PowellsBooks.Blog

Jeffrey Eugenides hit the ground running with his first novel in 1993. Not only did The Virgin Suicides receive rave reviews and go on to be made into a critically acclaimed movie by Sofia Coppola, it also possessed that rare, intangible quality that garners certain particularly visceral novels an enduring cult following. Nine years later, his second book, Middlesex, achieved more traditional markers of success. It received the Pulitzer Prize and was selected by Oprah for her book club, virtually guaranteeing it would become a bestseller (which it did) — and it continues to be a Powell's favorite among staff and customers.

Obviously, Eugenides' next book would have a lot to live up to. And we're here to say, it succeeded. As Publishers Weekly put it, "[The Marriage Plot] so impressively, ambitiously breaks the mold of its predecessor that it calls for the founding of a new prize to recognize its success both as a novel — and as a Jeffrey Eugenides novel."

Very different in scope and scale than Middlesex, The Marriage Plot centers on the lives of three students in their last years of college. It's the early 1980s, and Madeleine, Leonard, and Mitchell are searching for meaning in literature, the world at large, and each other. This marvelous novel is a study in paradox. Both a love-triangle and a coming-of-age story, it's filled with characters who are at once utterly recognizable and wonderfully new. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews praised: "Dazzling work — Eugenides continues to show that he is one of the finest of contemporary novelists." We absolutely agree.

Our inclusion of Silas Marner was greatly inspired by Eugenides' protagonist Madeleine. Madeleine is many things. But at heart she's a student of literature; the "marriage plot" of the title refers to her work on the role of marriage in 19th-century novels, and she has a special fondness for those of Jane Austen, George Eliot, and Henry James. In homage to Madeleine's tastes (and, to be honest, we love those authors, too), we've included a copy of the Penguin Classics Edition of one of George Eliot's greatest works. Not only is this edition particularly beautiful, it contributes to a good cause: Penguin will donate half the profits from the sale of this book to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Whether this gives you the opportunity to revisit the beloved classic or discover the story for the first time, we hope you enjoy this addition.

÷ ÷ ÷

A collective of high muckamucks, the Panjandrums largely spend their time in competitive Bananagram duels and negotiations regarding Pie Friday — not to mention painstakingly designing each installment of Powell's subscription club, Indiespensable, with the help of independent publishers and local merchants. From time to time, they find it entertaining to give you a look at the hows and whys behind the what. But, if you're yearning for more, send questions, suggestions, and random anecdotes to indiespensable@powells.com. (They especially like stories about pets, babies, and pie fillings.)

Books mentioned in this post

1. 
   $28.00 New Hardcover add to wish list

   The Marriage Plot

   Jeffrey EugenidesJeffrey Eugenides 9780374203054
2. 
   $11.00 New Mass Market add to wish list

   Silas Marner: Red Edition

   George EliotGeorge Eliot 9780141195438
3. 
   $5.50 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

   Middlesex

   Jeffrey EugenidesJeffrey Eugenides 9780312422158
4. 
   $14.00 New Trade Paper add to wish list

   The Virgin Suicides

   Jeffrey EugenidesJeffrey Eugenides 9780312428815