The Touchstone (The Art of the Novella) (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'Every line is a joy.' - The Guardian" --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

"Small wonders"
—Time Out London

"I wanted them all, even those I'd already read."
—Ron Rosenbaum, The New York Observer

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 124 pages
• Publisher: The Art of the Novella (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097460786X
• ISBN-13: 978-0974607863
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,624,602 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This item is part of The Art of Novella Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly Contemporary - 100 years ahead of its time, September 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Touchstone (Hardcover)

Because I am adapting this novella for Warner Bros as a feature film, I'm interested in hearing what readers have to say about it. This is Wharton's first novella, written at a time when she was still developing her craft as a writer; the story can appear woefully underwritten. Still, the story is mesmerizing and dangerous, a Faustian tale of betrayal, greed and the consequences paid, and the more often I read through it, the more hidden meanings emerge. When you read it, think of the lover who sold Princess Diana's first secrets of their affair to the tabloids, and the consequences since. What ever happened to that man? Perhaps, like Stephen Glennard in "The Touchstone", he has gone mad from guilt, which, ironically enough, might prove he has a conscious after all.