The Hazards of Good Breeding A Novel [Paperback]

Reading Jessica Shattuck's pitch perfect first novel is like spying on the children and grandchildren of John Cheever's Wapshots.In her poised and astute first novel&Shattuck unleashes a skewering gift for social commentary.Shattuck is a wonderful writer. Her domestic interiors and etched portraits of 'Bostonus erectus' evoke the surface of Vermeer, the gentle bite of Austen&A gracefully choreographed novel that shines a sharp, clear light on a dying world and brings it to vivid life.[With a] keen understanding of human nature and frailty [Shattuck] often displays a magnetic use of detail that not only makes her scenes come visually alive but also illuminates character.Jessica Shattuck has written a thoughtful and elegant first novel, full of insight and humor. It is set in a rarefied world, one that she knows intimately and reveals perceptively; one which, for all its flaws and eccentricities, she loves.With great skill and wisdom Jessica Shattuck weaves an intricate domestic web that highlights the most vulnerable threads in a myriad of relationships: parents, children, friends, and lovers.An excellent novel&The author avoids contrivance in presenting sensitive issues experienced by totally credible, thoughtful people and comes up with a new understanding of American life every bit as affecting as Richard YatessWith her sharp eye for detail and witty, winning prose, Jessica Shattuck takes the familiar story of a high-WASP familys demise and turns it on its head. There are at least fifteen certifiable pleasures in every paragraph of this charming, intelligent, exceedingly well-crafted debut.The pitch perfect (