{"product_id":"a-guest-at-the-feast-colm-toibin-9781476785202","title":"A Guest at the Feast: Essays","description":"\u003cb\u003eNamed a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by \u003ci\u003eLitHub \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Millions\u003c\/i\u003e!\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom one of the most engaging and brilliant writers of our time comes a \"not to be missed\" (\u003ci\u003eLitHub\u003c\/i\u003e) collection of eleven essays about growing up in Ireland during radical change; about cancer, priests, popes, homosexuality, and literature.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eIT ALL STARTED WITH MY BALLS\u003c\/i\u003e.\" So begins Colm Tb匤's fabulously compelling essay, laced with humor, about his diagnosis and treatment for cancer. Tb匤 survives, but he has entered, as he says, \"the age of one ball.\" The second essay in this seductive collection is a memoir about growing up in the 1950s and '60s in the small town of Enniscorthy in County Wexford, the setting for many of Tb匤's novels and stories, including \u003ci\u003eBrooklyn, The Blackwater Lightship\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eNora Webster\u003c\/i\u003e. Tb匤 describes his education by priests, several of whom were condemned years later for abuse. He writes about Irish history and literature, and about the long, tragic journey toward legal and social acceptance of homosexuality. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn Part Two, Tb匤 profiles three complex and vexing popes--John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. And in Part Three, he writes about a trio of authors who reckon with religion in their fiction. The final essay, \"Alone in Venice,\" is a gorgeous account of Tb匤's journey, at the height of the pandemic, to the beloved city where he has set some of his most dazzling scenes. The streets, canals, churches, and museums were empty. He had them to himself, an experience both haunting and exhilarating. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A tantalizing glimpse into Tb匤's full fictional powers,\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e, London)\u003ci\u003e A Guest at the Feast\u003c\/i\u003e is both an intimate encounter with a supremely creative artist and a glorious celebration of writing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Colm Toibin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1476785201\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781476785202\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Scribner Book Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/17\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 336\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.91lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.65h x 5.82w x 1.18d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/24\/2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/15\/2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 12\/01\/2022 pg. 101\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/01\/2023","brand":"Colm Toibin","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44071487930623,"sku":"9781476785202","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_a5813294-25fe-43a5-b8b7-ec1f663f2851.jpg?v=1685436393","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/a-guest-at-the-feast-colm-toibin-9781476785202","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}