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Zusatztext "This is a sharp! smart! snarky satire of every conspiracy theory and hot button political issue ever spun; one that! at first glance! might induce an absurdist chuckle! until one realizes that it is based on an all-too-plausible reality." Informationen zum Autor Although Lionel Shriver has published many novels, a collection of essays, and a column in the Spectator since 2017, and her journalism has been featured in publications including the Guardian, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, she in no way wishes for the inclusion of this information to imply that she is more “intelligent” or “accomplished” than anyone else. The outdated meritocracy of intellectual achievement has made her a bestselling author multiple times and accorded her awards, including the Orange Prize, but she accepts that all of these accidental accolades are basically meaningless. She lives in Portugal and Brooklyn, New York. Klappentext In 2029, the United States is engaged in a bloodless world war that will wipe out the savings of millions of American families. Overnight, the “almighty dollar” plummets in value, to be replaced by a new global currency, the bancor. In retaliation, the president declares that America will default on its loans. The government prints money to cover its bills. What little real currency remains for savers is eaten away by inflation. The Mandibles have been counting on a sizable inheritance, once their patriarch dies. When their birthright turns to ash, what began as mere disappointment spirals into the challenge of sheer survival. In The Mandibles, Lionel Shriver brings the full power of her creative imagination to bear on a topic that seeps into every corner of our lives: money. Using her ability to nail the zeitgeist, droll humor, and psychological insight, Shriver has created an unforgettable and engrossing fictional world. Zusammenfassung With dry wit and psychological acuity! this near-future novel explores the aftershocks of an economically devastating U.S. sovereign debt default on four generations of a once-prosperous American family. Down-to-earth and perfectly realistic in scale! this is not an over-the-top Blade Runner tale. It is not science fiction. In 2029! the United States is engaged in a bloodless world war that will wipe out the savings of millions of American families. Overnight! on the international currency exchange! the “almighty dollar” plummets in value! to be replaced by a new global currency! the “bancor.” In retaliation! the president declares that America will default on its loans. “Deadbeat Nation” being unable to borrow! the government prints money to cover its bills. What little remains to savers is rapidly eaten away by runaway inflation. The Mandibles have been counting on a sizable fortune filtering down when their ninety-seven-year-old patriarch dies. Once the inheritance turns to ash! each family member must contend with disappointment! but also—as the U.S. economy spirals into dysfunction—the challenge of sheer survival. Recently affluent! Avery is petulant that she can’t buy olive oil! while her sister! Florence! absorbs strays into her cramped household. An expat author! their aunt! Nollie! returns from abroad at seventy-three to a country that’s unrecognizable. Her brother! Carter! fumes at caring for their demented stepmother! now that an assisted living facility isn’t affordable. Only Florence’s oddball teenage son! Willing! an economics autodidact! will save this formerly august American family from the streets. The Mandibles is about money. Thus it is necessarily about bitterness! rivalry! and selfishness—but also about surreal generosity! sacrifice! and transformative adaptation to changing circumstances. ...
