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Lady Jean by Noel Virtue

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Jean Barrie is an enormously successful, award-winning singer who spends her time in self-imposed retreat in her huge, dark St. John's Wood home. Here she wanders around the empty rooms drinking gin and vodka. Upstairs in the attic lives her mysterious lodger, The Fallen Nun. Beyond the house, Jean's narrow world is inhabited by her octogenarian Aunt Dizzy, who smokes hand-rolled cigars, wears blood-red hot pants, and gave up aerobics at 79; Jean's best friend Freida-the self-styled Devils Dyke; and Christopher-a 17-year-old with a Bible-bashing mother and a passion for his Uncle Fergus-who tends the garden and cleans the house. But Jean's solitude is about to be invaded: the house rapidly becomes a haven for eccentric souls drawn to her by chance or design, and sudden death and revelations of past horrors dart in from unexpected directions. A satisfying gem of offbeat humor with dark tragedy, Lady Jean is Virtue at his best, as he skillfully weaves his narrative into a unique tapestry. A romantic novel from one of New Zealand's most revered writers. Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly New Zealand-born Virtue (Among the Animals; Sandspit Crossing, etc.) isn't well-known in the U.S., but his excellent novels have been published to considerable acclaim in Britain since 1987. Lady Jean Barrie is a legendary British blues singer who retired for mysterious reasons at the height of her fame and now lives, semireclusively, in a big manse on Acacia Road in London. Publishers have hired a young ghostwriter, Anthony Hibbert, to try to coax her life story onto tape and into a book. Unbeknownst to Jean, her elusive tenant, Catherine Truman (nicknamed the Fallen Nun by Jean's best friend, an outrageous lesbian named Frieda), is also listening in, her intentions less than honorable. In Jean's 58th year, her house suddenly fills up. First, she takes in her Aunt Dizzy, a wealthy, endearing oddball with a checkered past. The management of the exclusive hotel to which Aunt Dizzy had retired have gotten fed up with her eccentricities, which include hanging her rinsed undies out the windows of her rooms. Then Christopher Harcourt, Jean's teenaged handyman, needs a room, having been abruptly thrown out of his home by his evangelical mother when she discovered him in the arms of her brother, Fergus. Next, having found her ex-husband's father, Ivan Fitzpatrick, puttering around in a seedy apartment in Bath grieving his dead wife, Jean invites him to stay in the house in Catherine Truman's now vacated room. Frieda, temporarily hiding from an overbearing girlfriend, moves in, too followed by Mr. Harcourt, Christopher's father. Like Henry Green in Loving, Virtue immerses us in the folkways of an enormous household, letting the humor emerge from the gradual accumulation of juxtaposed eccentricities. The result is a delightful conglomeration of high spirits, Wildean wit and rattled optimism. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Review Noel Virtue is a master of true comedy, that fine blend of the forlorn and the poignant wth the outrageously funny. Lady Jean maay well be his best novel to date . . . to be read slowly and with growing appreciation. -Ruth Rendell Review Noel Virtue is a master of true comedy, that fine blend of the forlorn and the poignant wth the outrageously funny. Lady Jean maay well be his best novel to date . . . to be read slowly and with growing appreciation. -Ruth Rendell About the Author Noel Virtue was born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1947. The author of eight novels and an autobiography, he is now established as one of New Zealand's leading contemporary novelists.
Publication Details

Title: Lady Jean

Author(s):

  • Noel Virtue

Illustrator:

Binding: Paperback

Published by: Peter Owen Publishers: , 2001

Edition:

ISBN: 9780720611335 | 0720611334

200 pages. 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches

  • ENG- English
Book Condition: Good

Bottom edge soiled
958a

Pickup currently unavailable at Book Express Warehouse

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Product information

What does the Book Condition Very Good mean? Good? Fair?
See our descriptions of book descriptions here: book's conditions.
What does ffep stand for?
Front-facing endpaper - the first page of a book inside the cover. This page is typically blank. Often people will write their name on this page at the top, or a gift message - which is why you will see ‘owner’s name on ffep’ in some of our book descriptions.
What does dj stand for?
Dust Jacket - the outer paper wrapping on a hardback book. If we mention a book is ’No dj’ this means it should have a dust jacket but it is missing.
What is foxing?
Foxing is an age-related process of deterioration that causes spots and browning on old books. The causes of foxing are not well understood, but high humidity may contribute to to foxing. 
Foxing - Wikipedia
What is tanning?
Age tanning, or browning, occurs over time on the pages of books. This process can show up on just the edges of pages, when this occurs it is sometimes referred to as "edge tanning." This kind of deterioration is commonly seen in books printed before the advent of acid-free paper in the 1980s.
r/BookCollecting - Is this mold or normal aging for a well used book?
 
Where do you get your books from?
We buy books from the public and also take donations. We travel regularly around the Wellington/Manawatu region, and will go further afield to collect larger quantities in our big van. We also like to go to book fairs and other charity events and buy books that catch our eye.
Are your photos of the actual books being sold?
It depends - we have sometimes used stock images for very common books but are in the process of photographing our entire inventory. This will take awhile to finish! If we have 10 copies of the Da Vinci code all in Very Good condition, we will just photograph one and use that to represent all 10 in stock. However if the next copy of worn and only in Fair condition, we will photograph that separately and create a new listing for it.
What is the most expensive book you have sold?
To date it was a first edition first printing copy of JRR Tolkien’s The Two Towers. It was in very poor condition but still was worth over NZ$1000.
What is your favourite book to sell?
I love seeing anything written by Stephen King - they just do not stay in our inventory for very long before someone spots it and buys it. And Alison Holst’s book on muffins will not stay in inventory very long either - too cheap at $7 maybe?
Why do you also sell mailing supplies?
We had a lot of trouble sourcing the right sort of bubble mailer to send our books out in, and eventually found a supplier of high quality mailers in China to import them from. We figured other sellers of small items in New Zealand might like to also use them.
Are you open to the public?
Unfortunately our books are all stored in a large warehouse in boxes so they are not easily browsable. The SKU number for a book tells us where to find it in the warehouse, but there is absolutely no order to where things are stored! We do allow pickups so if you find what you like online you can order it and drop in to pick up p, saving on shipping.

 

New Zealand Delivery

Shipping Options

Shipping options are shown at checkout and will vary depending on the delivery address and weight of the books.

We endeavour to ship the following day after your order is made and to have pick up orders available the same day. We ship Monday-Friday. Any orders made on a Friday afternoon will be sent the following Monday. We are unable to deliver on Saturday and Sunday.

Pick Up is Available in NZ:

Warehouse Pick Up Hours

  • Monday - Friday: 9am-5pm
  • 35 Nathan Terrace, Shannon NZ

Please make sure we have confirmed your order is ready for pickup and bring your confirmation email with you.

Rates

  • New Zealand Standard Shipping - $6.00
  • New Zealand Standard Rural Shipping - $10.00
  • Free Nationwide Standard Shipping on all Orders $75+

Please allow up to 5 working days for your order to arrive within New Zealand before contacting us about a late delivery. We use NZ Post and the tracking details will be emailed to you as soon as they become available. There may be some courier delays that are out of our control. 

International Delivery

We currently ship to Australia and a range of international locations including: Belgium, Canada, China, Switzerland, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, United States, Hong Kong SAR, Thailand,  Philippines, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden & Singapore. If your country is not listed, we may not be able to ship to you, or may only offer a quoting shipping option, please contact us if you are unsure.

International orders normally arrive within 2-4 weeks of shipping. Please note that these orders need to pass through the customs office in your country before it will be released for final delivery, which can occasionally cause additional delays. Once an order leaves our warehouse, carrier shipping delays may occur due to factors outside our control. We, unfortunately, can’t control how quickly an order arrives once it has left our warehouse. Contacting the carrier is the best way to get more insight into your package’s location and estimated delivery date.

  • Global Standard 1 Book Rate: $37 + $10 for every extra book up to 20kg
  • Australia Standard 1 Book Rate: $14 + $4 for every extra book

Any parcels with a combined weight of over 20kg will not process automatically on the website and you will need to contact us for a quote.

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On checkout you can either opt to pay by credit card (Visa, Mastercard or American Express), Google Pay, Apple Pay, Shop Pay & Union Pay. Paypal, Afterpay and Bank Deposit.

Transactions are processed immediately and in most cases your order will be shipped the next working day. We do not deliver weekends sorry.

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Contact Details

  • Trade Name: Book Express Ltd
  • Phone Number: (+64) 22 852 6879
  • Email: sales@bookexpress.co.nz
  • Address: 35 Nathan Terrace, Shannon, 4821, New Zealand.
  • GST Number: 103320957 - We are registered for GST in New Zealand
  • NZBN: 9429031911290

       

      We have a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after receiving your item to request a return.

      To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it, unworn or unread. 

      To start a return, you can contact us at sales@bookexpress.co.nz. Please note that returns will need to be sent to the following address: 35 Nathan Terrace, Shannon, New Zealand 4821. 

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