The first ever story collection from the inimitable Lionel Shriver 'Genius' Stylist 'Phenomenal' Observer 'Brilliant' The Times This landmark publication, the first collection of stories from a master of the form, explores the idea of "property" in both senses of the word: real estate, and stuff. These sharp, brilliantly imaginative pieces illustrate how our possessions act as proxies for ourselves, and how tussles over ownership articulate the power dynamics of our relationships. In Shriver's world, we may possess people and objects and places, but in turn they possess us. In the stunning novella "The Standing Chandelier" ('a brutal treat': Daily Mail), a woman with a history of attracting other women's antagonism creates a deeply personal wedding present for her best friend and his wife-to-be. In "Domestic Terrorism," a thirty-something son refuses to leave home, resulting in a standoff that renders him a Millennial cause celebre. In "The ChapStick," a middle-aged man subjugated by service to his elderly father discovers that the last place you should finally assert yourself is airport security. In "Vermin," an artistic Brooklyn couple's purchase of a ramshackle house destroys their once passionate relationship. In "The Subletter," two women, both foreign conflict junkies, fight over claim to a territory that doesn't belong to either. This immensely readable collection showcases the biting insight that has made Lionel Shriver one of the most acclaimed authors of our time, described by the Sunday Times as 'a brilliant writer' with 'a strong, clear and strangely seductive voice'.

Author Biography

LIONEL SHRIVER'S novels include the National Book Award finalist So Much for That, the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World, the Sunday Times bestseller The Mandibles: A Family 2029-2047, and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian and the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Her short fiction has appeared in the New Yorker and in 2014 she won the BBC National Short Story Award. She lives in London and Brooklyn, New York.