by Anita Brookner (2004)
I have come to believe that there can be no adequate preparation for the sadness that comes at the end, the sheer regret that one's life is finished, that one's failures remain indelible and one's successes illusory.' Elizabeth and Betsy are old school friends. Born in 1948 and unready for the sixties, they had high hopes of the lives they would lead, even though their circumstances were so different. When they meet again in their thirties, Elizabeth, married to the safe, older Digby is relieving the boredom of a cosy but childless marriage with an affair. Betsy seems to have found real romance in Paris. Are their lives taking off, or are they just making more of the wrong choices without even realising it?
Anita Brookner
Chronicles the relationship between two women--Julia, the glamorous, manipulative ex-cabaret star, and the timid, modest Faye--whose husbands are business associates, in a study of the fragility and resilience of friendship.
Brian Moore
From the award-winning author of 'The Colour of Blood', this is the story of Mary Dunne. Mary has had several past lives and more than one husband - her true nature is revealed in this brilliant exploration of female desire and sexuality.
Ann Beattie
It is 1980 in New York City, and Jane, a valedictorian fresh out of Harvard, strikes a deal with Neil, an intoxicating writer twenty years her senior. The two quickly become lovers, living together in a Chelsea brownstone, and Neil reveals the rules for a life well lived. Neil's certainties, Jane discovers, mask his deceptions. Her true education begins.
Valérie Chevalier
Bien malgré elle, Florence est une amoureuse en série. Romantique et fleur bleue, elle croyait dur comme fer que son premier amour durerait toujours. Mais la vie s'est vite chargée de lui prouver que la réalité n'est pas comme dans les films, et que son destin serait différent de celui des membres de sa famille, dont les couples perdurent, pour le meilleur et pour le pire. Au fil de ses rencontres, Florence échafaude une théorie sur l'amour. Même si elle continue d'y croire, elle se bute au mur des ruptures, et se laisse doucement aller au cynisme et à la désillusion. Mais le soleil n'est jamais très loin, et lorsqu'on lâche prise, le courant finit bien par nous mener quelque part. Une série de sketchs tragi-comiques pour rêver à l'amour ou se remettre de ses peines. Ne vous en faites pas, ceci est un livre, et les histoires, ça finit souvent bien.