The Waiting Game

The Waiting Game

by Bernice Rubens (Author), Bernice Rubens (Author)

Synopsis

At 'The Hollyhocks' old people's home, the inhabitants are 'waiting for the scythe'. But while they are waiting...Lady Celia is running a blackmailing business on the side, Mr Cross keeps a tally of fellow residents' deaths on the back of his wardrobe, and then there is the rabid old Scots nationalist, and Mrs Green, a woman with a mysterious past. Hardly surprising in this environment that Mrs Bellamy decides she can't take any more and slits her throat. When Matron hushes it up because it would be bad for business, Lady Celia sees an opportunity to expand her blackmailing operation. Meanwhile two new incomers disturb the life of the home further; Mrs Feinberg, a sprightly Jewish woman of whom the other residents are immediately suspicious, and the elegant Mr Rufus. Hidden pasts, unusual sexual preferences and wickedly dark humour are mixed to delicious effect in Bernice Rubens' wonderful new novel.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
Edition: 1st Abacus Edition
Publisher: Abacus
Published: 10 Sep 1998

ISBN 10: 0349109028
ISBN 13: 9780349109022
Book Overview: * Full colour posters * Review coverage * Author PR to include literary festivals * Submitted for Waterstone's Recommends

Media Reviews
At once taboo-breakingly funny and sentiently profound ... astonishing * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *
Rubens is compassionately eloquent. She also, as always, gleefully extracts comedy from the most unlikely sources * DAILY TELEGRAPH *
A vision of old age that owes nothing to political correctness ... honest and humane * INDEPENDENT *
Hilarious ... intelligent and funny, Ruben s' splendid prose is untainted by phoney sentiment ... read it and don't weep * EVENING STANDARD *
Author Bio
Bernice Rubens was born in Wales & later read English at the University of Wales. In 1970 she won the Booker Prize for THE ELECTED MEMBER. A FIVE YEAR SENTENCE was also nominated for the award. 2 books have been filmed, I SENT A LETTER TO MY LOVE and MADAME SOUSATZKA, & MR WAKEFIELD'S CRUSADE was made into a TV series.