Most Popular Books by Tom Perrotta

Unexpectedly suspenseful, but written with all the fluency and dark humor of Tom Perrotta''s The Wishbones and Joe College, Little Children exposes the adult dramas unfolding amidst the swingsets and slides of an ordinary American playground. Tom Perrotta''s thirty-ish parents of young children are a varied and surprising bunch. There''s Todd, the handsome stay-at-home dad dubbed "The Prom King" by the moms of the playground; Sarah, a lapsed feminist with a bisexual past, who seems to have stumbled into a traditional marriage; Richard, Sarah''s husband, who has found himself more and more involved with a fantasy life on the internet than with the flesh and blood in his own house; and Mary Ann, who thinks she has it all figured out, down to scheduling a weekly roll in the hay with her husband, every Tuesday at 9pm. They all raise their kids in the kind of sleepy American suburb where nothing ever seems to happen--at least until one eventful summer, when a convicted child molester moves back to town, and two restless parents begin an affair that goes further than either of them could have imagined. Perrotta received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for best screenplay for the film adaptation of Little Children, which was directed by Todd Field and starred Kate Winslet and Jennifer Connelly.

For Danny, a Yale junior and the sympathetic everyman hero of this novel, now in paperback, Spring Break means two weeks behind the wheel of the Roach Coach, his father''s lunch truck. Danny uses the time to make sense of his love life, which gets pretty complicated. A "New York Times" Notable Book of the Year.

"Tracy Flick is back and, once again, the iconic protagonist of Tom Perrotta''s Election-and Reese Witherspoon''s character from the classic movie adaptation-is determined to take high school politics by storm.Tracy Flick is a hardworking assistant principal at a public high school in suburban New Jersey. Still ambitious but feeling a little stuck and underappreciated in midlife, Tracy gets a jolt of good news when the longtime principal, Jack Weede, abruptly announces his retirement, creating a rare opportunity for Tracy to ascend to the top job. Energized by the prospect of her long-overdue promotion, Tracy throws herself into her work with renewed zeal, determined to prove her worth to the students, faculty, and School Board, while also managing her personal life-a ten-year-old daughter, a needy doctor boyfriend, and a burgeoning meditation practice. But nothing ever comes easily to Tracy Flick, no matter how diligent or qualified she happens to be. Among her many other responsibilities, Tracy is enlisted to serve on the Selection Committee for the brand-new Green Meadow High School Hall of Fame. Her male colleagues'' determination to honor Vito Falcone-a star quarterback of dubious character who had a brief, undistinguished career in the NFL-triggers bad memories for Tracy, and leads her to troubling reflections about the trajectory of her own life and the forces that have left her feeling thwarted and disappointed, unable to fulfill her true potential. As she broods on the past, Tracy becomes aware of storm clouds brewing in the present. Is she really a shoo-in for the Principal job? Is the Superintendent plotting against her? Why is the School Board President''s wife trying so hard to be her friend? And why can''t she ever get what she deserves? In classic Perrotta style, Tracy Flick Can''t Win is a sharp, darkly comic page-turner, and a pitch-perfect reflection on our current moment. Flick fans and newcomers alike will love this compulsively readable novel chronicling the second act of one of the most memorable characters of our time"--

From the New York Times–bestselling author of The Leftovers: “Darkly tender, simply written tales about growing up in the Garden State in the 1970s.” —The New York Times Book Review The ten rich stories here span from 1969 to 1980 and are linked by a single protagonist: Buddy, an adolescent suburban New Jersey boy who is truly seeing his world for the first time and already finding it both mysterious and lacking. Whether he’s discovering that his mother actually knows—and has a history with—the man inside the battered foam hot dog costume; feeling the first glimmer that sex might actually be possible for him; or finding himself swept along on a prank gone very wrong, Buddy is a recognizable and relatable American boy in this collection by the author of Tracy Flick Can’t Win, Mrs. Fletcher, and The Abstinence Teacher, among other novels. Bad Haircut explores the themes that have fascinated Perrotta throughout his career: suburban rituals and mores; sports and religion; the cheerful cheesiness of American consumer life; public tests of manliness; and the moral dilemmas faced by ordinary people, parents, and teenagers alike. “So sharp and sure in its description of growing up . . . Because this set of stories, like those of J.D. Salinger, are so based in the kind of truth that spans generations, no reference to a particular decade is needed.” —Hartford Courant “More powerful than any coming-of-age novel I’ve read recently.” —The Washington Post “[These] well-made, unpretentious stories are as tight as brick bungalows, plain and serviceable on the outside, radiant within, full of life’s sorrow and wonder.” —Booklist

The new collection from the New York Times bestselling author of The Leftovers and Little Children, featuring stories focusing on Perrotta''s familiar suburban nuclear families. Tom Perrotta’s first book, Bad Haircut, consisted of linked stories featuring a shared protagonist. Now, nineteen years later, he has written and compiled his first true short story collection. This twelve story collection features a group set in Perrotta’s trademark suburban setting, focusing on the fissures in families and unexpected connections among members of typical American communities, including “Senior Season” and "Nine Inches." Other offerings showcase Perrotta''s assured, smooth writing, but many may surprise fans with new protagonists and concerns. One of these twistier stories is “The Smile on Happy Chang’s Face,” which was the Boston Book Festival’s first all-city One City, One Story selection in 2010. Following up on his dramatic and bestselling novel The Leftovers, which is being developed by HBO as a series, Nine Inches is a varied and interesting book from one of our most thoughtful and elegant writers.

With heart, intelligence and a rare ability to illuminate the struggles inherent in ordinary lives, Tom Perrotta''s The Leftovers—now adapted into an HBO series—is a startling, thought-provoking novel about love, connection and loss. What if—whoosh, right now, with no explanation—a number of us simply vanished? Would some of us collapse? Would others of us go on, one foot in front of the other, as we did before the world turned upside down? That''s what the bewildered citizens of Mapleton, who lost many of their neighbors, friends and lovers in the event known as the Sudden Departure, have to figure out. Because nothing has been the same since it happened—not marriages, not friendships, not even the relationships between parents and children. Kevin Garvey, Mapleton''s new mayor, wants to speed up the healing process, to bring a sense of renewed hope and purpose to his traumatized community. Kevin''s own family has fallen apart in the wake of the disaster: his wife, Laurie, has left to join the Guilty Remnant, a homegrown cult whose members take a vow of silence; his son, Tom, is gone, too, dropping out of college to follow a sketchy prophet named Holy Wayne. Only Kevin''s teenaged daughter, Jill, remains, and she''s definitely not the sweet "A" student she used to be. Kevin wants to help her, but he''s distracted by his growing relationship with Nora Durst, a woman who lost her entire family on October 14th and is still reeling from the tragedy, even as she struggles to move beyond it and make a new start. A New York Times Notable Book for 2011 A Washington Post Notable Fiction Book for 2011 A USA Today 10 Books We Loved Reading in 2011 Title One of NPR''s 10 Best Novels of 2011

The story, Grade My Teacher, set at and around small-town Gifford High School, explores favorite themes of bestselling author Tom Perrotta''s, who TIME magazine called the "Steinbeck of surburbia." The public and private self-images of a high school math teacher uncomfortably collide when she has a coffee date with a student who has posted negative comments about her on grademyteacher.com

"Eve Fletcher is trying to figure out what comes next. A forty-six-year-old divorcaee whose beloved only child has just left for college, Eve is struggling to adjust to her empty nest when one night her phone lights up with a text message. Sent from an anonymous number, the mysterious sender tells Eve, ''U R my MILF!'' Over the months that follow, that message comes to obsess Eve. While leading her all-too-placid life--serving as Executive Director of the local senior center by day and taking a community college course on Gender and Society at night--Eve can''t curtail her own interest in a porn website called MILFateria.com, which features the erotic exploits of ordinary, middle-aged women like herself"--

The Abstinence Teacher illuminates the powerful emotions that run beneath the placid surface of modern American family life, and explores the complicated spiritual and sexual lives of ordinary people. It is elegantly and simply written, characterized by the distinctive mix of satire and compassion that has become Tom Perrotta''s trademark. Stonewood Heights is the perfect place to raise children: it''s got good schools, solid values and a healthy real estate market. Parents in the town are involved in their children''s lives, and often in other children''s lives, too—coaching sports, driving carpool, focusing on enriching experiences. Ruth Ramsey is the high school human sexuality teacher whose openness is not appreciated by all her students—or their parents. Her daughter''s soccer coach is Tim Mason, a former stoner and rocker whose response to hitting rock bottom was to reach out and be saved. Tim''s introduction of Christianity on the playing field horrifies Ruth, while his evangelical church sees a useful target in the loose-lipped sex ed teacher. But when these two adversaries in a small-town culture war actually talk to each other, a surprising friendship begins to develop.

Donation.

A glimpse into parallel lives in a suburban town Tom Perrotta has made recognizably in his bestselling novels like Election, Little Children, and this fall''s The Leftovers. Clay wouldn''t have said his life was defined by his place on the high school football team''s roster, but when he''s sidelined by injury, everything, including his sense of self, seems different. And it''s not just that his concussion was bad enough to cause his parents and doctors to worry, to make him have trouble concentrating. It''s that he''s seeing the previously familiar people in his world—from his girlfriend Megan to his geriatric neighbor Mrs. Scotto—from a new perspective. Perrotta''s warmth and ability to describe the dramatic moments in the average lives of characters of every age are perfectly presented in "Senior Season", a story that will add a layer to fans'' pleasure in this author''s themes and concerns. This e-book also includes an excerpt of The Leftovers.

New York Times bestseller! Now a major Sky/HBO TV series From the bestselling author of The Leftovers and Little Children comes a penetrating and hilarious new novel about sex, love, and identity on the frontlines of America''s culture wars. Eve Fletcher is trying to figure out what comes next. A forty-six-year-old divorcee whose beloved only child has just left for college, Eve is struggling to adjust to her empty nest when one night her phone lights up with a text message. Sent from an anonymous number, the mysterious sender tells Eve, "U R my MILF!" Over the months that follow, that message comes to obsess Eve. While leading her all-too-placid life-serving as Executive Director of the local senior center by day and taking a community college course on Gender and Society at night-Eve can''t curtail her own interest in a porn website called MILFateria.com, which features the erotic exploits of ordinary, middle-aged women like herself. Before long, Eve''s online fixations begin to spill over into real life, revealing new romantic possibilities that threaten to upend her quiet suburban existence. Meanwhile, miles away at the state college, Eve''s son Brendan-a jock and aspiring frat boy-discovers that his new campus isn''t nearly as welcoming to his hard-partying lifestyle as he had imagined. Only a few weeks into his freshman year, Brendan is floundering in a college environment that challenges his white-dude privilege and shames him for his outmoded, chauvinistic ideas of sex. As the New England autumn turns cold, both mother and son find themselves enmeshed in morally fraught situations that come to a head on one fateful November night. Sharp, witty, and provocative, Mrs. Fletcher is a timeless examination of sexuality, identity, parenthood, and the big clarifying mistakes people can make when they''re no longer sure of who they are or where they belong.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Leftovers and Tracy Flick Can''t Win comes a darkly hilarious novel about a high school election that brings out the worst in everyone—the basis for the film starring Reese Witherspoon! Tracy Flick wants to be President of Winwood High. She’s one of those ambitious girls who finds time to do it all: edit the yearbook, star in the musical, sleep with her English teacher. But another teacher, staunch idealist Jim McAllister, aka “Mr. M.,” thinks the students deserve better. So he persuades Paul Warren—a well-liked, good-hearted jock—to throw in his hat. But that puts Paul’s sister Tammy in a snit. So she runs too, on an apathy platform, before starting a real campaign...to get herself kicked out of school. The idea was to educate the students at this suburban New Jersey school in the democratic process and the American way. But with all the sex scandals, smear campaigns, and behind-the-scenes power brokers at Winwood High, it doesn’t look as if they need any lessons....

From New York Times bestselling author Tom Perrotta, hailed by critics as “the Steinbeck of Suburbia” (Time), “our Balzac of the burbs” (Chicago Sun-Times), and “an American Chekhov” (The New York Times), comes a gripping and darkly nostalgic tale about a tumultuous summer in 1970s suburban New Jersey, from the perspective of a middle-aged writer, looking back on a series of events that changed his life—and the story he finally has the courage to tell. Jimmy Perrini lives in 1970s suburban New Jersey, a few miles from Manhattan, but a world apart. At the end of eighth grade, after tragedy strikes, Jimmy finds himself lost in a fog of grief that alienates him from friends and family, drifting instead into troubling friendships with two older teenagers: one a notorious local burnout with a fast car, an endless supply of weed, and a shaky grasp of reality; the other a smart, eccentric girl, whom Jimmy finds himself drawn to as they become entranced by her Ouija board, which may just offer the only salve to their grief. As a fateful public drama unfolds, Jimmy is torn between the occult beyond and the cold realities of the place he has called home. Narrated by a much older Jimmy, a literary-turned-commercial novelist, Ghost Town reveals how the past haunts the present—the way our ghosts are always with us, even when we think we’ve left them behind.

Following in the footsteps of the late great Lester Bangs -- the most revered and irreverent of rock ''n'' roll critics -- twenty-four celebrated writers have penned stories inspired by great songs. Just as Bangs cast new light on a Rod Stewart classic with his story "Maggie May," about a wholly unexpected connection between an impressionable young man and an aging, alcoholic hooker, the diverse, electrifying stories here use songs as a springboard for a form dubbed the lit riff. Alongside Bangs''s classic work, you''ll find stories by J.T. LeRoy, who puts a recovering teenage drug abuser in a dentist''s chair with nothing but the Foo Fighters''s "Everlong" -- blaring through the P.A. -- to fight the pain; Jonathan Lethem, whose narrator looks back on his lost innocence just as an extramarital affair careens to an end -- this to the tune "Speeding Motorcycle" as recorded by Yo La Tengo; and Jennifer Belle, who envisions a prequel to Paul Simon''s "Graceland" -- one that takes place at a children''s birthday party replete with a real live kangaroo. With original contributions from Tom Perrotta, Nelson George, Amanda Davis, Lisa Tucker, Aimee Bender, Darin Strauss, and many more -- riffing on everyone from Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen to the White Stripes, Cat Power, and Bob Marley -- this is both an astounding collection of short stories and an extraordinary experiment in words and music. Soundtrack available from Saturation Acres Music & Recording Co.

Eve Fletcher está inquieta. Divorciada e com quarenta e seis anos, ela precisa aprender a lidar com sua nova e solitária vida quando seu único filho sai definitivamente de casa para a faculdade. Uma noite, seu telefone acende com uma mensagem de texto. Enviada de um número anônimo, o misterioso remetente diz: "Vc é minha MILF!" Não é nada - apenas uma brincadeira irritante - mas ela não consegue tirar isso da cabeça. Conforme Eve faz novos amigos e se inscreve em um curso de Estudos de Gênero, a mensagem continua a assombrá-la, levando-a a uma fixação online que ameaça derrubar sua tranquila existência suburbana. Enquanto isso, o filho de Eve, Brendan, está descobrindo que o charme de garoto-da-faculdade que impressiona as meninas do ensino médio pode não ser tão atraente para as universitárias. Cada vez mais isolado e com notas medíocres, Brendan luta para se adaptar a um campus nada tolerante seus privilégios de homem branco. À medida que o outono se torna frio, tanto mãe quanto filho encontram-se enredados em situações moralmente carregadas que vêm à tona em uma fatídica noite de novembro. Sra. Fletcher é uma análise atemporal da sexualidade, identidade, maternidade e dos grandes erros que as pessoas podem cometer quando não têm mais certeza de quem são – ou a onde pertencem.

Un événement inexpliqué, le " Ravissement ", a provoqué la soudaine disparition de millions de personnes dans le monde. Même s''ils n''ont pas été touchés directement, Kevin, jeune et riche retraité, sa femme Laurie et leurs deux enfants, Tom et Jill, se débattent pour retrouver un sens à leur vie. Laurie part rejoindre une secte de " pénitents ", Kevin devient maire de leur bourgade du Midwest, Tom rejoint lui aussi un groupe d''illuminés, tandis que Jill, autrefois lycéenne modèle, se livre à tous les excès. Une chronique à la fois décapante et intimiste d''une famille américaine moyenne après un traumatisme qui les dépasse.

Eve Fletcher es una mujer divorciada de poco más de cuarenta años que vive en una tranquila ciudad de Nueva Jersey. Ahora que su hijo se acaba de ir de casa para empezar la universidad piensa que ha llegado el momento de dedicarse un poco más a sí misma, de aprovechar todo el tiempo que tiene a su disposición. Eve se apuntará a un curso universitario sobre «género y sociedad», donde conocerá a gente de lo más variopinta, se obligará a cultivar nuevas amistades, descubrirá la pornografía en internet y las aplicaciones de citas, y hará cosas que meses atrás le hubieran parecido inconcebibles. Mientras, Brendan, su hijo, se dará cuenta de que su idea de lo que sería la peripecia universitaria estaba completamente obsoleta y de que la vida en el campus está muy lejos de los estereotipos que había imaginado. En esta novela, Tom Perrotta -uno de los escritores norteamericanos con más talento para captar la plácida existencia suburbana- construye una divertidísima sátira sobre la vida actual, un certero e ingenioso fresco sobre el sexo, el amor y la identidad en el siglo XXI. «Divertido y profundamente conmovedor. Un autor que ha llegado para quedarse.» Tobias Wolff «Un cuadro realista, bastante colorido, sobre los vericuetos del amor, el sexo y la identidad en la era que nos ha tocado vivir.» Diego Gándara (La Razón) «La señora Fletcher engancha desde la primera línea.» Laura Revuelta (ABC Cultural) «Una novela distinta en la que la prohibido cohabita con lo rutinario sin que ambos antagonistas piensen nunca en hacerse daño.» Sonia Fides (Heraldo de Aragón) «Perrotta imbuye a sus personajes de un aura de ternura que los hace empáticos para el lector. Sus cortejos y escaramuzas con el sexo ajeno [...] moldean episodios cuya lectura cuesta interrumpir.» Iñigo Urrutia (El Diario Vasco) «La historia se devora porque es divertida y porque las andanzas de la protagonista y resto de personajes se describen de una forma ágil que incita a leer la siguiente página.» Mariola Riera (La Nueva España) «Ningún escritor narra tan bien como Perrotta ese terremoto a punto de tener lugar bajo tierra mientras en la superficie reina la calma.» Guillermo Alonso (ICON) «Una novela que se lee fácil, lo que no significa que una novela así sea fácil de hacer. Perrotta no desperdicia una palabra. Cada línea engrandece hasta el punto del mito el retrato de un personaje reconocible, la divorciada señora Fletcher.» Juan Manuel Freire (Rockdeluxe) «Definida por los críticos estadounidenses como una sátira atrevida y chocante, el lector descubrirá en Eve Fletcher a un personaje atractivo al que querrá acompañar en este descubrimiento de actividades que no pensaría que podría realizar.» E.S. (Pérgola) «Perrotta ha sido siempre un escritor inteligente y atrevido, autor de unas sátiras descacharrantes en las que te sorprende también con emoción genuina. Abróchense los cinturones y déjense llevar, La señora Fletcher es una auténtica locura.» Richard Russo «Seguramente no leerás nunca una novela tan dulce y encantadora sobre la adicción a la pornografía y las angustias del sexo.» The New York Times Book Review

Nick Hornby nel suo ultimo Shakespeare scriveva per soldi dedica a Perrotta quasi un capitolo definendolo uno scrittore intelligente e umano con una grande presa sul reale. E scrive: “Il fatto che superato l’iniziale turbamento abbia divorato il libro (...) è indicativo dell’ammirazione che nutro per Perrotta e di quanto mi interessi quel che ha da dire sugli aspetti degli Stati Uniti che qui da noi sconcertano di più. Va da sé che il paragone mi lusinga immensamente: L’insegnante di astinenza sessuale è un romanzo intelligente divertente riflessivo e partecipe”. Con Intrigo scolastico Perrotta ci riporta nel mondo della scuola e di quella democrazia americana capace a sorpresa di produrre un Barack Obama. Nel liceo di Winwood è tempo di nominare il rappresentante di istituto una forma di democrazia in provetta. Perrotta ci racconta lo scontro tra l’ambiziosa e ambigua Tracy Flick pronta a tutto pur di vincere le elezioni e Paul Warren il popolare atleta del liceo. Lo scontro si farà ancor più intenso con la sorprendente candidatura di Tammy la sorella di Paul outsider nella corsa al voto e nella vita che oltre ai problemi tipici dell’adolescenza fatica a gestire e a vivere la propria omosessualità. Dopo il successo dell’Insegnante di astinenza sessuale Tom Perrotta ci riporta nel mondo della provincia americana che con le sue storie sentimenti e personaggi rappresenta lo specchio di un intero popolo.

Una divertida reflexión sobre la ambición, la edad adulta y las complejidades del mundo de hoy. Tracy Flick es la esforzada subdirectora de un instituto público en una tranquila y pequeña ciudad de Nueva Jersey. A sus cuarenta años, lleva una vida apacible y, aunque su ambición es menor que en su juventud, cuando surge la oportunidad de convertirse en la próxima directora del centro, Tracy lo tiene claro: ha llegado el momento de demostrar lo que vale. Pero las cosas se complican al entrar a formar parte del comité de selección para el recién estrenado Salón de la Fama del instituto. El empeño de sus compañeros en homenajear a Vito Falcone, un mediocre quarterback de dudosa reputación, la sitúa en una posición comprometida. Tom Perrotta –que ha sido calificado como un «Balzac de los suburbios» o un «Chéjov americano»– se muestra de nuevo como uno de los más atentos cronistas de la Norteamérica suburbana en esta novela, una divertida y afilada sátira sobre la ambición y sus reveses que indaga en los profundos cambios de paradigma que se han producido en las sociedades occidentales en los últimos veinte años. «Tom Perrotta escribe con el oído de un escritor satírico y el corazón de un romántico.» Jennifer Egan «Contada con agudo ingenio, sabiduría y una exquisita perspectiva sobre la locura humana típica de Perrotta.» Esquire «Perrotta ha sido siempre un escritor inteligente y atrevido, autor de unas sátiras descacharrantes en las que te sorprende también con emoción genuina.» Richard Russo «A Tom Perrotta hay que considerarlo como uno de nuestros grandes genios de la sátira.» Dennis Lehane «Con gran intensidad lírica y polifónica, Perrotta plantea una pregunta a la clase: ¿Qué hemos aprendido?» Katy Waldman (The New Yorker) «Parece mentira, pero Tom Perrotta siempre va un paso por delante. Quizá porque en sus novelas hace un retrato sagaz de las miserias cotidianas del ser humano o tal vez porque toca temas de los cuales se discutirá en los años siguientes, el autor estadounidense se ha convertido en uno de los novelistas que mejor capta los vaivenes del mundo actual.» Diego Gándara (La Razón) «La novela pone en tela de juicio la cultura del éxito y ese heroísmo tan americano.» Philipp Engel (El Mundo)

Tu es ma MILF! Ce bref et mystérieux sms surgissant de nulle part va bouleverser la vie d''Eve Fletcher. À 46 ans, divorcée, mère banlieusarde d''un fils sur le point de quitter le nid parental, elle se demande si le meilleur de sa vie n''est pas déjà derrière elle, et voilà qu''elle est la MILF d''un inconnu. Elle, une MILF ! Sans doute une erreur de destinataire car qui peut bien lui déclarer aussi délicatement sa flamme? L''incompréhension n''empêche pas de se renseigner, et Eve commence à surfer sur les sites qui recensent les exploits sexuels des femmes de son âge, lesquelles ne s''interdisent plus rien. Ce sms aura un effet libérateur sur Eve qui, loin de rester spectatrice, va bientôt se retrouver empêtrée dans des situations inédites et moralement tendues qu''elle assume, pour le pire et qui sait... le meilleur !

Wo sind all die Menschen hin? Was passiert, wenn die Apokalypse plötzlich eintritt und Millionen von Menschen von der Erde verschwinden? Wie gehen die Zurückgelassenen mit der veränderten Welt um, in der plötzlich Nachbarn, Freunde, Verwandte und Geliebte fehlen, ihr Leben aber gnadenlos weitergeht? Der Bestseller von Tom Perrotta ist die Romanvorlage zur HBO-TV-Serie The Leftovers, die von Damon Lindelof (Lost) verfilmt wurde. Was wäre, wenn einige von uns – einfach so, ohne Erklärung – verschwinden würden? Würden wir Zurückgebliebenen an das Jüngste Gericht, an die Entrückung glauben? Würden wir den Verstand verlieren? Oder würden wir einfach so weitermachen, als wäre nichts geschehen? Diese Fragen müssen sich die ratlosen Einwohner des beschaulichen Vororts Mapleton stellen. Kevin Garvey will wieder Ordnung in sein Leben bringen, obwohl das Phänomen, das inzwischen als »Plötzlicher Fortgang« bezeichnet wird, seine Familie zerstört hat: Seine Frau Laurie hat sich einem Kult angeschlossen, der sich »Der Schuldige Rest« nennt, sein Sohn hat das College abgebrochen, um einem zwielichtigen »Propheten« namens Holy Wayne und seiner Bewegung der »Heilenden Umarmung« nachzufolgen. Nur Kevins Tochter ist bei ihm geblieben, doch der Teenager kapselt sich seit jenem 14. Oktober zunehmend ab und verliert den Bezug zur Realität.

Het is burgerlijkheid ten top in het buurtje waar de families van Richard, Todd en Larry wonen. De vrouw van Richard, Sarah, was ooit zeer feministisch maar is nu een typische huismoeder geworden. Todd is de hunk uit de straat en krijgt veel aandacht van de naburige huisvrouwen. Niets mis met het huisvader bestaan volgens Todd! Mary Ann, de vrouw van Larry, is een voorbeeldige huisvrouw en heeft netjes iedere dinsdagavond seks met haar man. Maar de keurige leventjes met dagelijkse beslommeringen komen op hun kop te staan wanneer een vrijgekomen pedofiel in de wijk komt wonen. Ook het gezinsleven wordt drastisch anders nadat twee ouders een liefdesverhouding zijn begonnen. In ‘Brave huisvaders’ weet Perrotta op komische wijze de kommer en kwel te verwoorden van burgerlijke gezinnetjes. Tom Perrotta (1961) is een gerenommeerde schrijver en scenarioschrijver uit de Verenigde Staten. Hij is vooral bekend door zijn romans ‘Election’ (1998), ‘Brave huisvaders’ (2006), ‘The Leftovers’ (2015) en ‘Lessen in onthouding’ (2007). ‘Election’ is in 1999 verfilmd met niemand minder dan Matthew Broderick en Reese Witherspoon in de hoofdrollen. Ook ‘Little Children’ is verfilmd in 2006 met als hoofdrollen de actrices Kate Winslet en Jennifer Connelly. Perrotta heeft hiervoor een Golden Globe gekregen en was genomineerd voor een Academy Award. ‘The Leftovers’ is uitgebracht als serie op HBO waar Perrotta zelf aan meewerkte.

"Od 30 czerwca na ekranach HBO serial na motywach powieści z Liv Tyler i Justinem Theroux w rolach głównych, wyprodukowany przez Damona Lindelofa, laureata Emmy za serial „Lost: Zagubieni”, oraz Toma Perrottę, nominowanego do Oscara za „Małe dzieci”. „Ta książka to, mówiąc najprościej, najlepszy odcinek »Strefy mroku«, którego nigdy nie obejrzałeś”. Stephen King Co się stanie, gdy nagle znikną tysiące ludzi? Znikną tak po prostu, nie wydarzy się katastrofa, nie będzie żadnego wypadku ani mordercy-szaleńca? Jak poradzą sobie z tym ci, którzy pozostali? Trzy lata po tajemniczym zniknięciu dwóch procent ludzkości, mieszkańcy Mapleton muszą odnaleźć się w świecie pogrążonym w żałobie. Pogodzić się z utratą ukochanych, sąsiadów, przyjaciół. Nowy burmistrz, Kevin Garvey próbuje tchnąć w nich ducha walki i nową nadzieję, choć również jego własna rodzina rozpadła w wyniku tragicznych zdarzeń. Jego żona złożyła śluby milczenia i dołączyła do sekty religijnych fanatyków, syn rzucił studia i podążył za samozwańczym prorokiem, a córka w niczym już nie przypomina dawnej pilnej uczennicy."

Especie de paraíso en tecnicolor, los apacibles barrios residenciales norteamericanos son el escenario propicio donde se teje la trama de esta hilarante historia de vicios privados y públicas virtudes. Su autor, descrito como «un Chejov americano» por The New York Times Book Review, se encuentra sin duda entre los más interesantes novelistas de la actualidad, y al éxito del libro se ha añadido el de su reciente versión cinematográfica, Little Children, candidata a varios oscars. En un microcosmos de sospechosa felicidad, donde nunca ocurre nada grave y los días se funden unos con otros como «ceras de colores en una bolsa de plástico olvidada al sol», los idílicos hogares son el caldo de cultivo del tedio y la frustración, un entorno del cual no pocos sueñan con escapar. Por ejemplo Sarah, atrapada en su papel de madre y esposa, situación que nunca hubiera imaginado pocos años atrás, mientras preparaba su doctorado. O Todd, padre moderno y excitante icono entre las aburridas madres del parque, que se ocupa de su hijo de tres años mientras su mujer se dedica a producir documentales. Cuando la corriente eléctrica fluye inconteniblemente entre ambos,el frágil equilibrio de la comunidad se tambalea. Y por si no fuera suficiente, la llegada del inquietante Ronnie, que vuelve a casa de su madre tras cumplir condena por exhibicionismo, altera definitivamente la paz de este plácido enclave. Los miedos y obsesiones salen a la luz, poniendo de relieve el contraste entre el discurso público y la miríada de traiciones y deslealtades que contaminan las relaciones de los mismos personajes en la esfera privada. Con una feliz combinación de humor y dramatismo, el autor ha conseguido plasmar, mediante las distintas voces de los personajes y con una objetividad quirúrgica, una sátira tan devastadora como llena de compasión sobre el silencio chirriante de un mundo perfecto.

Exercer le métier de professeur d''éducation sexuelle dans la ville de Stonewood Heights relève du sacerdoce. La très traditionaliste Église du Tabernacle ne tolère aucune entorse à la morale. Ruth Ramsey, divorcée et mère de deux filles, se voit donc obligée de revoir ses méthodes pédagogiques quelque peu... originales. Heureusement, Ruth n''a pas dit son dernier mot!

O que aconteceria se, de repente, sem nenhuma explicação, pessoas simplesmente desaparecessem, sumissem no ar? É o que os perplexos moradores de Mapleton, que perderam muitos vizinhos, amigos e companheiros no evento conhecido como Partida Repentina, precisam descobrir.Desde o ocorrido nada mais está do mesmo jeito — nem casamentos, nem amizades, nem mesmo o relacionamento entre pais e filhos. O prefeito da cidade, Kevin Garvey, quer acelerar o processo de cura, trazer um sentimento de esperanças renovadas e propósito para sua comunidade traumatizada. Ainda que sua família tenha sido desfeita com o desastre: sua esposa o deixou para se juntar a um culto cujos membros fazem voto de silêncio; seu filho, Tom, abandonou a faculdade para seguir um profeta duvidoso chamado Santo Wayne; e sua filha adolescente, Jill, não é mais a dócil estudante nota dez que costumava ser. Em meio a tudo isso, Kevin ainda se vê envolvido com Nora Durst, uma mulher que perdeu toda a sua família no 14 de Outubro e continua chocada com a tragédia, apesar de se esforçar para seguir adiante e recomeçar a vida.Com emoção, inteligência e uma rara habilidade para enfatizar os problemas inerentes à vida comum, Tom Perrotta escreve um romance impressionante e provocativo sobre amor, conexão e perda.

Os personagens que o autor criou para seu romance são homens e mulheres na faixa dos trinta anos, pais de filhos pequenos, cujas vidas previsíveis os tornam extremamente vulneráveis a qualquer elemento inesperado. Há Todd, o pai bonitão que não trabalha fora e foi apelidado de ''Rei do Baile de Formatura'' pelas mães do parquinho, e sua mulher, Kathy, cineasta que faz documentários e inveja a relação que Todd conseguiu estabelecer com o filho. Há Sarah, uma feminista decadente surpresa ao constatar que se tornou uma esposa típica num casamento tradicional, e seu marido, Richard, que se torna cada vez mais envolvido com uma vida de fantasia na internet do que com sua própria mulher e filha. E há ainda Mary Ann, que tem toda sua vida organizada, incluindo o sexo com o marido, agendado para as terças às nove da noite. Todos criam seus filhos na tranqüilidade de um típico subúrbio americano rico, onde nada jamais parece acontecer - até que um pedófilo recém-libertado da prisão volta para a cidade e espelha uma onde de paranóia pelo bairro. Ao mesmo tempo, Sarah e Todd começam um caso extraconjugal que vai além do que qualquer um dos dois teria imaginado.