A Partial History of Lost Causes - A Novel

Zusatztext “[An] astonishingly beautiful and brainy debut novel . . . Against the backdrop of Russia’s recent political past! duBois conjures the briefly intersecting lives of two intriguingly complex strangers—prickly! introspective! and achingly lonely—who are nevertheless kindred spirits.  Her prose is both apt and strikingly original . . . So how do we proceed when defeat is inevitable? The stunning novel suggests an answer: We just do. Perseverance! it seems! is its own kind of victory.” — O: The Oprah Magazine "Gorgeous . . . DuBois writes with haunting richness and fierce intelligence . She has an equal grasp of politics and history! the emotional nuances of her complex characters! and the intricacies of chess. Irina and Aleksandr are difficult people! prickly and formidable! but they’re also sympathetic and flawed! vulnerable and human. DuBois’ evocations of Russia are lush! and her swashbuckling descriptions! whether of chess games! a doomed political campaign! or the anticipation of death! are moving yet startlingly funny—full of bravado! insight! and clarity. A Partial History of Lost Causes is a thrilling debut by a young writer who evidently shares the uncanny brilliance of her protagonists.” —Kate Christensen!  Elle "Jennifer duBois's first novel is a meticulously constructed tale of intertwining destinies. Irina! a young American facing an unbearable diagnosis! and Aleksandr! a former Soviet chess champion turned dissident politician! are brought together by a long-forgotten letter that asks how to carry on with a lost cause. Ranging from Massachusetts to Moscow and covering several decades! A Partial History of Lost Causes abounds and fascinates with dark wit and poignant insight ! chess and politics! frozen rivers and neon nightclubs.” —Maggie Shipstead! Salon “Hilarious and heartbreaking and  a triumph of the imagination . Jennifer duBois is too young to be this talented.  I wish I were her.”—Gary Shteyngart “ An amazing achievement —a braiding of historical! political! and personal! each strand illuminating the other. Wonderful characters! elusive glimpses of wisdom! and a gripping story that accelerates to just the right ending.”—Arthur Phillips   “Thrilling! thoughtful! strange! gorgeous! political! and deeply personal! Jennifer duBois’s A Partial History of Lost Causes is a terrific debut novel. In prose both brainy and beautiful ! she follows her characters as they struggle to save each other. This is a book to get lost in.”—Elizabeth McCracken “By what exquisite strategy did duBois settle on this championship permutation of literary moves? Her debut is a chess mystery with political! historical! philosophical! and emotional heft ! a paean to the game and the humans who play it. DuBois probes questions of identity! death! art! and love with a piercing intelligence and a questing heart.”—Heidi Julavits   “ Terrific . . . In urgent fashion! duBois deftly evokes Russia’s political and social metamorphosis over the past thirty years through the prism of this particular and moving relationship.”— Publishers Weekly (starred review) From the Hardcover edition. Informationen zum Autor Jennifer duBois Klappentext FINALIST FOR THE PEN/HEMINGWAY PRIZE FOR DEBUT FICTION In Jennifer duBois's mesmerizing and exquisitely rendered debut novel! a long-lost letter links two disparate characters! each searching for meaning against seemingly insurmountable odds. With uncommon perception and wit! duBois explores the power of memory! the depths of human courage! and the endurance of love. NAMED BY THE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION AS A 5 UNDER 35 AUTHOR • WINNER OF THE CALIFORNIA BOOK AWARD GOLD MEDAL FOR FIRST FICTION • WINNER OF THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST...

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[An] astonishingly beautiful and brainy debut novel . . . Against the backdrop of Russia s recent political past, duBois conjures the briefly intersecting lives of two intriguingly complex strangers prickly, introspective, and achingly lonely who are nevertheless kindred spirits.  Her prose is both apt and strikingly original . . . So how do we proceed when defeat is inevitable? The stunning novel suggests an answer: We just do. Perseverance, it seems, is its own kind of victory. O: The Oprah Magazine

"Gorgeous . . . DuBois writes with haunting richness and fierce intelligence. She has an equal grasp of politics and history, the emotional nuances of her complex characters, and the intricacies of chess. Irina and Aleksandr are difficult people, prickly and formidable, but they re also sympathetic and flawed, vulnerable and human. DuBois evocations of Russia are lush, and her swashbuckling descriptions, whether of chess games, a doomed political campaign, or the anticipation of death, are moving yet startlingly funny full of bravado, insight, and clarity. A Partial History of Lost Causes is a thrilling debut by a young writer who evidently shares the uncanny brilliance of her protagonists. Kate Christensen, Elle

"Jennifer duBois's first novel is a meticulously constructed tale of intertwining destinies. Irina, a young American facing an unbearable diagnosis, and Aleksandr, a former Soviet chess champion turned dissident politician, are brought together by a long-forgotten letter that asks how to carry on with a lost cause. Ranging from Massachusetts to Moscow and covering several decades, A Partial History of Lost Causes abounds and fascinates with dark wit and poignant insight, chess and politics, frozen rivers and neon nightclubs. Maggie Shipstead, Salon

Hilarious and heartbreaking and a triumph of the imagination. Jennifer duBois is too young to be this talented.  I wish I were her. Gary Shteyngart

An amazing achievement a braiding of historical, political, and personal, each strand illuminating the other. Wonderful characters, elusive glimpses of wisdom, and a gripping story that accelerates to just the right ending. Arthur Phillips
 
Thrilling, thoughtful, strange, gorgeous, political, and deeply personal, Jennifer duBois s A Partial History of Lost Causes is a terrific debut novel. In prose both brainy and beautiful, she follows her characters as they struggle to save each other. This is a book to get lost in. Elizabeth McCracken

By what exquisite strategy did duBois settle on this championship permutation of literary moves? Her debut is a chess mystery with political, historical, philosophical, and emotional heft, a paean to the game and the humans who play it. DuBois probes questions of identity, death, art, and love with a piercing intelligence and a questing heart. Heidi Julavits
 
Terrific . . . In urgent fashion, duBois deftly evokes Russia s political and social metamorphosis over the past thirty years through the prism of this particular and moving relationship. Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Product details

• Authors: Jennifer DuBois
• Publisher: Dial Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 21.08.2012
• EAN: 9780812982176
• ISBN: 978-0-8129-8217-6
• No. of pages: 400
• Dimensions: 132 mm x 203 mm x 21 mm
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature; Fiction > Narrative literature > Contemporary literature (from 1945)