About the book
In an ambitious departure from her usual form, Anita Brookner expands her canvas in Family and Friends to create a richly textured novel about the life of a wealthy Jewish family in London, focusing on the generation that came to maturity between the two World Wars.
Presiding over the Dorn household is the formidable Sofka, an elegant and circumspect widow who watches as her four children find their way into adulthood. Frederick, the sybaritic eldest son, escapes to the comforts of the Riviera while stern, dutiful Alfred runs the family business and burns with unrealized longings; Betty—pleasure-loving, vain, and selfish—makes her ambitious way from Paris to Hollywood, leaving her dreamy, passive sister Mimi to languish at home. A brilliant social novel of lost innocence and the complex nature of family bonds, Family and Friends meticulously portrays the emotional cost of everyday life.
Editions of Family and Friends
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780517648964
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780224023375
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780394546162
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780679781646
- EBook
- ISBN 9780307826237
Read an Excerpt
In an ambitious departure from her usual form, Anita Brookner expands her canvas in Family and Friends to create a richly textured novel about the life of a wealthy Jewish family in London, focusing on the generation that came to maturity between the two World Wars.
Presiding over the Dorn household is the formidable Sofka, an elegant and circumspect widow who watches as her four children find their way into adulthood. Frederick, the sybaritic eldest son, escapes to the comforts of the Riviera while stern, dutiful Alfred runs the family business and burns with unrealized longings; Betty—pleasure-loving, vain, and selfish—makes her ambitious way from Paris to Hollywood, leaving her dreamy, passive sister Mimi to languish at home. A brilliant social novel of lost innocence and the complex nature of family bonds, Family and Friends meticulously portrays the emotional cost of everyday life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Family and Friends about?
In an ambitious departure from her usual form, Anita Brookner expands her canvas in Family and Friends to create a richly textured novel about the life of a wealthy Jewish family in London, focusing on the generation that came to maturity between the two World Wars.
Presiding over the Dorn household is the formidable Sofka, an elegant and circumspect widow who watches as her four children find their way into adulthood. Frederick, the sybaritic eldest son, escapes to the comforts of the Riviera while stern, dutiful Alfred runs the family business and burns with unrealized longings; Betty—pleasure-loving, vain, and selfish—makes her ambitious way from Paris to Hollywood, leaving her dreamy, passive sister Mimi to languish at home. A brilliant social novel of lost innocence and the complex nature of family bonds, Family and Friends meticulously portrays the emotional cost of everyday life.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Family and Friends?
Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre
Where can I read a sample of Family and Friends?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780517648964
Is Family and Friends part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Vintage Contemporaries
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Family and Friends?
Anita Brookner
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Family and Friends is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780517648964) and hardcover(ISBN 9780224023375) and hardcover(ISBN 9780394546162) and paperback(ISBN 9780679781646) and ebook(ISBN 9780307826237)
Where can I buy Family and Friends online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy Family and Friends?