Book details

A Much Married Man

A Novel

Author: Nicholas Coleridge

A Much Married Man

A Much Married Man

$11.99

About This Book

From one of the sharpest observers of the modern scene, comes this witty, intelligent, and irresistible novel in the tradition of Gosford Park and Snobs.

A...

Page Count
464
On Sale
06/12/2007

Book Details

From one of the sharpest observers of the modern scene, comes this witty, intelligent, and irresistible novel in the tradition of Gosford Park and Snobs.

A man of wealth and privilege, Anthony Anscombe has everything he could ever want: an exquisite family estate, enviable social standing, and a desirable inheritance. But with all of his money and privilege, Anthony still has an aching desire for one thing: the perfect match. Running headlong into marriage is Anthony's forte…and his greatest weakness.
As Anthony surveys Winchford Priory, his beautiful Elizabethan house in the English countryside, Anthony has the distinct feeling that he's under siege. And he's absolutely right. He may be surrounded by his sprawling estate, but lurking in the village are more than one or two reminders of his complicated past, including three ex-wives, a mistress, and a legion of children and stepchildren, all dependent on him and all determined to do whatever it takes to get what they want.


Meet the wives

Amanda: the ravishing first wife. Unpredictable and mesmerizing, she dared Anthony to fall in love with her, and he took her up on the challenge. Anthony was head over heels from the first night they danced on the rooftop of his family home. Of course, the free-spirited Amanda was never cut out for country life, but young love is blind.

Sandra: the steadfast second wife. Sturdy, dependable and domesticated, Sandra pulled Anthony back from the compelling chaos that surrounded his first wife. Sandra had plans to turn Anthony's estate into a proper family home, until a stunning secret forced her to make a life-altering decision.

Dita: the snobbish third wife. A true force of nature, Dita was smart, tough, rapaciously social and high-maintenance. She enthusiastically stormed through Anthony's life, organizing and rearranging, and rubbing plenty of people the wrong way, particularly the previous Mrs. Anscombes and their children.

With the entire cast of his life roosting in the village, it's no wonder Anthony doesn't have a minute's peace! Adding to the crazy mix is the mistress, Nora, a new age hippy and acupuncturist, whom Anthony seduced with disastrous consequences.

A Much Married Man is a wickedly funny social satire with memorable characters that will stay with readers long after the final page. Like a modern day Edith Wharton or Anthony Trollope, Nicholas Coleridge delivers a sensational glimpse inside the salacious world of the upper classes.

Imprint Publisher

Thomas Dunne Books

ISBN

9781429915779

In The News

“This well-informed comedy of stiff-upper-lip manners reads, charmingly, as if sprung from a writerly union between Iris Murdoch at the high end and Harold Robbins at the low.” —Publishers Weekly

“[Coleridge] layers his prose with flawless detail, wit and affection for his ever-expanding cast of characters.” —USA Today

“It's a fun comedy of manners and Coleridge's steady and knowingly frothy tone adds teeth.” —NY Post

“A witty, nimbly plotted upper-crust soap opera. . . . A crowded, buzzing canvas, and the draftsmanship is superb.” —Kirkus Reviews

A Much Married Man is the colorful and often angst-ridden tale of Anthony Anscombe, who marries one woman after another in an attempt to create a happy home in his Oxfordshire castles. . . .A must read.” —Gotham

“Coleridge skillfully handles a small army of sharply drawn characters. . . .he has a real talent for humor, delivered in a deadpan fashion. And he has an eye for little details that reveal character.” —Boston Globe

“Totally irresistable from the first page to the last.” —The Atlantan

“Nicholas Coleridge makes a witty and acerbic guide to this arcane, and largely secret, world. Unlike many silver fork writers, Coleridge is a well-informed insider and, as such, his humor is only too painfully accurate.” —Julian Fellowes, author of Snobs; Academy Award-winning writer of Gosford Park

“A keen observer of class, manners and sexual frisson, Coleridge is a master of the social romp. When I finished A Much Married Man, I wanted to weep because I can never read it fresh again.” —Graydon Carter, Editor-in-Chief, Vanity Fair

A Much Married Man is funny, touching and flawless in its detail. Nicholas Coleridge is the best sociologist of British upper class life since Anthony Powell.” —Tina Brown

“I burned the midnight oil to read A Much Married Man…I loved the book, Nicholas has perfect pitch on class and a miraculous eye on changing society over the past forty years…the whole book is by turns gloriously bitchy, extremely funny and ultimately touching.” —Jilly Cooper, author of Class and Player

“This is a big, pacy, ambitious and thoroughly entertaining book. Coleridge is brilliant on the detail… he inspires the most gloriously waspish turns of phrase.” —Daily Mail (London)

“Coleridge's wickedly funny novel is guaranteed to amuse. ... a must for the beach this summer.” —Glamour UK

“This extravagantly enjoyable novel wins credit on so many levels I hardly know where to begin… A Much Married Man is irresistible.” —Sunday Telegraph

“Anyone battled by the conundrum of what to read this summer need look no further than A Much Married Man.” —The Spectator

“[A] long and luscious novel… touching and funny.” —The Observer

About the Creators

A Much Married Man

A Much Married Man

$11.99