Upstate

Description

A brilliant novel from one of the world's most influential literary critics. Upstate is a funny, moving family drama from one of the world's most influential literary critics. 'Thoughtful and though-provoking' Financial Times Alan Querry, a successful property developer from the north of England, has two daughters- Vanessa, a philosopher who lives and teaches in Saratoga Springs, NY, and Helen, a record company executive based in London. The sisters never quite recovered from their parents' bitter divorce and the early death of their mother, with Vanessa particularly affected, and plagued by bouts of depression since her teenage years. When she suffers a new crisis, Alan and Helen travel to Saratoga Springs. Over the course of six wintry days in upstate New York, the Querry family begins to struggle with the questions that animate this profound and searching novel- Why do some people find living so much harder than others? Rich in subtle human insight, and vivid with a sense of place, Upstate is a perceptive, intensely poignant novel.

James Wood has been a staff writer at the New Yorker since 2007. In 2009, he won the National Magazine Award for reviews and criticism. He was the chief literary critic at the Guardian from 1992 to 1995, and a book critic at the New Republic from 1995 to 2007. He has published a number of books with Cape, including How Fiction Works, which has been translated into thirteen languages.

Wood can produce sentences as fine as bone china. -- Claire Allfree * Daily Mail * Those who know Wood as the New Yorker's literary critic would do well to pick up his novels, too. Upstate is a funny, moving family drama. * GQ * Captures the anxious plight of a loving father with exquisite delicacy ... Its affections are large and its wisdom deep ... One can't help but feel enriched by the treasure of Wood's sweet-tempered wit. -- Ron Charles * Washington Post * Its energy derives from feted critic James Wood's observational chops, and you can expect muscular descriptions ... and modest, deeply humane revelations ... Polished, poignant and often very funny. -- Hephzibah Anderson * Mail on Sunday * Uncharted physical and emotional terrain collide in James Wood's thoughtful and thought-provoking second novel Upstate, a deceptively gentle exploration of the wounds of the past, the complex mesh of family relationships and the ways in which they aid or obstruct our strategies for healing ... stubbornly true to life. -- Rebecca Abrams * Financial Times *