Anita Shreve's earlier novels have proved her to be a sensitive
analyst of the most intricate workings of the heart. She does not
deal with the fervent rollercoaster of love, but rather the
simmering cauldron, the barely suppressed desire, the nature of
secrecy and the power of betrayal. This latest novel is vintage
Shreve; with her customary grace, she dissects the marriage of
Nicholas van Tassel and Etna Bliss to expose the raw misery of a
passion which is not reciprocated. Nicholas first catches sight of
the elegant Etna Bliss in the aftermath of a hotel fire. A somewhat
pompous, studious college professor, bound up with his work on Sir
Walter Scott and unable to relate to his students, van Tassel finds
himself embroiled in an inexplicable passion for this beautiful,
distant woman. Passion quickly becomes obsession - he is determined
nothing shall stand in the way of their marriage. Despite her
initial refusal of his proposal, van Tassel does offer Etna a means
of escape from the claustrophobic confines of her sister's house.
She makes no secret of her lack of affection for Nicholas - 'This
must be said: I do not love you' - but he is convinced that time
and a growing physical intimacy will warm her heart towards him.
Nicholas's hopes are destined to be dashed, however, as the couple
fail to find any spark of sexual compatibility. Nicholas is
distraught when he realizes his adored Etna is not a virgin on
their wedding night - unable to confront her about her past, this
knowledge eats away at him, until his jealousy becomes even more
obsessive than his desire. The years drift by, two children are
born and it seems that an accommodation of sorts has been reached;
Nicholas is up for the post of Dean of Thrupp College, and feels
certain that he will be elected. But the arrival of a handsome
young academic to deliver a series of lectures shatters this
illusion. Long-buried passions resurface, secrets are revealed and
as he senses everything he wanted crumbling around him, Nicholas is
driven to terrible lengths in order to cling on to his wife and his
sanity. This is a brilliant and painful exploration of hopeless
love. (Kirkus UK)
A man escaping from a hotel fire sees a woman standing beneath a tree. He approaches her and sets in motion a series of events that will change his life forever.
Years later, traveling from New England to Florida by train, he reflects back on his obsession with this unknown and ultimately unknowable woman - his courtship of her, his marriage to her, and the unforgivable act that ripped their family apart.
Spanning three decades from 1899 to 1933, All He Ever Wanted gives us a tale of marriage, betrayal and the search for redemption. It has the unmatched attention to details of character, place and emotion that have made Anita Shreve one of the world's best-loved and bestselling novelists.
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