Most Popular Books by Jenny Offill

From the acclaimed author of Weather comes a slim, stunning portrait of a marriage--a beguiling rumination on the mysteries of intimacy, trust, faith, knowledge, and the condition of universal shipwreck that unites us all. ONE OF THE 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR - THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW A Best Book of the Year: The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Vogue.com, Electric Literature, Buzzfeed In the beginning, it was easy to imagine their future. They were young and giddy, sure of themselves and of their love for each other. “Dept. of Speculation” was their code name for all the thrilling uncertainties that lay ahead. Then they got married, had a child and navigated the familiar calamities of family life—a colicky baby, a faltering relationship, stalled ambitions. When their marriage reaches a sudden breaking point, the wife tries to retrace the steps that have led them to this place, invoking everything from Kafka to the Stoics to doomed Russian cosmonauts as she analyzes what is lost and what remains. In language that shimmers with rage and longing and wit, Offill has created a brilliantly suspenseful love story—a novel to read in one sitting, even as its piercing meditations linger long after the last page.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the beloved author of the nationwide best seller Dept. of Speculation comes a “darkly funny and urgent” (NPR) tour de force about a family, and a nation, in crisis. Lizzie works in the library of a university where she was once a promising graduate student. Her side hustle is answering the letters that come in to Hell and High Water, the doom-laden podcast hosted by her former mentor. At first it suits her, this chance to practice her other calling as an unofficial shrink—she has always played this role to her divorced mother and brother recovering from addiction—but soon Lizzie finds herself struggling to strike the obligatory note of hope in her responses. The reassuring rhythms of her life as a wife and mother begin to falter as her obsession with disaster psychology and people preparing for the end of the world grows. A marvelous feat of compression, a mix of great feeling and wry humor, Weather is an electrifying encounter with one of the most gifted writers at work today.

Grace's father believes in science and builds his daughter a dollhouse with lights that really work. Grace's mother takes her skinny-dipping in the lake and teaches her about African hyena men who devour their wives in their sleep. Grace's world, of fact and fiction, marvels and madness, is slowly unraveling because her family is coming apart before her eyes. Now eight-year-old Grace must choose between her two very different, very flawed parents, a choice that will take her on a dizzying journey, away from her home in Vermont to the boozy, flooded streets of New Orleans--and into the equally wondrous and frightening realm of her own imagination. With eloquence and compassion, Jenny Offill weaves a luminous story of a wounded family and of a young girl yearning to understand the difference between fiction, fact, and hope. A novel of vibrant imagination and searing intelligence, Last Things is a stunning literary achievement.

The ingenious author of 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore and a brilliant illustrator and production designer of the Coraline movie have created a hilarious, touching picture book perfect for young animal lovers. Like the Caldecott Medal-winning Officer Buckle and Gloria, Sparky stars a pet who has more to offer than meets the eye. When our narrator orders a sloth through the mail, the creature that arrives isn't good at tricks or hide-and-seek . . . or much of anything. Still, there's something about Sparky that is irresistible. Winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award

A hilarious how-to of "science" experiments, dreamed up by a wildly imaginative kid. Is it possible to eat snowballs doused in ketchup--and nothing else--all winter? Can a washing machine wash dishes? By reading the step-by-step instructions, kids can discover the answers to such all-important questions along with the book's curious narrator. Here are 12 "hypotheses," as well as lists of "what you need," "what to do," and "what happened" that are sure to make young readers laugh out loud as they learn how to conduct science experiments (really!). Jenny Offill and Nancy Carpenter--the ingenious pair that brought you 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore--have outdone themselves in this brilliant and outrageously funny book.

This Parenting Magazine Best Book of the Year and Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year features a kid full of fun ideas. For example, in the morning, gluing her brother's bunny slippers to the floor sounds like a good plan. But now she's not allowed to use glue anymore. And what about when she shows Joey Whipple her underpants—they're only underpants, right? Turns out she's not allowed to do that again, either. And isn't broccoli the perfect gift for any brother? It's just too bad her parents don't think so. But she has the last laugh in this humerous picture book about not-so-great behavior. And don't miss the companion book to 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore: 11 Experiments that Failed, a zany exploration of the scientific method by everyone's favorite troublemaking protagonist.

A child tells an outlandish tale of what took place while a younger sibling was taking a nap.

The ingenious author of 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore and a brilliant illustrator and production designer of the Coraline movie have created a hilarious, touching picture book perfect for young animal lovers. Like the Caldecott Medal-winning Officer Buckle and Gloria, Sparky stars a pet who has more to offer than meets the eye. When our narrator orders a sloth through the mail, the creature that arrives isn't good at tricks or hide-and-seek . . . or much of anything. Still, there's something about Sparky that is irresistible. This Read & Listen edition contains audio narration.

The editors of The Friend Who Got Away are back with a new anthology that will do for money what they did for women’s friendships. Ours is a culture of confession, yet money remains a distinctly taboo subject for most Americans. In this riveting anthology, a host of celebrated writers explore the complicated role money has played in their lives, whether they’re hiding from creditors or hiding a trust fund. This collection will touch a nerve with anyone who’s ever been afraid to reveal their bank balance. In these wide-ranging personal essays, Daniel Handler, Walter Kirn, Jill McCorkle, Meera Nair, Henry Alford, Susan Choi, and other acclaimed authors write with startling candor about how money has strengthened or undermined their closest relationships. Isabel Rose talks about the trials and tribulations of dating as an heiress. Tony Serra explains what led him to take a forty-year vow of poverty. September 11 widow Marian Fontana illuminates the heartbreak and moral complexities of victim compensation. Jonathan Dee reveals the debt that nearly did him in. And in paired essays, Fred Leebron and his wife Katherine Rhett discuss the way fights over money have shaken their marriage to the core again and again. We talk openly about our romantic disasters and family dramas, our problems at work and our battles with addiction. But when it comes to what is or is not in our wallets, we remain determinedly mum. Until now, that is. Money Changes Everything is the first anthology of its kind—an unflinching and on-the-record collection of essays filled with entertaining and enlightening insights into why we spend, save, and steal. The pieces in Money Changes Everything range from the comic to the harrowing, yet they all reveal the complex, emotionally charged role money plays in our lives by shattering the wall of silence that has long surrounded this topic.

Losing a friend can be as painful and as agonizing as a divorce or the end of a love affair, yet it is rarely written about or even discussed. THE FRIEND WHO GOT AWAY is the first book to address this near-universal experience, bringing together the brave, eloquent voices of writers like Francine Prose, Katie Roiphe, Dorothy Allison, Elizabeth Strout, Ann Hood, Diana Abu Jabar, Vivian Gornick, Helen Schulman, and many others. Some write of friends who have drifted away, others of sudden breakups that took them by surprise. Some even celebrate their liberation from unhealthy or destructive relationships. Yet at the heart of each story is the recognition of a loss that will never be forgotten. From stories about friendships that dissolved when one person revealed a hidden self or moved into a different world, to tales of relationships sabotaged by competition, personal ambition, or careless indifference, THE FRIEND WHO GOT AWAY casts new light on the meaning and nature of women’s friendships. Katie Roiphe writes with regret about the period in her life when even close friends seemed expendable compared to men and sex. Mary Morris reveals how a loan led to the unraveling of a lifelong friendship. Vivian Gornick explores how intellectual differences eroded the bond between once inseparable companions. And two contributors, once best friends, tell both sides of the story that led to their painful breakup. Written especially for this anthology and touched with humor, sadness, and sometimes anger, these extraordinary pieces simultaneously evoke the uniqueness of each situation and illuminate the universal emotions evoked by the loss of a friend.

Vreme, vremuri este o carte de ficțiune care rezonează profund cu anxietățile moderne – despre criza climatică, fragilitatea socială și sentimentul că lumea se apropie de un colaps lent, dar inevitabil. Jenny Offill reușește să capteze această stare de neliniște printr-un stil unic, fragmentar, aproape aforistic, care îți dă impresia că răsfoiești notițele mentale ale protagonistei, Lizzie. Aflăm povestea lui Lizzie Benson, o bibliotecară din New York, care începe să lucreze pentru fosta ei profesoară, Sylvia, administrând un podcast despre schimbările climatice și colapsul social. Pe măsură ce răspunde întrebărilor ascultătorilor – de la cele existențiale la cele catastrofale –, Lizzie începe să fie tot mai obsedată de viitorul incert al planetei și de siguranța familiei sale. Vreme, vremuri nu este o carte pentru oricine – nu e un thriller, nu e un roman „clasic” cu acțiune și punct culminant clar. E mai degrabă o nouă formă de exprimare în literatura contemporană, o colecție de gânduri și frânturi de viață care, împreună, creează un portret al lumii moderne aflate pe marginea prăpastiei. ISBN ebook: 9786060889526

« Bureau des spéculations est souvent extrêmement drôle et souvent triste ; carrément direct, malicieusement ironique, voire capricieux. Sa profondeur et son intensité ont vite fait de prendre le lecteur dans ses filets. » The New Yorker Bureau des spéculations est la radiographie d’une histoire d’amour. Une femme adresse à son mari des lettres au dos desquelles elle indique, en guise d’expéditeur : « Bureau des spéculations ». Ils se sont aimés, ont fondé une famille, mais les fissures apparaissent. Elle a oublié ses rêves, est écrasée par les aléas de son quotidien – un logement insalubre, un bébé qui souffre de coliques, l’infidélité. Alors elle s’en remet à la sagesse des grands penseurs. Pour apaiser son mal-être et éviter d’être engloutie par ses angoisses. Pour se sauver elle-même et, peut-être, sauver son couple du naufrage annoncé. Chef-d’oeuvre de concision, ce roman se dévore d’une seule traite. Dans une langue d’où sourdent la rage, l’ironie et le désir, Jenny Offill dissémine des souvenirs parcellaires, des maximes littéraires, des bribes de chansons et de conversations. Au lecteur de suivre le flux de conscience : la forme éclatée fait écho à l’état émotionnel de l’héroïne. Un véritable tour de force. « Un roman miraculeux, qui vous transperce et vous illumine à la fois. » The Guardian

«Una obra maestra total. La novela perfecta para el fin del mundo.» Los Angeles Times «Una novela absolutamente excepcional, quizá el retrato más potente de la Norteamérica de Trump.» The Guardian Lizzie Benson es bibliotecaria en Brooklyn. Divide sus atenciones entre su hijo Eli, su marido Ben y su hermano Henry, que se está recuperando de su adicción a la droga. Además, ayuda a una antigua profesora con el abundante correo que recibe por su exitoso podcast sobre cambio climático, un tema que atrae a extremistas de todo tipo: desde aquellos que se preparan para el fin del mundo hasta los que afirman que la civilización cristiana occidental está en peligro. Y aunque Lizzie intenta ser positiva, ni las clases de meditación ni los consejos que extrae de los estantes de la biblioteca consiguen calmar su inquietud por la situación de su hermano y por la furia que percibe en su entorno. Tras el fenómeno que supuso Departamento de especulaciones, Jenny Offill vuelve a desplegar su prosa mordaz e inteligente y su exquisita construcción fragmentaria para construir una historia que captura a la perfección el clima sentimental y político, el caos y las contradicciones, en que vivimos inmersos. Radicalmente contemporánea, esta aclamada novela sobre nuestro enfermo siglo XXI demuestra que el humor, la belleza y la esperanza son posibles incluso a las puertas del apocalipsis. «Su estructura fragmentaria evoca una intensidad emocional imposible: hay algo en su núcleo que no se puede narrar de forma directa, porque hacerlo sería como mirar el sol. Lo que aquí no podemos mirar es nuestro planeta condenado al desastre.» Leslie Jamison (The New York Times) «Una maestra de la precisión y el detalle (...) es casi milagroso cómo te lleva de un lado a otro, de anécdotas instagrameables a temas de tal profundidad que te conmueven.» John Self (The Times Review) «Nadie escribe sobre la intersección entre el amor y la angustia existencial como Jenny Offill.» Jia Tolentino

A protagonista deste romance, chamada simplesmente de "a esposa", planejava não se casar nunca: "Durante anos, mantive um post-it na minha escrivaninha. NÃO AME, TRABALHE!". Mas, como esta narrativa ágil e fragmentária nos mostra, as vontades por vezes se transformam, e a personagem acaba num relacionamento com um músico, com quem se casa. Alguns anos depois, eles têm uma filha, e as ambições vão se dissolvendo no caos aconchegante da vida doméstica. "Departamento de especulação" é como são assinadas as cartas trocadas entre os dois, nas quais divagam sobre a intimidade, a literatura, a ciência e a arte, e sobre o sentimento de solidão que perpassa a vida. Enquanto o casal atravessa diversas catástrofes mundanas — uma infestação de insetos, uma bebê com cólica, escolhas profissionais motivadas por problemas financeiros —, a esposa medita sobre o lugar que ocupa no mundo. Organizado em capítulos curtos que soam quase como aforismos, este romance mostra de que maneiras a experiência inclassificável do amor materno pode resultar na destruição quase completa do eu. Primeira obra de Jenny Offill publicada no Brasil, Departamento de especulação foi eleito um dos livros do ano pelo New York Times em 2014, alçando-a como uma das escritoras de maior destaque da literatura norte-americana contemporânea.

Considerada una de les 10 millors novel·les de l’any 2014 pel New York Times Review, Departament d’especulacions és una petita joia literària; una brillant, divertida i original història d’amor. Al començament era fàcil poder imaginar el futur, eren joves i esbojarrats. Estaven segurs d’ells mateixos i de l’amor que sentien l’un per l’altre. Podien parlar de poetes, filòsofs i astronautes i conviure amb ratolins i xinxes. Podien imaginar monstres de l’art i riure’s dels pantalons de ioga. El departament d’especulacions només era un joc, un codi particular per dir-se les coses, però amb el temps va esdevenir molt més, una manera d’aprendre a estimar-se al llarg dels anys. Pàgines que mesclen tendresa, excentricitat i una bona dosi de sentit de l’humor, i que es llegeixen com un inusual diari emocional d’una dona, com una radiografia lleugerament esbiaixada de la parella moderna. «És d’Ohio, ell. Això vol dir que no es descuida mai de donar les gràcies al conductor de l’autobús i que no empeny mai per passar al davant a la recollida de maletes. I que tampoc no porta cap llista de totes les persones que el fan enrabiar un dia determinat. La gent és bona de mena. Això és el que pensa ell. Com és que es va casar amb mi, així?»

Grace est une petite fille rêveuse qui perçoit le monde comme plein d’étranges merveilles. Sa mère Anna, ornithologue, y contribue en transformant à ses yeux leur ville du Vermont en un lieu de mystères empli de langages secrets. L’esprit indompté d’Anna s’oppose à celui de son mari, Robert, un professeur de chimie avide de rationalité. Alors qu’Anna sombre dans la folie, en nourrissant sa fille de fables et d’histoires oniriques, Robert se réfugie derrière les théorèmes qui fondent son existence, jusqu’à fuir femme et enfant. Quand sa famille se déchire, Grace comprend qu’elle va se retrouver seule aux côtés de sa mère qui dérive. Commence alors un voyage bouleversant jusqu’au coeur même de sa propre imagination sans limite. Avec une plume aussi délicate qu’ époustouflante, Jenny Offill nous offre un bouleversant portrait de l’innocence propre à l’ enfance et une vision excentrique de la folie. «Un rare mélange de retenue et de miracle dans la construction d’une famille unique.»Publishers Weekly «Joliment écrit, habilement construit et si inventif qu’il est impossible de prévoir les réactions des personnages. Jenny Offll possède une voix si attachante, originale et fantasque, que vous en oublierez de bonne grâce votre incrédulité»The New York Times

Een jonge vrouw combineert werken in de universiteitsbibliotheek met haar gezin, helpt haar afgekickte broer en gaat bijklussen bij haar vroegere promotor die haar onderdompelt in de klimaatproblematiek.