by George

A Novel

By Wesley Stace (Trade Paperback, 2008)

Two years ago, singer-songwriter Wesley Stace blew onto the literary scene with his bold and free-wheeling Dickensian comedy Misfortune. Now, he is back with another wonderfully entertaining and inventive novel. By George is the twisting story of four generations of the curious Fisher family, as told by two boys named George Fisher: one, a schoolboy in the 1970s; the other, a ventriloquist's dummy in the second World War. It's a story of love, loss and family ties, and of two boys separated by years but driven by the same desires: to find a voice, and to be loved.

Praise for BY GEORGE:

"By George is one of those rare works of fiction with an essential triple helix -- it's funny, it's clever and it's perfectly woven together with story. If writing is how we imagine not being lobely, as Wesley Stace suggests, then his conjuring trick as a writer is that he brings a large crowd along with him. This is a wonderful follow-up to his debut novel, Misfortune" -- Colum McCann, author of Zoliand Dancer

"Filled with wit, warmth and imagination... Stace amasses enough gently ironic humor, emotion and insight to carry his voices beautifully." -- Publishers Weekly

Full Description

Buy This Book

- Format: Trade Paperback
- Price: $15.00 US/$17.00 CAN
- ISBN-13: 9780316018685
- On Sale Date: 08/25/2008
- Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Full Details
Formats Available: Trade Paperback, Electronic Book, Electronic Book, Electronic Book, Electronic Book, Electronic Book, Electronic Book, Electronic Book
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Educated at Cambridge, Wesley Stace (also known as John Wesley Harding) cut short his Ph.D. studies to pursue a music career. He has released 8 solo albums and toured as the opening act for The Mighty Lemon Drops, Michelle Shocked, and Bruce Springsteen. His novel, Misfortune, was published by Little, Brown in 2004. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter.

"Completely engaging. . . . filled with small surprises and subtle humor." (New York Magazine).
"Original and moving. . . . BY GEORGE is an entertaining and daring work in which wooden dolls can bleed and break hearts. This is not a novel that will willingly go back in the box." (Washington Times).
"This inventive novel rewards the reader with its intelligence, its wit, its poignancy, and its splendid writing. By george, I loved this book!" (Nancy Pearl).
"Compelling... Wesley Stace nonchalantly mixes genres, voices and prose styles from several centuries." (Los Angeles Times).
"Every novel is a ventriloquist act. . . . In some books you can see the author's lips move; in others the actual speaker seems to vanish altogether. . . . Stace occasionally alerts the reader of his presence. . . . But these intrusions don't sour the spectacle. Some illusions delight even when you know how they're performed. . . . Stace is using his power for good; very good, in fact." (Village Voice).
(Library Journal).