{"product_id":"the-martins-9781805333654","title":"The Martins","description":"\u003cb\u003eA wryly funny story about a struggling Parisian writer who finds the heroine of his next novel right outside his apartment \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Foenkinos is at his best in this playful novel\" -- \u003ci\u003eElle\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A charming, clever book\" -- \u003ci\u003eThe Independent\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eIs it true that every life is the stuff of novels? Or are some people just too ordinary?\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis is the question a struggling Parisian writer asks when he challenges himself to write about the first person he sees when he steps outside his apartment. Secretly hoping to meet the beautiful woman who occasionally smokes on his street, he instead sets eyes on octogenarian Madeleine. She's happy to become the subject of his project, but first she needs to put her shopping away. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIs it really true, the writer wonders, that every life is the stuff of novels, or is his story doomed to be hopelessly banal? As he gets to know Madeleine and her family, he'll be privy to their secrets: lost loves, marital problems and workplace worries. And he'll soon realise he is not the impartial bystander he intended to be, but a catalyst for major changes in the lives of his characters. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTold with Foenkinos's characteristic irony and self-deprecating humour, yet filled with warmth, \u003ci\u003eThe Martins\u003c\/i\u003e is a compelling tale of the family next door which raises questions about what it means to be 'ordinary', and about the blurred lines between truth and fiction. Light yet profound, it's another deeply charming story by this beloved French author.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDavid Foenkinos\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of 17 novels which have been translated into 40 languages. His novel \u003ci\u003eDelicacy\u003c\/i\u003e was made into a film starring Audrey Tautou (2011). He received the 2014 Prix Renaudot and Prix Goncourt des Lycéens for \u003ci\u003eCharlotte\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eSam Taylor \u003c\/b\u003eis the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Republic of Trees\u003c\/i\u003e (2005), \u003ci\u003eThe Amnesiac\u003c\/i\u003e (2007), \u003ci\u003eThe Island at the End of the World\u003c\/i\u003e (2009), \u003ci\u003eThe Ground is Burning\u003c\/i\u003e (2011), all published by Faber and Faber. Sam's translations include award-winning \u003ci\u003eHHhH\u003c\/i\u003e (2012), \u003ci\u003eThe Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair\u003c\/i\u003e (2014) and \u003ci\u003eThe Heart\u003c\/i\u003e (2017).\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Pushkin Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51676284944658,"sku":"9781805333654","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_49c1df2b-9e12-4ad0-96a1-f8ce7a310098.jpg?v=1761052424","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-martins-9781805333654","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}