{"title":"Elizabeth Taylor","description":"\u003cp\u003eWelcome to our collection featuring the works of the distinguished British author, Elizabeth Taylor. Known for her keen observations and nuanced portrayals of everyday life, Taylor is a master of subtlety and elegance in her writing. Within this category, you'll discover some of her most celebrated novels, each offering a profound exploration of human relationships and societal norms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Game of Hide and Seek\u003c\/em\u003e delves into the complexities of love and the passage of time, capturing the tender yet bittersweet essence of unfulfilled desires. \u003cem\u003eAt Mrs Lippincote's\u003c\/em\u003e presents a sharp and witty examination of post-war life, highlighting themes of camaraderie and the clash of personal and societal expectations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eA View of the Harbour\u003c\/em\u003e, Taylor paints a vivid picture of a coastal community's intricate human dynamics, portraying the intertwined lives of its inhabitants with depth and empathy. Finally, \u003cem\u003eMrs Palfrey at the Claremont\u003c\/em\u003e is a poignant and often humorous portrayal of ageing and friendship, focusing on the life of an elderly widow navigating her twilight years in a residential hotel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEach of Taylor's novels in this collection offers a rich tapestry of character and introspection, making her an enduring favourite among lovers of general fiction. Dive into these storytelling gems and experience the timeless brilliance of Elizabeth Taylor's literary artistry.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"a-game-of-hide-and-seek-by-elizabeth-taylor-9781844086191","title":"A Game Of Hide And Seek","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Her stories remain with one, indelibly, as though they had been some turning-point in one's own experience'\u003c\/b\u003e - Elizabeth Bowen, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Heat of the Day\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIntelligent and haunting, with echoes of \u003ci\u003eBrief Encounter\u003c\/i\u003e, this is a love story by one of the best British writers of the 20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDuring summer games of hide and seek, Harriet falls in love with Vesey and his elusive, teasing ways. When he goes to Oxford, she cherishes his photograph and waits for a letter that never comes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYears pass and Harriet stifles her dreams; with a husband and daughter, she excels at respectability. But then Vesey reappears and her marriage seems to melt away. Harriet is older, it is much too late, but she is still in love with him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46710391374060,"sku":"9781844086191","price":29.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/15675153482844.jpg?v=1754138343"},{"product_id":"at-mrs-lippincotes-by-elizabeth-taylor-9781844083091","title":"At Mrs Lippincote's","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe debut novel from Elizabeth Taylor - shortlisted for the Booker Prize\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003ci\u003eMrs Lippincote's\u003c\/i\u003e house, with its mahogany furniture and yellowing photographs, stands as a reminder of all the certainties that have vanished with the advent of war. Temporarily, this is home for Julia, who has joined her husband Roddy at the behest of the RAF.\n\nAlthough she can accept the pomposities of service life, Julia's honesty and sense of humour prevent her from taking her role as seriously as her husband, that leader of men, might wish; for Roddy, merely love cannot suffice - he needs homage as well as admiration. And Julia, while she may be a most unsatisfactory officer's wife, is certainly no hypocrite.\n\n'Her stories remain with one, indelibly, as though they had been some turning-point in one's own experience' \u003cb\u003eElizabeth Bowen\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n'No writer has described the English middle classes with more gently devastating accuracy' \u003cb\u003eRebecca Abrams, \u003ci\u003eSpectator\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003e'A Game of Hide and Seek showcases much of what makes Taylor a great novelist: piercing insight, a keen wit and a genuine sense of feeling for her characters' \u003cb\u003eElizabeth Day, \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46710884925676,"sku":"9781844083091","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/15644153482844.jpg?v=1754163375"},{"product_id":"a-view-of-the-harbour-by-elizabeth-taylor-9780349010304","title":"A View Of The Harbour","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eINTRODUCED BY SARAH WATERS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Every one of her books is a treat and this is my favourite, because of its wonderful cast of characters, and because of the deftness with which Taylor's narrative moves between them ... A wonderful writer' SARAH WATERS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Her stories remain with one, indelibly, as though they had been some turning-point in one's own experience' ELIZABETH BOWEN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the faded coastal village of Newby, everyone looks out for - and in on - each other, and beneath the deceptively sleepy exterior, passions run high.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBeautiful divorcée Tory is painfully involved with her neighbour, Robert, while his wife Beth, Tory's best friend, is consumed by the worlds she creates in her novels, oblivious to the relationship developing next door. Their daughter Prudence is aware, however, and is appalled by the treachery she observes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMrs Bracey, an invalid whose grasp on life is slipping, forever peers from her window, constantly prodding her daughters for news of the outside world. And Lily Wilson, a lonely young widow, is frightened of her own home. Into their lives steps Bertram, a retired naval officer with the unfortunate capacity to inflict lasting damage while trying to do good.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBooks included in the VMC 40th anniversary series include: \u003ci\u003eFrost in May\u003c\/i\u003e by Antonia White; \u003ci\u003eThe Collected Stories of Grace Paley\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eFire from Heaven\u003c\/i\u003e by Mary Renault; \u003ci\u003eThe Magic Toyshop\u003c\/i\u003e by Angela Carter; \u003ci\u003eThe Weather in the Streets\u003c\/i\u003e by Rosamond Lehmann; \u003ci\u003eDeep Water\u003c\/i\u003e by Patricia Highsmith; \u003ci\u003eThe Return of the Soldier\u003c\/i\u003e by Rebecca West; \u003ci\u003eTheir Eyes Were Watching God\u003c\/i\u003e by Zora Neale Hurston; \u003ci\u003eHeartburn\u003c\/i\u003e by Nora Ephron; \u003ci\u003eThe Dud Avocado\u003c\/i\u003e by Elaine Dundy; \u003ci\u003eMemento Mori\u003c\/i\u003e by Muriel Spark; \u003ci\u003eA View of the Harbour\u003c\/i\u003e by Elizabeth Taylor; and \u003ci\u003eFaces in the Water\u003c\/i\u003e by Janet Frame.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46710892626156,"sku":"9780349010304","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/6556563482312.jpg?v=1754164737"},{"product_id":"mrs-palfrey-at-the-claremont-by-elizabeth-taylor-9781844083213","title":"Mrs Palfrey At The Claremont","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMrs Palfrey at the Claremont\u003c\/i\u003e is, for me, her masterpiece\u003c\/b\u003e - Robert McCrum, \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e, 'The Best 100 Novels'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn author of great subtlety, great compassion and great depth\u003c\/b\u003e - SARAH WATERS\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJane Austen, Elizabeth Taylor, Elizabeth Bowen - soul-sisters all\u003c\/b\u003e - ANNE TYLER\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn a rainy Sunday in January, the recently widowed Mrs Palfrey arrives at the Claremont Hotel where she will spend her remaining days. Her fellow residents are magnificently eccentric and endlessly curious, living off crumbs of affection and snippets of gossip. Together, upper lips stiffened, they fight off their twin enemies: boredom and the Grim Reaper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThen one day Mrs Palfrey strikes up an unlikely friendship with an impoverished young writer, Ludo, who sees her as inspiration for his novel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eElizabeth Taylor's exquisitely drawn character study of eccentricity in old age is a sharp and witty portrait of genteel postwar English life facing the changes taking shape in the 60s. Much of the reader's joy lies in the exquisite subtlety in Taylor's depiction of all the relationships, the sharp brevity of her wit, and the apparently effortless way the plot unfolds\u003c\/b\u003e - Robert McCrum, \u003ci\u003ethe 100 best novels\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46986538483948,"sku":"9781844083213","price":42.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/15645373482844.jpg?v=1762997428"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/elizabeth-taylor.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}