Charlotte Wood
A sharply observed, 24-hour urban love story that follows Stephen Connolly â€“ a character from the bestselling novel The Children â€“ through one of the worst days of his life. The day he has decided to dump his girlfriend.,On a stiflingly hot December day, Stephen has decided itâ€™s time to break up with his girlfriend Fiona. Heâ€™s 39, aimless and unfulfilled, heâ€™s without a clue working out how to make his life better. All he has are his instincts â€“ and unfortunately they might just be his downfall . . .,As he makes his way through the pitiless city and the hours of a single day, Stephen must fend off his demanding family, endure another shift of his dead-end job at the zoo (including an excruciating teambuilding event), face up to Fionaâ€™s aggressive ex-husband and the hysteria of a childrenâ€™s birthday party that goes terribly wrong. As an ordinary day develops into an existential crisis, Stephen begins to understand â€“ perhaps too late â€“ that love is not a trap, and only he can free himself.,Hilarious, tender and heartbreaking, Animal People is a portrait of urban life, a meditation on the conflicted nature of human-animal relationships, and a masterpiece of storytelling.,Animal People invites readers to question the way we think about animals â€“ what makes an â€˜animal personâ€™? What value do we, as a society, place on the lives of creatures? Do we brutalise our pets even as we love them? Whatâ€™s wrong with anthropomorphism anyway? Filled with challenging ideas and shocks of recognition and revelation, Animal People shows a writer of great depth and compassion at work.
Fiction,Cultural,Australia,Animals,Literary Fiction,Family,Contemporary,Literature,21st Century
Animal People