Tom Perrotta

Assises dans un parc, une brochette de desperate housewives échangent conseils culinaires et tuyaux pédagogiques. Et si, pour pimenter sa vie sans saveur, Sarah allait embrasser à pleine bouche l''in

*The abstinence teacher*, questo il titolo della versione originale, che mi e stata regalata, comprata a New York, del libro di Tom Perrotta, pubblicato in Italia da e/o. Di questo scrittore ho gia letto tempo fa *Bravi bambini*, edito da Rizzoli, ricordo che mi era piaciuto, anche se, confesso, non saprei ripetere la trama. Quella di *The abstinence teacher* vede come protagonista Ruth, insegnante quarantenne al liceo di Stonewood Heights, immaginaria cittadina degli Stati Uniti, che e facile immaginarsi alla stregua di Wisteria Lane _vedi Desperate Housewives_. Dunque, Ruth insegna Educazione Sessuale, e divorziata, ha due figlie, e vive a Stonewood Heights, ridente cittadina americana, sempre piu pervasa da inquietanti fenomeni fanatismo religioso. Qui e nata, infatti, la comunita riunita intorno al pastore Dennis e alla sua chiesa, il Tabernacolo. E sara proprio unalunna di Ruth appartenente alla congregazione a far cadare in trappola linsegnanate con una dichiarazione favorevole al sesso orale, che dara il via a una caccia alla strega. Problemi con la religione al lavoro, ma non solo. Ruth si scontrera anche nella vita privata con il dilagare della religione, quando la figlia maggiore inizia a frequentare una chiesa, e lallenatore di calcio della figlia minore spinge le ragazze della squadra a pregare insieme. La fine e un po scontata, pero la realta americana descritta da Perrotta e sicuramente interessante, cosi come il clima religioso.

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 mas interesantes novelistas de la actualidad, y al exito del libro se ha añadido el de su reciente version cinematografica, Little Children, candidata a varios oscars.En un microcosmos de sospechosa felicidad, donde nunca ocurre nada grave y los dias se funden unos con otros como ceras de colores en una bolsa de plastico olvidada al sol, los idilicos hogares son el caldo de cultivo del tedio y la frustracion, un entorno del cual no pocos sueñan con escapar. Por ejemplo Sarah, atrapada en su papel de madre y esposa, situacion que nunca hubiera imaginado pocos años atras, 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 electrica fluye inconteniblemente entre ambos,el fragil 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 placido enclave. Los miedos y obsesiones salen a la luz, poniendo de relieve el contraste entre el discurso publico y la miriada de traiciones y deslealtades que contaminan las relaciones de los mismos personajes en la esfera privada.

La educación sexual en la escuela en un ambiente cargado de puritanismo es la original propuesta de esta nueva novela de Tom Perrotta, uno de los más interesantes novelistas estadounidenses de la actualidad. Definido como un Chejov americano por The New York Times Book Review y aclamado por su maestria para retratar con inteligencia y sensibilidad las aflicciones de la vida contemporanea, Perrotta tiene ya dos novelas trasladadas al cine con exito, una de las cuales, Little Children Juegos de niños, publicada tambien por Salamandra, merecio tres nominaciones al Oscar. Recientemente divorciada, madre de dos niñas y mujer independiente y decidida, Ruth Ramsey es profesora de educacion sexual en una escuela del imaginario Stonewood Heights, un idilico entramado de casas con jardin cuyos habitantes conviven en un ambiente de tolerancia y moderacion. Sin embargo, un comentario casual de Ruth a sus alumnos desata las protestas de los feligreses de una iglesia evangelica local, el Tabernaculo de la Verdad Evangelica, que no tardaran en pedirle a Ruth que cambie el enfoque de sus clases y promueva exclusivamente la castidad. Y por si esto fuera poco, Ruth se vera obligada a plantar cara al entrenador del equipo de futbol de su hija, el agraciado y carismatico Tim Mason, un ex alcoholico que ha reconducido su vida con el apoyo y el consejo del pastor del Tabernaculo. Si en Juegos de niños Tom Perrotta tejia un hilarante relato de vicios privados y publicas virtudes, en Lecciones de abstinencia retrata con gran empatia y sin prejuicios las dos caras de una apasionante controversia, en la que dos personas que creen estar en terrenos irreconciliables descubren las ventajas de no dejarse guiar por las apariencias.

Qué pasaría si tu mujer, tu marido o tu hijo desaparecieran delante de ti? Bajo el prisma de una sola familia, Perrotta muestra cómo un fenómeno sin precedentes sacude a la ciudad de Mapleton. Una inexplicable desaparicion en masa. Ascension es un libro que te emocionara, acerca de gente corriente que lucha por seguir creyendo en el futuro.

¿Qué pasaría si tu mujer, tu marido o tu hijo desaparecieran delante de ti? Bajo el prisma de una sola familia, Perrotta muestra cómo un fenómeno sin precedentes sacude a la ciudad de Mapleton. Una inexplicable desaparicion en masa. Ascension es un libro que te emocionara, acerca de gente corriente que lucha por seguir creyendo en el futuro.

Lulu- Grenadine conna??t les joies des premi??res amours enfantines.Couverture: Newsweek

Little Children. Tom Perrotta''s thirtyish 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 at the playground, and his wife, Kathy, a documentary filmmaker envious of the connection Todd has forged with their toddler son. And there''s Sarah, a lapsed feminist surprised to find she''s become a typical wife in a traditional marriage, and her husband, Richard, who is becoming more and more involved with an Internet fantasy life than with his own wife and child. These parents raise their kids in the kind of quiet suburb where nothing ever seems to happen - until one eventful summer, when a convicted child molester moves back to town, and two parents begin an affair that goes further than either of them could have imagined.

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Reese WitherspoonTom Perrotta isone of the great writers that we have today. I love this book. Harlan CobenAn engrossing and mordantly funny (People) novel about ambition, coming-of-age in adulthood, and never really leaving high school politics behindfeaturing New York Times bestselling author Tom Perrottas most iconic character of all time.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 lifea 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. Her male colleagues determination to honor Vito Falconea star quarterback of dubious character who had a brief, undistinguished career in the NFLtriggers memories for Tracy and leads her to reflect on the trajectory of her own life. As she considers 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 Presidents wife trying so hard to be her friend? And why cant she ever get what she deserves?A sharp, darkly comic, and pitch-perfect chronicle of the second act of one of the most memorable characters of our time, Tracy Flick Cant Win delivers acerbic insight about frustrated ambition (Esquire).

Tu es ma MILF! Ce bref et mystérieux sms surgissant de nulle part va bouleverser la vie dEve Fletcher. À 46 ans, divorcée, mère banlieusarde dun fils sur le point de quitter le nid parental, elle se

New York Times bestseller!Now a major Sky/HBO TV seriesFrom 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 Americas 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 cant 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, Eves 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, Eves son Brendan-a jock and aspiring frat boy-discovers that his new campus isnt 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 theyre no longer sure of who they are or where they belong.

A group of parents, trapped in middle-class stability, deal with marriage, kids and their suburban life in very different ways.Todd, the handsome stay-at-home-dad - the one all the playground Moms admire in a silent look-but-do-not-touch fashion. Hes trying (for his wifes sake) to pass his bar exam although he blatantly doesnt want to be a lawyer, and in a desperate attempt to reclaim his youth joins a midnight touch-football team.and starts a passionate affair with Sarah. Sarah is a lapsed feminist who isnt quite sure how she ended up being a traditional wife. Shes the kind of mother who (shock horror) is capable of forgetting her daughters snack, and in a moments rebellion dares to kiss Todd in front of the mothers group.

From the author of Little Children and now a major new TV series, The Leftovers asks what if one day some of us simply vanished? And some were left behind? Following the sudden disappearance of thousands of citizens, Kevin Garvey, Mapletons new mayor, wants to bring a sense of hope to his traumatised community, but his family has fallen apart in the wake of disaster. Kevins wife has joined a homegrown cult, and his son is a disciple of the prophet Holy Wayne. Only Jill, Kevins daughter, remains, and shes no longer the sweet student she once was. Written with a rare ability to illuminate our everyday struggles, The Leftovers is a startling novel about love, connection and loss.

The literary debut from the author of Little Children, Election and The Abstinence Teacher. Tom Perrottas first novel takes readers to semi-fictional Cranwood, in small-town New Jersey. Set between fall 1969 and the summer of 1980, Bad Haircut consists of ten tales; reflecting a coming-of-age in the kitsch era of platforms and disco. The novel charts the struggles of a boy called Buddy with the timeless mysteries of sex, death, parents and, of course, bad haircuts as he grows from Cub Scout to college kid. A touching collection of tales, Bad Haircut is Perrottas perfect observation of the tribulations and tenderness of adolescence.

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 ambicion es menor que en su juventud, cuando surge la oportunidad de convertirse en la proxima 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 comite de seleccion para el recien estrenado Salon de la Fama del instituto. El empeño de sus compañeros en homenajear a Vito Falcone, un mediocre quarterback de dudosa reputacion, la situa en una posicion comprometida.Tom Perrotta que ha sido calificado como un Balzac de los suburbios o un Chejov americano se muestra de nuevo como uno de los mas atentos cronistas de la Norteamerica suburbana en esta novela, una divertida y afilada satira sobre la ambicion y sus reveses que indaga en los profundos cambios de paradigma que se han producido en las sociedades occidentales en los ultimos veinte años.Tom Perrotta escribe con el oido de un escritor satirico y el corazon de un romantico. Jennifer EganContada con agudo ingenio, sabiduria y una exquisita perspectiva sobre la locura humana tipica de Perrotta. EsquirePerrotta ha sido siempre un escritor inteligente y atrevido, autor de unas satiras descacharrantes en las que te sorprende tambien con emocion genuina. Richard RussoA Tom Perrotta hay que considerarlo como uno de nuestros grandes genios de la satira. Dennis LehaneCon gran intensidad lirica y polifonica, Perrotta plantea una pregunta a la clase: ¿Que hemos aprendido? Katy Waldman (The New Yorker)Parece mentira, pero Tom Perrotta siempre va un paso por delante. Quiza 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 discutira en los años siguientes, el autor estadounidense se ha convertido en uno de los novelistas que mejor capta los vaivenes del mundo actual. Diego Gandara (La Razon)La novela pone en tela de juicio la cultura del exito y ese heroismo tan americano. Philipp Engel (El Mundo)

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Leftovers and Tracy Flick Cant Win comes a darkly hilarious novel about a high school election that brings out the worst in everyonethe basis for the film starring Reese Witherspoon!Tracy Flick wants to be President of Winwood High. Shes 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 Warrena well-liked, good-hearted jockto throw in his hat. But that puts Pauls 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 doesnt look as if they need any lessons....

A brilliantly funny novel from the author of The Abstinence Teacher and Little Children, made into an acclaimed film starring Reece Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick. Tracy Flick wants to be president of Winwood High. Shes one of those ambitious girls who finds time to do it all: edit the yearbook, star in the school musical, sleep with her English 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 run as well. But that puts Pauls sister, Tammy, in a snit. So she runs too, on an apathy platform before starting a real campaignto get herself kicked out of school. The idea was to educate the students of 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 powerbrokers at Winwood High, it doesnt look as if they need any lessons

The second novel from Tom Perrotta, author of Little Children, Election and The Abstinence Teacher. Everything is going pretty well for Dave Raymond. Hes 31, but he still feels young. Hes playing guitar with the Wishbones, a New Jersey wedding band, and while it isnt exactly the Big Time, it is music. He has a roof over his headwell, its his parents roof, but they dont hassle him much. Life isnt perfect. But it isnt bad. Not bad at all. But then he has to blow it all by proposing to his girlfriend One mans treasure is another mans millstone. To Dave, the treasure in question is Gretchen; a sexy, bohemian poet Dave meets when playing at a wedding with his band. While Gretchen the poet plays the bridesmaid, Dave plays the rock-star. And suddenly, the comfortable trajectory of his reality seems far less appealing.

A sharp, funny and beautifully observed satire about the disturbing influence of the Christian right from one of Americas most cherished authors. Ruth Ramsey went too far. She hadnt noticed the changing climate. A Sex Ed teacher "championing" oral sex!? Not now, not in this America Cherished by her high school pupils as someone whod tell it straight, after one innocent classroom indiscretion Ruth suddenly finds the curriculum she has taught for nigh on 15 years worryingly out of vogue. It seems these days the kids no longer need teaching; they need telling. As the scandal flares up and attracts the unwelcome eye of the local evangelical Church, the appeasing high-school principal forces her into advocating a pro-abstinence agenda in the classroom that is at odds with all conventional wisdom. Jaded though she is by her recent divorce and fruitless search for a new love, she is not yet ready to kneel at the altar of sophistry if common sense is to be sacrificed to Puritanism, she wont let it pass without a fight. On the other hand, it is a syllabus change which Tim Mason, recovering addict, local football coach and recent convert to the same plaintiff Church, should consider a victory. But his new found faith is constantly put to the test by the temptations of his former wayward life, forcing him into grand, defensive statements of purpose. When he makes the gesture of leading his football team in prayer after a hard-fought victory, in which Ruths daughter Maggie starred, he manages not only to incur the wrathful attention of her mother, but to cement his position as the star evangelist of his church an office he is none too sure about occupying. The Abstinence Teacher is a cutting portrayal of modern America and the influence of the Christian right from the acclaimed, bestselling author of Election and Little Children. Scathing, witty and brilliantly observed, it will doubtless confirm Perrottas standing as one of the finest chroniclers of American life.