The Matter With Morris

An “immaculately written, trenchantly honest, hugely compelling” novel from the Giller Prize–winning author of Stranger (Globe and Mail). When Morris Schutt, a prominent newspaper columnist, surveys his life over the past year, he sees disaster everywhere. His son has just been killed in Afghanistan, and his newspaper has put him on indefinite leave; his psychiatrist wife, Lucille, seems headed for the door; he is strongly attracted to Ursula, the wife of a dairy farmer from Minnesota; and his daughter appears to be having an affair with one of her professors. What is a thinking man to do but turn to Cicero and Plato and Socrates in search of the truth? Or better still, to call one of those discreet “dating services” in search of happiness? But happiness, as Morris discovers, is not that easy to find. David Bergen’s most accomplished novel, The Matter with Morris, is an unforgettable story with a vitality, charm, and intelligence all its own. Bergen proves once again that he is a rare and exceptional writer, dazzling us with his wit and touching us with his compassion. “The Matter With Morris is more interested in showing that simply getting on with life is one of the best ways to counter grief, a premise it supports with quiet effectiveness.”—The New York Times Book Review “A beautiful, smart, deeply moving book.”—Miriam Toews, author of A Complicated Kindness “Bergen writes earnestly about dignity and duty, particularly as they apply to fatherhood and women.” —Booklist

Morris Schutt, a prominent newspaper columnist, is experiencing disaster. His son has just been killed in Afghanistan; his newspaper has put him on indefinite leave; his wife is leaving him; he is strongly attracted to another woman; and his daughter appears to be having an affair with one of her professors. He tries Cicero, Plato and Socrates for truth and a discreet dating service for happiness, but discovers that they're not that easy to find.

Set in the current day, this is the final book in Morris Gleitzman's series that began with Once, continued with Then and is . . . Now. Felix is a grandfather. He has achieved much in his life and is widely admired in the community. He has mostly buried the painful memories of his childhood, but they resurface when his granddaughter Zelda comes to stay with him. Together they face a cataclysmic event armed only with their with gusto and love—an event that helps them achieve salvation from the past, but also brings the possibility of destruction. Now is one of Kirkus Reviews' Best Children's Books of 2012

The book that inspired the Academy Award–winning short film, from New York Times bestselling author and beloved visionary William Joyce. Morris Lessmore loved words. He loved stories. He loved books. But every story has its upsets. Everything in Morris Lessmore’s life, including his own story, is scattered to the winds. But the power of story will save the day. Stunningly brought to life by William Joyce, one of the preeminent creators in children’s literature, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a modern masterpiece, showing that in today’s world of traditional books, eBooks, and apps, it’s story that we truly celebrate—and this story, no matter how you tell it, begs to be read again and again.

Travel through Wales and epic view of a small country.

When Morris Schutt, a prominent newspaper columnist, surveys his life over the past year, he sees disaster everywhere. His son has just been killed in Afghanistan and his newspaper has put him on indefinite leave; his psychiatrist wife, Lucille, seems headed for the door; he is strongly attracted to Ursula, the wife of a dairy farmer from Minnesota; and his daughter appears to be having an affair with one of her professors. The Matter with Morris is an unforgettable story with a vitality, charm and intelligence all its own. Born in 1930 in a small town outside Winnipeg, beautiful Hope Koop appears destined to have a conventional life. Church, marriage to a steady young man, children—her fortunes are already laid out for her, as are the shiny modern appliances in her new home. All she has to do is stay with Roy, who loves her. But as the decades unfold, what seems to be a safe, predictable existence overwhelms Hope. Where—among the demands of her children, the expectations of her husband and the challenges of her best friend, Emily, who has just read The Feminine Mystique—is there room for her? And just who is she anyway? A wife, a mother, a woman whose life is somehow unrealized? The Age of Hope spans some fifty years of Hope Koop’s life in the second half of the 20th century, from traditionalism to feminism and beyond. David Bergen has created an indelible portrait of a seemingly ordinary woman who struggles to accept herself as she is, and in so doing becomes unique.

Short stories by an author who offers “shrewd, bitingly funny commentary on his own privileged class” (Time). In nine stories that move between nouveau riche Los Angeles and the working class East Coast, and strike a balance between comedy and catastrophe, Kevin Morris explores the vicissitudes of modern life. Whether looking for creative ways to let off steam after a day in court or enduring chaperone duties on a school field trip to the nation’s capital, the heroes of White Man’s Problems struggle to navigate the challenges that accompany marriage, family, success, failure, growing up, and getting older. “Kevin Morris is that rare writer who bridges the class divide, illuminating the lives of working class characters and affluent professionals with equal authenticity and insight. White Man’s Problems is a revelatory collection that marks the arrival of striking new voice in American fiction.” —Tom Perrotta “The echoes here are of a former generation of American writers—John Cheever, John Updike, Raymond Carver.” —USA Today “Life undermines the pursuit of success and status in these rich, bewildering stories . . . A finely wrought and mordantly funny take on a modern predicament by a new writer with loads of talent.” —Kirkus Reviews