Second marriage

by Frederick Barthelme

Second Marriage, Frederick Barthelme's first novel, follows on the heels of Moon Deluxe, his acclaimed collection of stories, and is certain to enhance Barthelme's reputation as one of the most accomplished writers of his generation. As Margaret Atwood wrote in The New York Times Book Review in her front-page review of his work, "It is impossible to conceive of any writer doing what he does better than he does it." The novel tells the story of the marriage between Henry and Theo-her first, his second-of their life together, their separation, and the events that ensure. Set in typical Barthelme territory-the new South of suburban communities, clipped lawns, busy shopping centers, fast-food drive-ins, and backyard swimming pools-Second Marriage displays the cool, affectionate observation of place and character and the command of craft that have distinguished Barthelme's previous fiction. The story begins with Henry's first wife Clare, in flight from her present life, moves in with Henry