In this ironic study of the complexities of
love, Ginny Barnes is wrenched out of her
suburban cul-de-sac into a brutal five-star passion
and forced to choose between her decaffeinated
low-cholesterol husband Ian and her
high-calorie lover Caldos de Roche, a gourmet
psychoanalyst who seeks fame and fortune by
selling Happiness like hamburgers.
De Roche is aiming to transform not only
what he sees as his impotent profession,
but also once-a-Catholic Ginny, still tied to home
and children, and obsessed with guilt and sin. Far
from impotent himself, he woos her with heavenly
pleasures and earthly appetites, combining
sacred and profane, making highly unconventional
love to a background of church music, and
trying to coax a dazzling social butterfly
from a drab and cosy chrysalis.The new
glossy gift-wrapped Ginny, torn between the
risk of eternal damnation by a God she only
half believes in and the god she sees in Caldos
himself, discovers that even heaven-on-earth
can be hell. In a single day she visits a VD clinic
and then makes two attempts at Confession,
seeking out a fire-and-brimstone priest after
the first (liberal) one lets her off too lightly.
Who will win her allegiance
- her husband, her lover, or her God?
Reviews of "Absinthe for Elevenses"
A quite exceptional first
novel and I predict a
glittering future for its author. Perriam's shrewd,
sharp prose style is complemented by a
marvellous talent for satirical observation.
A tour de force.
The Scotsman
Perriam's salty mix of
satire,
black comedy and social comment
has the flavour of Russian caviar,
and is just as irresistible.
Sunday Telegraph
A Cartier of a novel . . .
a boisterous,
comic and unholy achievement that
roars with operatic passion.
Time Out |
Author’s Comment
"In Absinthe
for Elevenses I take a long, hard look at psychoanalysis, examining not only its
values, but also the risks of dependency and self-obsession. Before I started writing, I
interviewed several analysts and patients, and also explored the "Upstairs
Downstairs" world of Harley Street, where caretakers and other staff live in
poky quarters beneath the grandeur of the consulting rooms.
I also discovered (purely
in the interests of research, of course!) in which London opera house you can make
love in a box without being observed."
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FREE DOWNLOADABLE CHAPTER - ABSINTHE FOR ELEVENSES: Chapter 1
Click below for the free downloadable first chapter, in which Ginny’s husband, Ian, is adrift in Harrods lingerie department, trying to buy a nightie for his wife. A chance encounter with an old Oxford pal amidst the scanties and panties has startling consequences for Ginny and both men....
 Click here to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF format
(right mouse click & select "save target/link as")
This should be readable on most computers but you can
download a free Adobe reader here if required
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You can buy this book with a personal hand-written inscription by Wendy Perriam.
Contact her at wendyperriam@msn.com for a quotation or see the buying books section.
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