Laura Rider's Masterpiece (English)

Jane Hamilton departs from the intense, dramatic style of her previous novels for a darkly comic tone. Laura and Charlie Rider are still comfortable after more than a decade of marriage, though Laura's libido has disappeared, much to Charlie's chagrin. However, Laura's new passion--the urge to write romances--leads her to orchestrate an affair between her husband and local celebrity Jenna Faroli by composing sensual letters which Charlie sends in his own name. Laura's writing talent grows in proportion to her duplicity, and readers will laugh and wince at Hamilton's mordant meditation on turning life into art. minimize