As a child Peter Debauer becomes fascinated by a story he discovers in a volume of fiction edited by his Swiss grandparents. He initially reads only part of the tale, which has been torn from the bound proofs, the blank back pages of which he uses for his homework. He becomes obsessed with this tale of a soldier who comes home to find' what? Debauer doesn't discover until years later, when he finds the missing pages of the story and manages to extrapolate the locale and put the clues together that he has gathered over the ...
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As a child Peter Debauer becomes fascinated by a story he discovers in a volume of fiction edited by his Swiss grandparents. He initially reads only part of the tale, which has been torn from the bound proofs, the blank back pages of which he uses for his homework. He becomes obsessed with this tale of a soldier who comes home to find' what? Debauer doesn't discover until years later, when he finds the missing pages of the story and manages to extrapolate the locale and put the clues together that he has gathered over the intervening years. The crux of the narrative is mystery - and the attempt to unveil identity, both of others and of oneself, and it is told through Peter's search not only for the ending of the this pulp-fiction homecoming story, but also for his search for its author, as he believes the story to be more truth than fiction. Peter knows very little about his father, but amongst all his reading as a child and latterly, as an editor himself, he is sent, for possible German translation and publication, a text written by a man, an esteemed American academic, who must be his father, but who writes and lives his life under an alias. Peter's mother has led him, and his grandparents, to believe Peter's father was dead, but why? To a large degree The Homecoming picks up, thematically, where The Reader left off, and Schlink's preoccupation with return, foreshadowed in his earlier protagonist's references to the Odyssey, is grounded here. Intertwined with this is the narrator's (read Odysseus) own story of discovery and loss; his quest is for his father, and his own identity. The novel is divided into two sections, with parts 1 to 4 forming the search for and discovery of who his father is, and part 5 their meeting, although 'closure' is not really an option, and Debauer never reveals his identity to his father.
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Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
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Very good. All items inspected and guaranteed. All Orders Dispatched from the UK within one working day. Established business with excellent service record.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
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Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Damaged cover. The cover of is slightly damaged for instance a torn or bent corner.
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Very good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
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Very good in very good dust jacket. First Edition. A hardback First Edition in Very Good or better condition, Near Fine, in a similar dustjacket. This book is in stock now, in our UK premises. Photos of our books are available on request (the pictures you see on Alibris are NOT our own). Are you outside UK? Then unless you arrange shipping 'Via Alibris' we WILL cancel your order; this is due to the derisory shipping allowance that Alibris make to sellers for overseas orders.
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From the author of The Reader, a mesmerising tale of discovery, identity and forgivenessWhen thirteen-year-old Peter discovers an old manuscript in his family home it instantly captivates him. The manuscript tells the compelling story of a German soldier's homecoming after escaping from a POW camp, but the document is incomplete. Years later, the adult Peter rediscovers the text and goes in search of the missing pages-but far from unearthing an ending, he finds himself at the beginning of a quest that leads him across Europe to New York City, to the mystery of his father's disappearance, a love story, and the question of his own identity...'A fine novel' Guardian'A brave attempt at confronting Germany's stained past and uncertain identity' Daily Telegraph'An accomplished and intelligent writer' Evening Standard'A novel of great density and power' Literary Review'An invigorating read' MetroA novel beloved by thousands of readers'Too good to finish' *****'Highly recommended' *****'A must read' *****'Brilliant' *****'Complex and profound' *****