Games and Rituals

Katherine Heiny author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers

Published:14th Mar '24

Should be back in stock very soon

This paperback is available in another edition too:

Games and Rituals cover

This collection features eleven captivating stories exploring love in its many forms, showcasing characters navigating life's absurdities and tenderness, all infused with Katherine Heiny's signature humor and warmth.

In "Games and Rituals," Katherine Heiny presents a delightful collection of eleven short stories that explore the complexities of love and relationships. With her trademark wit and warmth, Heiny captures the essence of human connection through a variety of engaging scenarios. From friendships forged in airport bars to the humorous entanglements of ex-spouses, each story offers a unique perspective on love in its many forms, both absurd and profound.

The characters in Heiny's stories navigate life's challenges with a blend of mischief and tenderness. In "Bridesmaid, Revisited," Marilee grapples with a personal crisis while donning an oversized bridesmaid dress at work, showcasing the absurdity of her situation. Meanwhile, "Twist and Shout" features an elderly father who confuses his expensive hearing aid for a snack, highlighting the humorous side of aging. Through these anecdotes, Heiny skillfully intertwines humor with relatable dilemmas, inviting readers to reflect on their own experiences.

Ultimately, "Games and Rituals" is a testament to Katherine Heiny's ability to illuminate the quirks of everyday life. Her characters are often caught in comical predicaments, yet they are grounded in a sense of authenticity and kindness. This collection not only entertains but also resonates with readers, reminding us of the beauty found in our imperfections and the connections we cherish. Heiny's storytelling shines brightly, making this book a heartwarming addition to contemporary literature.

Praise for Games and Rituals

‘Heiny has the comic writer’s knack of taking a character’s idiosyncrasies (…) and making them joyfully relatable. (And she can say more in a pithy parenthesis than many writers manage in a page.) She has a genius for spinning universality out of the absurdly specific’
THE GUARDIAN

‘Superb… as near perfection as, say, Donald Trump is far from it… Heiny is habitually congratulated for writing feelgood stories, but if these pointed, satirical, emotionally ruthless takes on humanity merely made me feel good, I wouldn’t value them half as much.’
THE TIMES

‘For any reader yet to encounter Katherine Heiny, this sparky new story collection provides a joyous introduction…The deadpan delivery, the bittersweet wisdom, the sublime farce – it’s all here.’
THE OBSERVER

Anyone who has read any of Heiny’s previous work will know she has a knack for capturing all the vicissitudes of love in a way that few other writers can. Games and Rituals is no different, bringing the minutiae of our everyday interactions to life with humour and clarity.’
iNEWS

Short stories sometimes leave you wanting more but each one in this collection is as satisfying as any novel… All human life is here and Heiny exposes its complexity with wit and poignancy’
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

‘I’m a devoted fan of Katherine Heiny. I can’t think of another writer who manages to gets so under the skin of her characters…These might be short stories but each one contains multitudes.’
RED MAGAZINE

‘Games and Rituals, full of relatably weird characters discovering their self-deceptions, proves her to be the most pleasurable architect of the short story form writing today…Her radar for people’s eccentricities is exquisite’
INDEPENDENT

‘Witty, astute and delightfully accessible’
SUNDAY TIMES

ISBN: 9780008395179

Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 20mm

Weight: 180g

240 pages