Dream Life by Claire Messud

A JEWEL OF A NOVEL BY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER CLAIRE MESSUD.

When the Armstrong family moves from New York at the dawn of the 1970s, Australia feels, to Alice Armstrong, like the end of the earth. Residing in a grand manor on the glittering Sydney Harbour, her family finds their life has turned upside down. As she navigates this strange new world, Alice must find a way to weave an existence from its shimmering mirage.

Lies and self-deception are at the heart of this keenly observed story. This is a sharp, biting and playful tale with a cast of unscrupulous characters adrift in a dream life of their own making. Written with the characteristic delicacy of touch, humour and emotional insight that make Claire Messud one of our greatest writers.

‘[Messud is] among our greatest contemporary writers.’ – The New Yorker

‘A perfect frolic of a book, puffed on breezes of beauty and wit: it waltzes you through a little fear, a little darkness, and tips you out, refreshed and laughing, into the sun.’ – Helen Garner

‘Witty, arch and acutely observed, A Dream Life expertly captures the excruciating insecurities of class in our supposedly classless society.’ – Geraldine Brooks

‘A novelist of unnerving talent.’ – The New York Times

When the Armstrong family moves from New York at the dawn of the 1970s, Australia feels, to Alice Armstrong, like the end of the earth. Residing in a grand manor on the glittering Sydney Harbour, her family’s life has turned upside down. As she navigates this strange new world, Alice must find a way to weave an existence from its shimmering mirage.

About the Author: Claire Messud is the author of seven works of fiction, including the New York Times bestsellers The Emperors Children and The Burning Girl, and a book of essays, Kants Little Prussian Head and Other Reasons Why I Write. She is a recipient of Guggenheim and Radcliffe Fellowships and the Strauss Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

15 Jan 2022
 

A Dream Life by Claire Messud ISBN 9781649697295