基本信息·出版社：Atria ·页码：336 页 ·出版日期：2006年04月 ·ISBN：0743292235 ·International Standard Book Number：0743292235 ·条形码：978 ...
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Sex as a Second Language: A Novel |
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Sex as a Second Language: A Novel |
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基本信息·出版社：Atria
·页码：336 页
·出版日期：2006年04月
·ISBN：0743292235
·International Standard Book Number：0743292235
·条形码：9780743292238
·EAN：9780743292238
·装帧：平装
·正文语种：英语
内容简介 在线阅读本书
A teacher of English as a second language, forty-year-old Katherine Miner is an expert on idiomatic phrases and subtle verbal cues. When it comes to the opposite sex, however, she's baffled enough to choose early retirement from the dating game. It's not that she hates men, it's just that she doesn't trust them. After all, her soon-to-be ex-husband has dropped all contact with their son, and her own father disappeared from her life thirty years ago. And then Kat meets Magnus Grimmson, a tall, good-looking, tongue-tied Icelander in the front row of her class. Magnus doesn't appear to pose any threat -- in fact, he seems to understand less about women than Kat does about men. But just when Kat considers risking a little intimacy, her father reappears in her life, causing unexpected complications. Emotionally torn, Kat is left to question whom she can trust -- and to realize that she still has a lot to learn about men and the kind of communication they don't teach in school.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition. 作者简介 Alisa Kwitney is the author of
On the Couch,
Does She or Doesn't She?,
The Dominant Blonde,
Till the Fat Lady Sings, and the forthcoming
Flirting in Cars. Her books have been translated into Russian, German, and Japanese. A former comic book editor with DC Comics/Vertigo, Kwitney holds an M.F.A. in fiction writing from Columbia University. She lives with her family in the Hudson River Valley and New York City. Visit her website at www.alisakwitney.com.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition. 媒体推荐 "Smart, funny, and very real. Alisa Kwitney gets to the heart of relationships and portrays them with wit and honesty. Women who've reached the ripe young age of forty will identify with the heroine's concerns, attitude, and longings."-- Leslie Schnur, author of
The Dog Walker --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition. Review "A witty, engaging read." -- Chicago Sun-Times
"Smart, sassy...funny, and emotionally true, a great read!" -- Jennifer Crusie, bestselling author of Bet Me
"An engaging and intelligently written comedy." -- Publishers Weekly
"A sassy, sexy story that proves that being middle-aged is not necessarily the end of the world." -- Tucson Citizen
"Smart, funny, and very real. Alisa Kwitney gets to the heart of relationships and portrays them with wit and honesty." -- Leslie Schnur, author of The Dog Walker --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
专业书评 From Publishers Weekly Despite the appearance of stilettos and a martini within the first two pages, Kwitney's latest novel (after On the Couch) veers into less glamorous, but still humorous, territory than the initial chick lit trappings promise. Nearing 40 and in the midst of a nasty divorce from her philandering actor husband, former soap star Kat Miner takes to teaching English as a second language to support her nine-year-old son, Dashiell. In class, she meets taciturn Icelandic student Magnus Grimmson, who unbeknownst to her, is actually a secret agent sent to make contact with Kat and induce her to bring her long-estranged father—a reclusive, retired CIA agent who may have insider knowledge regarding recent political developments in Kyrgyzstan—out of hiding. Magnus, a bodice-ripper characterization compared to the refreshingly matter-of-fact heroine, falls for Kat and must navigate between his occupational duties and his romantic urges. Though Kwitney resorts to obvious plot revelation in the end, this is an engaging and intelligently written comedy—with a few genuinely titillating sex scenes. (Apr.)
Copyright ? Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist There is a history of betrayal in Kat's life. She's had no contact with her father since he left when she was 10, her ex wants all their cash but no contact with their son, and her friends aren't respectful of her needs. But she does have the support (and annoyance) of having her mother live across the hall, her job as an ESL teacher, and auditions that may give her entry back into her acting career. Although this should be sufficient complication and angst for a novel, Kwitney tosses in an attractive undercover CIA agent assigned to pose as an ESL student so he can locate Kat's father, who was also an agent. Kat needs a boarder, the agent needs a room, and the rest is the stuff that dreamy stories are made of. With the help of our love-smitten CIA agent, Kat learns a great deal about her son, her ex-husband, her friends, and herself and finds the romance that completes her life. If you are looking for a pleasant, undemanding read, this is it. Danise Hoover
Copyright ? American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
文摘 chapter one
"You're too young to retire from sex."
"But I'm too old to put up with all the bullshit that's involved," said Kat, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs. "Besides, the only men I find attractive are the ones I'd be insane to get involved with."
This comment received a mixed review from her friends -- a wry smile from Zandra, a look of concern from Marcy. Shit. Kat had learned the hard way that if she didn't present her depression in a sufficiently amusing manner, she'd wind up having to sit through a steady barrage of unsolicited advice. See a therapist. Take an evening course. Try the new generation of mood-altering drugs.
Yet as much as Kat longed to avoid being on the receiving end of any more prepackaged wisdom, she wasn't sure that she could sustain the requisite level of wit to satisfy her friends. Her feet were sore from walking ten blocks in three-and-a-half-inch heels and her head was beginning to throb from the drone of fifty other peoples' dinner conversations.
"But Kat," said Marcy, "the last time you were single was ten years ago. Are you saying your taste in men hasn't changed at all?"
"Well, I no longer fantasize about Kevin Costner."
"No, seriously. Let's talk about what would attract you now." There was a look of missionary eagerness on her pretty, fine-boned features.
"Marcy, I beseech you, no in-depth analysis." Underneath the table, Kat surreptitiously slipped out of her stilettos. "How about a nice, safe topic, like the pros and cons of government-sponsored torture?"
"Very funny." Zandra reached for her martini, jangling the silver bracelets on her arm. "Am I allowed to mention that there's a guy over at that table who's checking you out?"
Kat tucked her bare feet under her chair. "You always think men are checking us out. He's probably looking for a waiter."
In contrast to Marcy, who seemed to have lost all her fashion sense,
……
