Gentlemen and Players: A Novel by Joanne Harris (English) Paperback Book

Description: Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris Friendship, murder, revenge, and class conflict collide in an upper-crust English school. As a new term gets under way, a number of annoying incidents befall students and faculty, escalating to murder. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description The New York Times bestselling author takes a riveting new direction with this richly textured, multi-layered novel of friendship, murder, revenge, and class conflict set in an upper-crust English school--as enthralling and haunting as Ian McKewans Atonement and Patricia Highsmiths The Talented Mr. Ripley Audere, agere, auferre.To dare, to strive, to conquer.For generations, elite young men have attended St. Oswalds School for Boys, groomed for success by the likes of Roy Straitley, the eccentric classics teacher who has been a revered fixture for more than 30 years. But this year, things are different. Suits, paperwork, and Information Technology rule the world, and Straitley is reluctantly contemplating retirement. He is joined in this, his 99th, term by five new faculty members, including one who--unknown to Straitley and everyone else--holds intimate and dangerous knowledge of St. Ozzies ways and secrets, its comforts and conceits. Harboring dark ties to the schools past, this young teacher has arrived with one terrible goal: Destroy St. Oswalds. As the new term gets underway, a number of incidents befall students and faculty alike. Beginning as small annoyances--a lost pen, a misplaced coffee mug--they soon escalate to the life threatening. With the school unraveling, only Straitley stands in the way of St. Ozzies ruin. But the old man faces a formidable opponent--a master player with a strategy that has been meticulously planned to the final move. A harrowing tale of cat and mouse told in alternating voices, this riveting, hypnotically atmospheric novel showcases Joanne Harriss astonishing storytelling talent as never before. Back Cover For generations, privileged young men have attended St. Oswalds Grammar School for Boys, groomed for success by the likes of Roy Straitley, the eccentric Classics teacher who has been a fixture there for more than thirty years. This year, however, the wind of unwelcome change is blowing, and Straitley is finally, reluctantly, contemplating retirement. As the new term gets under way, a number of incidents befall students and faculty alike, beginning as small annoyances but soon escalating in both number and consequence. St. Oswalds is unraveling, and only Straitley stands in the way of its ruin. But he faces a formidable opponent with a bitter grudge and a master strategy that has been meticulously planned to the final, deadly move. Author Biography Joanne Harris is the author of seven previous novels--Chocolat, Blackberry Wine, Five Quarters of the Orange, Coastliners, Holy Fools, Sleep, Pale Sister, and Gentlemen & Players; a short story collection, Jigs & Reels; and two cookbook/memoirs, My French Kitchen and The French Market. Half French and half British, she lives in England. Review "Irresistible . . . Constantly surprising and wickedly fun." -- Washington Post Book World"With GENTLEMEN & PLAYERS Harris has tapped an unsuspected talent for writing sophisticated, absorbing suspense." -- Daily News"[A] disturbing yet strangely rewarding morality tale . . . Not every chess game ends with a checkmate." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Riveting . . . The checkmate is a bold stroke -- so audacious as to send readers, including this one, backtracking." -- Houston Chronicle"[A] masterful literary thriller." -- Fort Myers (Fla.) News-Press"Far darker than Chocolat author Harriss previous books, this canny page-turner comes with a satisfying twist." -- Mail on Sunday"Very good indeed." -- Bookseller (London)"A complex, well-crafted murder mystery, with its authors trademark blend of wit, wisdom and magic." -- Time Out London"[An] enjoyable mystery romp." -- Sunday Times (London)"Fun with a neat twist ... its a bit like A.J. Wentworth squaring up to the talented Mr. Ripley." -- The Independent"A strong psychological mystery." -- Times Educational Supplement"A literary gobstopper with an aniseed heart." -- Independent"Harris pulls it all off . . . Book groups of the world, watch out." -- The Guardian"[Harris] turns to the literary thriller, with stunning results . . . This is one hypnotic page-turner." -- Booklist (starred review)"[A] clever story of obsession and revenge . . . .[Harris] has scored another success." -- Daily Telegraph (London)"[A] gripping psychological thriller. . . . [Harris] cleverly keeps the reader guessing till the very last chapter. -- Express"One of those rare books that grips and holds you . . . [B]oth socially important and vastly entertaining." -- Chicago Tribune"Dont start this one late in the evening, unless you plan to stay up all night. Its that gripping." -- Seattle Times"Best of all is a dazzling climactic twist . . . . its last move is a winner." -- New York Times Book Review"Perfect escapist reading for deep winter." -- Hartford Courant"A cunning, high-brow cat-and-mouse tale ... [W]ill keep even the sharpest readers off-guard." -- Florida Times-Union"[A] tense, perspective-shifting narrative ... [A] page-turning climax that ... avoids the easy out of a tidy ending." -- Tampa Tribune"The gold standard for this years best mystery...[GENTLEMEN AND PLAYERS] left me breathless...a delightful read." -- Salon.com Review Quote "With GENTLEMEN & PLAYERS Harris has tapped an unsuspected talent for writing sophisticated, absorbing suspense." Details ISBN0060559152 Author Joanne Harris Short Title GENTLEMEN & PLAYERS Series P.S. (Paperback) Language English ISBN-10 0060559152 ISBN-13 9780060559151 Media Book Format Paperback DEWEY 823.914 Audience Age 14-18 Residence Yorkshire, ENK Birth 1964 Subtitle A Novel DOI 10.1604/9780060559151 Country of Publication United States AU Release Date 2006-12-26 NZ Release Date 2006-12-26 US Release Date 2006-12-26 UK Release Date 2006-12-26 Pages 448 Year 2006 Publication Date 2006-12-26 Audience General Publisher HarperCollins Publishers Inc Imprint Collins Place of Publication New York Imprint US William Morrow Paperbacks Publisher US HarperCollins We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:12604997;

Price: 40.03 AUD

Location: Melbourne

End Time: 2024-12-31T02:32:59.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 AUD