American Dream come true'. Als hij na jaren ploeteren onverwacht succes heeft, bouwt hij een droomhuis voor zijn Italiaans-Amerikaanse vrouw Mary en hun drie kinderen. Maar materiële welstand blijkt geen garantie voor geluk. Meer en meer reageert Stassos zijn bittere verleden af op zijn zoon Billy, in zijn ogen een slappeling - die hem tot zijn woede in intellectueel opzicht ook nog eens ver de baas is. In zijn dronken buien zoekt Stassos genegenheid bij zijn mooie lievelingsdochter Susan. Ook de jongste dochter Zoë vindt haar plek niet binnen het gezin. Zij zoekt geborgenheid in de anonimiteit van de New Yorkse zelfkant.

Op een stralende junimorgen in New York wandelt Clarissa Vaughan door de straten om bloemen te kopen voor een feestje dat ze organiseert voor haar vriend Richard, die aan aids lijdt en een belangrijke literatuurprijs heeft gewonnen. Clarissa en Richard kennen elkaar al tientallen jaren en waren kort een stel; hij noemt haar Mrs. Dalloway, omdat ze hem aan de heldin uit Virginia Woolfs roman doet denken. Laura Brown, een huisvrouw in een buitenwijk van Los Angeles, is getrouwd met een oorlogsveteraan en verwacht haar tweede kind. Ondanks de liefde van haar man en hun kleine zoon voelt ze zich verstikt in haar leven en vlucht op een dag in 1949 naar een hotel, waar ze gefascineerd "Mrs. Dalloway" leest. Virginia Woolf zelf worstelt in 1923 met het begin van haar nieuwe roman, die later "Mrs. Dalloway" zal heten. Ze heeft hoofdpijn, hoort stemmen en mist de stad, hoewel ze het leven op het platteland goed doet. In deze aangrijpende roman ontvouwt de auteur een dag uit het leven van deze drie vrouwen en verkent thema's als vriendschap, liefde, levensmoeheid en de kracht van literatuur.

Peter en Rebecca Harris wonen in Soho, Manhattan, en naderen het hoogtepunt van hun carrières. Hij handelt in kunst, zij is redacteur van een kunsttijdschrift. Met een ruime loft, een dochter die werkt in Boston en een hechte kring levenslustige vrienden leiden Peter en Rebecca een succesvol en ogenschijnlijk benijdenswaardig leven. Onverwacht komt Rebecca's veel jongere broer Ethan, in de familie beter bekend als Mizzy, 'het Misverstand', op bezoek. De recalcitrante Mizzy, een mooie, verleidelijke twintiger met een drugsverleden, heeft niets omhanden en is op zoek naar richting in zijn leven. Zijn komst heeft grote invloed op de levens van Peter en Rebecca. Peter begint te twijfelen aan de kunstenaars in zijn stal, hun werk, en daarmee ook aan zijn vak _ kortom, aan de wereld die hij zorgvuldig om zich heen heeft gecreëerd. Zijn levensvragen brengen zijn relatie met Rebecca wezenlijk in gevaar.

Get ready for the online adventures of one man who just wants to make friends. And one very annoyed world. Based on the ingenious Sir Michael Twitter account, How to (Almost) Make Friends on the Internet is the funniest book you'll read this year. Whether it's offering his services as a Karate Lawyer or Funeral DJ, devising the world's worst plan to get a free haircut, or trying to buy a blue bucket that may or may not be for sale, Michael just wants to connect with people. The only problem is that people are slightly less enthusiastic about connecting with him, and the results are utterly hilarious. Warning: you'll never think about adding someone called Michael to a group chat the same way ever again.

'One of the finest novels I have read in years' John Banville, Observer 'It was the start of my second new life, in a city that had a spin of its own - a wilder orbit inside the earth's calm blue-green whirl. New York wasn't open to the hopelessness and lost purpose that drifted around lesser places . . . ' Meet Bobby, Jonathan and Clare. Three friends, three lovers, three ordinary people trying to make a life for themselves. In the harsh and uncompromising world of the seventies and eighties, they are outsiders, misfits, dreamers without a blueprint. But as they form a new kind of relationship, a new approach to family and love - questioning so much about the world around them - so they hope to create a space, a home, in which to live. 'Intensely, almost painfully intimate. A superb and major novel' David Leavitt 'A writer of great gifts. Cunningham's voice reaches that lyrical beauty in which even the grimmest events suggest their potential for grace' TheNew York Times Book Review 'As well as being fluent and attractive, this intimate saga of our times is immensely wise' Mail on Sunday 'Cunningham writes with power and delicacy of his three characters. Yet each one retains the mystery that in people is called soul, and in fiction is called art' TheLos Angeles Times

Provincetown, physically remote, and heartbreakingly beautiful, has been amenable and intriguing to outsiders for as long as it has existed. Written by the author of the best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning The Hours, this work brings us Provincetown, one of the extraordinary towns in the US, perched on the sandy tip at the end of Cape Cod.

Een wat oudere schrijver raakt tijdens een verblijf in Venetië in de ban van de schoonheid van een 14-jarige Poolse jongen.

Lucas, Catherine, Simon: three characters meet time and again in the three linked narratives that form ‘Specimen Days’. The first, a science fiction of the past, tells of a boy whose brother was ‘devoured’ by the machine he operated. The second is a noirish thriller set in our century, as a police psychologist attempts to track down a group of terrorists. And the third and final strand accompanies two strange beings into the future. A novel of connecting and reconnecting, inspired by the writings of the great visionary poet Walt Whitman, Specimen Days is a genre-bending, haunting ode to life itself – a work of surpassing power and beauty by one of the most original and daring writers at work today

Here are the moments that our fairy tales forgot or deliberately concealed, reimagined by one of the most gifted storytellers of his generation, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Hours, and exquisitely illustrated by Yuko Shimizu. Rarely have our bedtime stories been this dark, this perverse, or this true.

Imagine what a dictionary might look like about thirty years hence, when all of the world's problems are solved and our current dictionaries are a distant memory. Dave Eggers, Jonathan Safran Foer and Nicole Krauss have lined up an incredible array of writers to bring you that futuristic dictionary and a vision of the world as it might be. Think of it as a dictionary of language for describing what the future could look like a dictionary that is both useful and romantic, hopeful and necessary, pragmatic and idealistic, and frequently funny. This is science fiction but with a difference.

As the world evolves, a family navigates the complexities of growing up, aging, love, loss, and resilience. In a Brooklyn brownstone, Dan and Isabel's seemingly perfect life begins to unravel. Both harbor feelings for Isabel's younger brother, Robbie, a free spirit living in the attic. As Robbie grapples with a recent breakup and prepares to leave home, tensions rise, threatening the family's cohesion. Meanwhile, ten-year-old Nathan seeks independence, while five-year-old Violet remains blissfully unaware of her parents' growing divide. As the pandemic lockdown begins, the brownstone transforms into a confining space. Violet becomes fixated on safety, while Nathan rebels against her rules. Isabel and Dan communicate through thinly veiled frustrations, and Robbie finds himself isolated in a mountain cabin in Iceland, wrestling with his thoughts and a curated online persona. As the family emerges from the crisis, they confront a changed reality, reflecting on their experiences, losses, and the path forward. This poignant narrative, crafted by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, delves into the intricacies of love, loss, and the challenges of family life—exploring how to coexist while navigating personal struggles.

In November 2004, Barrett Meeks, reeling from another lost love, finds himself in Central Park, where he is inexplicably drawn to a pale, translucent light in the sky that seems to regard him with a godlike presence. Despite his skepticism towards visions and faith, he cannot ignore this experience. Meanwhile, in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Beth, engaged to Barrett's older brother Tyler, is battling colon cancer. Together, they navigate a fragile yet happy existence. Tyler, a struggling musician with a drug addiction, is desperately trying to compose a wedding song that transcends mere sentimentality to embody eternal love. As Barrett grapples with the significance of the light, he unexpectedly turns to religion, while Tyler increasingly believes that drugs are the key to unlocking his creative potential. Beth confronts her mortality with courage and stoicism. The narrative follows the divergent paths of the Meeks brothers in their quests for transcendence. With subtle, lucid prose, the author captures the complexities of his characters and delves into the depths of the human soul, blending beauty and heartbreak, comedy and tragedy, affirming his status as a significant voice in contemporary literature.

The story revolves around the special bond between Tehya and her father as they spend quality time together. Their adventures highlight the joy of their relationship, showcasing moments of fun, learning, and connection. Through their interactions, the narrative emphasizes the importance of family and the simple pleasures of life.

In November 2004, Barrett Meeks, feeling the weight of lost love, wanders through Central Park and is struck by a pale, translucent light that seems to watch over him. Despite his skepticism about visions and faith, he cannot shake the experience. Meanwhile, his older brother Tyler, a struggling musician in Bushwick, grapples with writing a wedding song for his seriously ill fiancée, Beth. Tyler aspires to create a piece that transcends mere sentimentality, aiming for a lasting expression of love. As Barrett becomes increasingly drawn to religious contemplation, Tyler believes that drugs may unlock his creative potential. Beth, facing her mortality, strives to confront her situation with courage. The narrative follows the divergent journeys of the Meeks brothers as they each seek transcendence in their own ways. Through subtle and lucid prose, the author captures the complexities of his characters, showcasing a deep empathy and a profound understanding of the human soul. The novel is a beautiful and heartbreaking exploration of love, loss, and the search for meaning.