Anita Shrieve's bitter novel All He Ever Wanted is a fascinating demonstration of the theory that old stories give new stories the bones from which they derive their power. There is a sense in which this is a reverse Bluebeard narrative--the quietly monstrous narrator Van Tassel is obsessed with taking possession of all the secret rooms in the heart of the woman he loves and cannot understand why secrets might be a good thing. Van Tassel is one of the best characters Shrieve has created--a fussy, pedantic man with a real capacity for passion and some genuine grievances with life, but lacking in some crucial ingredients of his moral compass. His love for his wife, Etna, and with the petty politics of the college where he is teaching, turn him steadily rancid, and it is only within the framing narrative that an older Van Tassel seems to be approaching a capacity for redemption. Part of the strength of the book is that Shrieve has understood the beginnings of the 20th century, not merely in terms of the surface details, but in the permissions the ideas of the time give those with small amounts of domestic power to behave badly. In the end, though, Van Tassel loses almost everything--if there is a weakness here, it is that Shrieve is so optimistic that, out of his reach and knowledge, Etna finds a contentment that Van Tassel's narrative cannot show us. (taken from Amazon U.K)

Taken from foxy's book box.

I'm going through an Anita Shreve phase at the moment... I've read 2 of hers and now have another 3 on Mount Toobie. Thanks for this Sterile, will get to it as soon as i can....

Just a quick update to say this book is still here :o) I came across it in a box of books that came out of storage that i unpacked today..... Will get to it as soon as i can :o)

Started reading this last night, only to discover that i have already! lol

Will make sure it gets passed on soon :o)

I dont often wild release books that have been given to me by other BCers, i try to find someone who has it on their wish list to send it to. I cant find anyone who wants this one though :o(

If you'd prefer me NOT to wild release it, just let me know :o)

RELEASE NOTES:

This book is going with me to the Cherry Tree Meet. If no one wants it, it'll probably stay there, on the OBCZ shelf :o)

Taken from the Cherry Tree meetup to release elsewhere.

Now available on the Official BookCrossing Zone bookshelf in the Kitchen Garden Cafe, York Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham.

If you have picked up this book, thank you for visiting the website (and the cafe!). Please take a moment to let us know you have the book, then post your review when you've read it, and pass it on to someone else. If you join, you'll be able to see what's happened to it afterwards - for ever!

This is no longer on the OBCZ shelf. Marking the book as travelling, pending a journal entry, in case anyone goes to look for it in the meantime.

If you have picked up this book, thank you for visiting the website (and the cafe!). Please take a moment to let us know you have the book, then post your review when you've read it, and pass it on to someone else. If you join, you'll be able to see what's happened to it afterwards - for ever!