{"product_id":"book-of-extraordinary-tragedies-paperback","title":"Book of Extraordinary Tragedies - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJoe Meno\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Joe Meno is one of those Chicago writers floating around so long that we take his sturdiness for granted. His latest, though, \u003cem\u003eBook of Extraordinary Tragedies, \u003c\/em\u003e the tale of Evergreen Park musical prodigies who reunite after ages of failure and loss, is a career best, a reminder of how unusually hopeful and buoyant Meno has remained all this time. It's a charmer and a breakthrough.\" \u003cstrong\u003e--\u003cem\u003eChicago Tribune, \u003c\/em\u003e Fall Books Preview\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"As in all his tender and edgy fiction, Meno's poetic prose is infused with sweet compassion and sharp protest as he marvels over 'the beautiful failure of all human beings struggling against their own glorious mistakes' while, somehow, finding a way forward.\" \u003cstrong\u003e--\u003cem\u003eBooklist\u003c\/em\u003e, Starred Review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Aleksandar and Isobel are siblings and former classical music prodigies, once destined for greatness. As the only Eastern European family growing up on their block on the far southside of Chicago, the pair were inseparable until each was forced to confront the absurdity of tragedy at an early age and abandon their musical ambitions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Now in their twenties, they find themselves encountering ridiculous jobs, unfulfilling romantic relationships, and the outrageousness of ordinary life. Doomed by fate, a family history of failure, an odd mother, an absent father, and a younger brother with a peculiar fondness for catastrophes, the two siblings have all but given up.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But when an illness forces Isobel and her three-year-old daughter to move back into the family home, Aleks becomes deeply involved in the endless challenges that surround his relatives. Once Isobel begins playing cello again, Aleks comes to see a world of possibility and wonder in the lives of his extraordinarily complicated family.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Told in Aleks's exuberant voice, and full of as much comedy as tragedy, this entertaining novel asks, \u003cem\u003eIs it ever truly possible to separate our fates from those we've come to love?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJoe Meno\u003c\/b\u003e is a fiction writer and journalist who lives in Chicago. Winner of the Nelson Algren Literary Award, a Pushcart Prize, and a finalist for the Story Prize, Meno is the best-selling author of several novels and short story collections including \u003ci\u003eMarvel and a Wonder\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Great Perhaps\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Boy Detective Fails\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eHairstyles of the Damned\u003c\/i\u003e. He is a professor in the English and Creative Writing Department at Columbia College Chicago.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 352\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.4 x 8.2 x 5.4 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 06, 2022\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51766308241696,"sku":"9781636140612","price":17.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/0c7ca6cbf699a071d0e74a11f11e6f77.webp?v=1780289859","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/book-of-extraordinary-tragedies-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}