The Life to Come

Set in Australia, France, & Sri Lanka, The Life to Come is about the stories we tell & don’t tell ourselves as individuals, as societies, & as nations. Driven by a vivid cast of characters, it explores necessary emigration, the art of fiction, & ethnic & class conflict. Pippa is an Australian writer who longs for the success of her novelist teacher & eventually comes to fear that she “missed everything important.” In Paris, Celeste tries to convince herself that her feelings for her married lover are reciprocated. Ash makes strategic use of his childhood in Sri Lanka, but blots out the memory of a tragedy from that time & can’t commit to his trusting girlfriend, Cassie. Sri Lankan Christabel, who is generously offered a passage to Sydney by Bunty, an old acquaintance, endures her dull job & envisions a brighter future that “rose, glittered, & sank back,” while she neglects the love close at hand.The stand-alone yet connected worlds of The Life to Come offer meditations on intimacy, loneliness, & our flawed perception of reality. Enormously moving, gorgeously observant of physical detail, & often very funny, this new novel by Michelle de Kretser reveals how the shadows cast by both the past & the future can transform & distort the present. It is teeming with life & earned wisdom—exhilaratingly contemporary, with the feel of a classic."[The Life to Come] has five overlapping stories which, while being character-driven, reflect a particular concern with history & place. . . . Michelle de Kretser is a writer of unsentimental humanity." —The Spectator"A thought-provoking novel of both beauty & brains." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) The dazzling new novel from Michelle de Kretser, author of Questions of Travel, bestseller and winner of the Miles Franklin Award.Winner of the 2018 Miles Franklin AwardShortlisted for the 2018 Stella AwardWinner of the 2019 NSW Premier's Literary Awards Christina Stead Prize for Fiction'I so much admire Michelle de Kretser's formidable technique - her characters feel alive, and she can create a sweeping narrative which encompasses years, and yet still retain the sharp, almost hallucinatory detail.'Hilary Mantel'Michelle de Kretser knows how to construct a gripping story. She writes quickly and lightly of wonderful and terrible things... A master storyteller.'A.S. ByattSet in Sydney, Paris and Sri Lanka, The Life to Come is a mesmerising novel about the stories we tell and don't tell ourselves as individuals, as societies and as nations. It feels at once firmly classic and exhilaratingly contemporary.Pippa is a writer who longs for success. Celeste tries to convince herself that her feelings for her married lover are reciprocated. Ash makes strategic use of his childhood in Sri Lanka but blots out the memory of a tragedy from that time. Driven by riveting stories and unforgettable characters, here is a dazzling meditation on intimacy, loneliness and our flawed perception of other people.Profoundly moving as well as wickedly funny, The Life to Come reveals how the shadows cast by both the past and the future can transform, distort and undo the present. This extraordinary novel by Miles Franklin-winning author Michelle de Kretser will strike to your soul.'...one of those rare writers whose work balances substance with style. Her writing is very witty, but it also goes deep, informed at every point by a benign and far-reaching intelligence.'Kerryn Goldsworthy, Sydney Morning Herald'...a dazzlingly accomplished author who commands all the strokes. Her repertoire stretches from a hallucinatory sense of place to a mastery of suspense, sophisticated verbal artistry and a formidable skill in navigating those twisty paths where history and psychology entwine.'Boyd Tonkin, Independent Winner of the 2018 Miles Franklin Award Shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Award Winner of the 2019 NSW Premier's Literary Awards Christina Stead Prize for Fiction 'I so much admire Michelle de Kretser's formidable technique - her characters feel alive, and she can create a sweeping narrative which encompasses years, and yet still retain the sharp, almost hallucinatory detail.' Hilary Mantel 'Michelle de Kretser knows how to construct a gripping story. She writes quickly and lightly of wonderful and terrible things... A master storyteller.' A.S. Byatt Set in Sydney, Paris and Sri Lanka, The Life to Come is a mesmerising novel about the stories we tell and don't tell ourselves as individuals, as societies and as nations. It feels at once firmly classic and exhilaratingly contemporary. Pippa is a writer who longs for success. Celeste tries to convince herself that her feelings for her married lover are reciprocated. Ash makes strategic use of his childhood in Sri Lanka but blots out the memory of a tragedy from that time. Driven by riveting stories and unforgettable characters, here is a dazzling meditation on intimacy, loneliness and our flawed perception of other people. Profoundly moving as well as wickedly funny, The Life to Come reveals how the shadows cast by both the past and the future can transform, distort and undo the present. This extraordinary novel by Miles Franklin-winning author Michelle de Kretser will strike to your soul. '...one of those rare writers whose work balances substance with style. Her writing is very witty, but it also goes deep, informed at every point by a benign and far-reaching intelligence.' Kerryn Goldsworthy, Sydney Morning Herald '...a dazzlingly accomplished author who commands all the strokes. Her repertoire stretches from a hallucinatory sense of place to a mastery of suspense, sophisticated verbal artistry and a formidable skill in navigating those twisty paths where history and psychology entwine.' Boyd Tonkin, Independent "Set in Australia, France, and Sri Lanka, The Life to Come is about the stories we tell and don't tell ourselves as individuals, as societies, and as nations. Driven by a vivid cast of characters, it explores necessary emigration, the art of fiction, and ethnic and class conflict. Pippa is an Australian writer who longs for the success of her novelist teacher and eventually comes to fear that she "missed everything important." In Paris, Celeste tries to convince herself that her feelings for her married lover are reciprocated. Ash makes strategic use of his childhood in Sri Lanka, but blots out the memory of a tragedy from that time and can't commit to his trusting girlfriend, Cassie. Sri Lankan Christabel, who is generously offered a passage to Sydney by Bunty, an old acquaintance, endures her dull job and envisions a brighter future that "rose, glittered, and sank back," while she neglects the love close at hand. The stand-alone yet connected worlds of The Life to Come offer meditations on intimacy, loneliness, and our flawed perception of reality. Enormously moving, gorgeously observant of physical detail, and often very funny, this new novel by Michelle de Kretser reveals how the shadows cast by both the past and the future can transform and distort the present. It is teeming with life and earned wisdom-- exhilaratingly contemporary, with the feel of a classic."-- Provided by publisher.