Jane Smiley

Durante generaciones, la familia de Larry Cook ha trabajado sin descanso hasta convertir un terreno pantanoso e inhóspito en una de las granjas más prósperas del condado de Zebulon, en Iowa. El propio Larry ha consagrado su vida a este cometido, por eso todos se sorprenden cuando, en mitad de una celebracion con vecinos y familiares, comunica la cesion inmediata de la propiedad a sus hijas. Las tres herederas reaccionan de forma muy distinta al anuncio del padre, movidas por sus diferentes personalidades y circunstancias: Ginny es una mujer llena de buenas intenciones, si bien frustrada por su infertilidad; Rose lucha por recuperar su fortaleza tras someterse a un duro tratamiento medico; y Caroline ejerce como abogada en la ciudad, ajena al dia a dia de la granja. Cuando esta ultima muestra reticencias ante la rara iniciativa de su padre y la complacencia de sus hermanas, Larry responde excluyendola tajantemente de la herencia. Este violento arranque no es sino el primer indicio de un comportamiento cada dia mas indescifrable por parte del patriarca, cuyo historial de arbitrariedad y manipulacion comienza a recrudecerse, lo que da lugar a una transformacion de las relaciones de las hermanas con su padre y entre ellas mismas.En Heredaras la tierra, la inconfundible voz de Jane Smiley se mimetiza con el paisaje que describe para abordar, desde la ternura y la violencia, temas como el apego, la enfermedad, la lealtad, la insatisfaccion, las apariencias y la impronta de los traumas. Esta historia, que recupera y reinterpreta la tragedia shakesperiana de El rey Lear, trasciende los mil acres de la granja de los Cook y revela los conflictos de ser mujer y esposa, hermana o hija en un mundo rural superado por la llegada de la modernidad, las secuelas de Vietnam y los anhelos de una generacion desconcertada ante el sueño americano.En este libro poderoso y conmovedor, Jane Smiley toma las verdades contenidas en El rey Lear y las ilumina haciendolas suyas, y logra que los peligros de la familia, de la propiedad y de ser hija se vuelvan, una vez mas, reales, personales, novedosos, honestos e hirientes.Ron Carlson, The New York Times

En una granja de Denby, Iowa, Rosanna y Walter Langdon se guían por unos valores tradicionales que intentan transmitir a sus cinco hijos, muy distintos entre sí, como lo son las circunstancias que les tocara atravesar. Frank, el primogenito, inteligente y testarudo; Joe, apasionado por los animales y conectado con la vida rural, lo que lo convierte en el heredero natural de las tierras de su familia; Lillian, dulce y obediente, casada con un hombre que solo muestra su verdadera cara con ella; Henry, el raton de biblioteca que no tiene problemas en ser una rara avis; y Claire, la menor y la favorita de su padre.Desde los años posteriores a la Primera Guerra Mundial hasta los albores de la Guerra Fria, Un poco de suerte traza un retrato intimo y a la vez monumental de una familia americana enfrentada a los profundos cambios sociales, politicos y tecnologicos que marcaron la primera mitad del siglo XX.Con humor, compasion y una mirada inteligente sobre la historia y el caracter humano, Jane Smiley ganadora del Premio Pulitzer despliega aqui una vez mas su enorme talento narrativo. Primera entrega de la Trilogia de los cien años, esta novela inaugura una saga familiar que combina la profundidad narrativa con la delicadeza emocional de un relato escrito para perdurar. Una historia sobre lo que se transmite, lo que se pierde y la pequeña porcion de destino que define una vida.

Una ambiciosa saga familiar de una de las grandes narradoras de la literatura norteamericana contemporáneaPrimera novela de la deslumbrante Trilogía de los cien años de la ganadora del Premio Pulitze

De la ganadora del Premio Pulitzer. Libro del año para San Francisco ChronicleLa segunda novela de la Trilogía de los cien años acompaña a la familia Langdon entre los años cincuenta y los ochenta, un tiempo de prosperidad y cambios que marcara su destinoCuando en 1953 el funeral del patriarca reune de nuevo a la familia Langdon, ninguno es consciente de los profundos cambios que van a sufrir sus vidas en los proximos años. Por el momento, los hijos e hijas de Walter y Rosanna han crecido y ya tienen sus propios hijos. Frank, el primogenito, inquieto e infeliz, ignora a su atribulada esposa y se distrae con un rostro del pasado. Lillian observa como su brillante y excentrico marido, Arthur, se autodestruye por la culpa que le produce trabajar en secreto para el gobierno. Claire descubre que el matrimonio no es exactamente lo que esperaba. En Iowa, donde comenzaron los Langdon, Joe, el unico que se quedara trabajando la tierra, ve que algunos aspectos de la vida en la granja se mantienen inalterables, mientras que otros se vuelven irreconocibles. Y aunque algunos miembros de la familia siguen atrapados en el pasado, otros intentaran dejar atras el mundo que siempre han conocido y lograran prosperar como nunca.Las vidas de los Langdon van unidas inevitablemente al discurrir de un pais que abraza el optimismo de la posguerra hasta que se topa con las tensiones de la Guerra Fria, un pais que pasara por las revoluciones sociales y sexuales de los años sesenta y setenta, y mas tarde por la riqueza sin precedentes para algunos de principios de los ochenta, sin olvidar la oscura sombra de la guerra de Vietnam, que se cierne sobre todos ellos... En la salud y en la enfermedad, en los mejores y en los peores momentos, la familia Langdon vivira, amara y sufrira bajo el despiadado paso de tres decadas de la historia estadounidense.Una advertencia, de Jane Smiley, es una historia fascinante, sabia y cautivadora de una escritora en la cima de su carrera que demuestra su increible talento para analizar los lazos afectivos y las tensiones de un clan. Una novela conmovedora y divertida que impresiona por su poder narrativo.Maravillosa... Fascinante... Construye vidas plenas, misteriosas y en constante cambio.The Washington PostAbsolutamente cautivadora... Una obra maestra de pinceladas rapidas y perfectamente ejecutadas.The Independent

Cuando Dave escucha a su esposa Dana musitar «Nunca más volveré a ser feliz», quizá sin haberse dado cuenta siquiera de que lo decía en voz alta, siente que ambos están a punto de perder todo aquello

1920. After his return from the battlefields in France, Walter Langdon and his wife Rosanna begin their life together on a remote farm in Iowa. As time passes, their little family will grow: from Frank, the handsome, willful first-born, to Joe, whose love of animals and the land sustains him; from Lillian, beloved by her mother, to Henry who craves only the world of his books; and Claire, the surprise baby, who earns a special place in her father's heart. As Walter and Rosanna struggle to keep their family through good years and hard years - to years more desperate than they ever could have imagined, the world around their little farm will turn, and life for their children will be unrecognizable from what came before. Some will fall in love, some will have families of their own, some will go to war and some will not survive. All will mark history in their own way. Tender, compelling and moving from the 1920s to the 1950s, told in multiple voices as rich as the Iowan soil, Some Luck is an astonishing feat of storytelling by a prize-winning author writing at the height of her powers.

Joe Stratford, who sells nice houses in a beautiful place, and whose not very amicable divorce is over, is ready for his life to begin again. It is 1982, morning in America, and temptation is everywhere. And, as Marcus Burns (Joes new friend from New York) says, the old rules are ready to be broken. Marcus should know: hes just quit his job with the tax man. But are his ideas about how to get rich - really rich - too big and risky for Joe? And what about the real estate development at Salt Key Farm: why is the local savings and loan so eager to lend Marcus and Joe the money for its asking price? And theres Felicity - the daughter of Joes business partner - who has finally confessed how fond she is of Joe. But, Joe wonders, is this winning, free-spirited (already married) woman really the one hes been waiting for?Smileys superb novel does for estate agency what The West Wing does for politics - make it, against the odds, enthralling and sexy . . . Good Faith has some wonderfully funny characters and is wise and touching.Mail on SundayWonderful . . . With the skill, wit and wisdom that were in evidence in her previous bestsellers Moo and A Thousand Acres, Smiley brings us an absorbing tale about the perils of pursuing your dream.Red Magazine (Must-Read of the Month)Only a writer of consummate craftsmanship and scope could write a novel about a series of real estate deals in a small town an hour and a half from New York City and make it so fully satisfying as to be thrilling. Jane Smiley has done it.Los Angeles Times

When eighth-grader Abby Lovitt looks out at those pure-gold rolling hills, she knows theres no place shed rather be than her familys ranch-even with all the hard work of tending to nine horses. But some chores are no work at all, like grooming young Jack. At eight months, his rough foal coat has shed out, leaving a smooth, rich silk, like chocolate. As for Black George, such a good horse, it turns out hes a natural jumper. When he and Abby clear four feet easy as pie, heads start to turn at the ring-buyers heads-and Abby knows Daddy wont turn down a good offer. Then a letter arrives from a private investigator, and suddenly Abby stands to lose not one horse but two. The letter states that Jacks mare may have been sold to the Lovitts as stolen goods. A mystery unfolds, more surprising than Abby could ever expect. Will she lose her beloved Jack to his rightful owners?Jane Smiley is one of the premiere novelists of her generation, possessed of a mastery of craft and an uncompromising vision that grow more powerful with each book.Washington Post

On the morning after the 2003 Academy Awards, Max - an Oscar-winning writer/director whose fame has waned - and his lover, Elena, are in bed, still groggy from last night's red-carpet festivities. They are talking about movies, talking about love, talking about the just-begun war in Iraq. But their house full of guests demands attention. Gathered downstairs are: Max's ex-wife 'the legendary Zoe Cunningham', a dazzling half-Jamaican movie star; their strong-willed daughter, Isabel; Max's agent, Stoney, a too easy-going version of his now-departed agent father; Paul, Zoe's new lover, an enigmatic healer; and a coterie of others. Over the next ten days they share their stories of Hollywood past and present, their fears provoked by the Iraq war; they watch films in Max's luxury screening room; they gossip by the swimming pool and tussle in the many bedrooms, as the tension mounts and sparks fly

Jane Smiley''s "Thirteen ways of Looking at the Novel" won''t help you to deal with the sheer volume of new books that are published nowadays. In fact, weighing in at close to 600 pages, it may actually slow progress towards whatever numerical goal you may have set for 2008. Nonetheless, I urge you, I implore you, to get this book and to take the time to read it. Why? Because if you do, you will never read a novel the same way again. I have read no other book that comes close to this one in terms of enriching my overall reading experience.

From the Pulitzer Prize-winner: the second installment, following "Some Luck, "of her widely acclaimed, best-selling American trilogy, which brings the journey of a remarkable family with roots in the Iowa heartland into mid-century America "Early Warning" opens in 1953 with the Langdon family at a crossroads. Their stalwart patriarch, Walter, who with his wife, Rosanna, sustained their farm for three decades, has suddenly died, leaving their five children, now adults, looking to the future. Only one will remain in Iowa to work the land, while the others scatter to Washington, D.C., California, and everywhere in between. As the country moves out of post World War II optimism through the darker landscape of the Cold War and the social and sexual revolutions of the 1960s and 70s, and then into the unprecedented wealth for some of the early 1980s, the Langdon children each follow a different path in a rapidly changing world. And they now have children of their own: twin boys who are best friends and vicious rivals; a girl whose rebellious spirit takes her to the notorious Peoples Temple in San Francisco; and a golden boy who drops out of college to fight in Vietnam leaving behind a secret legacy that will send shock waves through the Langdon family into the next generation. Capturing a transformative period through richly drawn characters we come to know and care deeply for, "Early Warning" continues Smiley s extraordinary epic trilogy, a gorgeously told saga that began with "Some Luck "and will span a century in America. But it also stands entirely on its own as an engrossing story of the challenges and rewards of family and home, even in the most turbulent of times, all while showcasing a beloved writer at the height of her considerable powers. "From the Hardcover edition.""

Un des best-sellers du catalogue, avec plus de 100 000 exemplaires vendus en Rivages poche. Un appartement a New York commence comme un polar mais rapidement le livre devient une variation magnifique sur l'amitie, les ravages du temps et les desillusions. Au coeur du roman, un groupe d'amis venus du Midwest, installes a New York dans les annees 80. Ils pensaient que rien ne viendrait detruire leur relation. Le crime terrible qui frappe deux membres de la bande va tout remettre en cause, prouvant la fragilite de l'existence et des liens qui nous unissent a ceux que nous aimons. Veritable tour de force, le roman conjugue suspense et puissance emotionnelle.

A Pulitzer Prize-winning authors revelatory celebration of the novel - at once an anatomy of the art of fiction, a guide for readers and writers and a memoir of literary life. Over her 20 year career, Jane Smiley has written many kinds of novels - mystery, comedy, historical fiction, epic. But when her impulse to write faltered after 9/11, she decided to approach novels from a different angle: she read 100 of them, from the 1000-year-old Tale of Genji to the recent bestseller White Teeth by Zadie Smith, from classics to little-known gems. With these books and her experience of reading them as her reference, Smiley discusses the pleasure of reading; why a novel succeeds - or doesnt; and how the form has changed over time. She delves into the character of the novelist and reveals how (and which) novels have affected her own life.

Gee Whiz is a striking horse, and only part of that is because of his size. He is tall, but also graceful. He keeps his eye on things, not as if hes suspicious, but as if hes curious.Abby is curious, too, about just how little of the world she has seen compared to those around her. Her brother receives a draft notice to Vietnam, her best friends return from their boarding school, and the wise, lovable Brother Abner opens her eyes with tales of his many years spent traveling. Then, her beloved horses Jack and True Blue are both offered opportunities to broaden their horizons away from the ranch. Will she let them go, with hopes that she might one day do the same?

In Horse Heaven the universe of horse racing is woven into a marvellous tapestry of joy and love, chicanery, folly, greed and reckless courage. Spanning two years on the circuit, from Kentucky and California to New York and Paris, Jane Smileys wonderful novel puts us among trainers and track brats, horse-obsessed girls, nervy jockeys, billionaire breeders and restless track wives.

It is the morning after the Academy Awards. Max, an award-winning writer and his lover, Elena, are hosts to a house full of guests including their daughter, a movie star, a healer and an agent. Over the course of the next ten life-changing days, they share stories of Hollywood, watch movies and become entangled by the pool. Sparks fly and tension mounts as this unputdownable tale of love, war, sex, politics, friendship and betrayal moves towards its redemptive end.

Margaret Mayfield is nearly an old maid at twenty-seven when she marries Captain Andrew Jackson Jefferson Early. Hes the most famous man their Missouri town has ever produced: a naval officer and an astronomer - a genius who, according to the local paper, has changed the universe. Margarets mother calls the match a piece of luck. Yet Andrew confounds Margarets expectations from the moment their train leaves for his naval base in San Francisco, and soon she realizes that his devotion to science leaves little room for anything, or anyone, else. She stands by him through tragedies both personal and those they share with the nation. But as World War II approaches, Andrews obsessions take a darker turn, forcing Margaret to reconsider the life shed so carefully constructed.