List Price: $40.99 Details

Save: $19.29 (47%)

$3.99 delivery August 25 - 28. Details

Select delivery location

Only 1 left in stock - order soon

$$21.70 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Payment

Secure transaction

Ships from

Lindon8980

Sold by

Lindon8980

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Details

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Ships from

Lindon8980

Sold by

Lindon8980

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.

Read full return policy

FREE delivery August 25 - 30. Details

Select delivery location

Used: Very Good | Details

Sold by Yellow Book Sales

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Other Sellers on Amazon

Added

Not added

$25.69
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: Prime Goods Outlet

Added

Not added

$33.10
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: BunkoBooks

Added

Not added

$40.99
& FREE Shipping. Details

Sold by: Amazon.com

Flip to back Flip to front

See all 2 images

Follow the Author

Tom Shone

In the Rooms: A Novel Hardcover – April 12, 2011

by Tom Shone (Author)

3.9 21 ratings

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$21.70","priceAmount":21.70,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"21","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"70","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"ijGMd2f6LgNf6%2B0YigsWi%2FB9%2F8WIwCM7e43XcCA12ofhH3Rl6EFpU5K6lzCybIlNjQcCCiSzg4mY8B7ClEAKGwLD6mpli2ONbhptPmCk3IFyc22SD1YjjR4oktXoXXqvgUe%2BNxUL31fJ06MD14EV0I3UoiC86eauD%2FHD6%2F2S2Np9InHBSYWmc3%2FHhqK4%2FVmd","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$4.95","priceAmount":4.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"4","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"ijGMd2f6LgNf6%2B0YigsWi%2FB9%2F8WIwCM7tT6jzI7LTkTWU6bp0uxx24%2FPrwz39ft4go9JykbHlo10RlNXnGTyeSyNPGSqn%2BqA%2FEMAVBdvIb8wwM3%2FbEaZy75dPvOdTuPuAZpj0YQfNBaqF6wd1ZsWW%2F3de71kr71xpQsqTjb2n8ltrMUjhx%2FqvVZhxdMdU7BK","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Part Nick Hornby, part Jay McInerney, with a dash of vermouth, In the Rooms is a warm, sharply observed comedy about sex, lies, drinking, and second chances

London literary agent Patrick Miller comes to New York dreaming of joining the big league, only to find himself selling celebrity dog books. But when he spots legendary novelist Douglas Kelsey on the street and follows him into an AA meeting, a world of opportunity beckons. Who knew that sobriety offered such networking possibilities? Or that the women would be so attractive? Soon he's a regular attendee at AA meetings, but there's only one problem―he's not an alcoholic.

Print length

352 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Thomas Dunne Books
Publication date

April 12, 2011
Dimensions

6 x 0.94 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

0312622783
ISBN-13

978-0312622787
See all details

Tom Shone
301
Hardcover
64 offers from $12.80
Tom Shone
158
Hardcover
15 offers from $36.37
Tom Shone
74
Hardcover
39 offers from $34.19
Tom Shone
10
Hardcover
18 offers from $27.60
Tom Shone
85
Hardcover
15 offers from $10.99
Tom Shone
118
Hardcover
18 offers from $9.71

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tom Shone is a former film critic for the Sunday Times. He has written for Talk magazine, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and the London Telegraph. His book, How Hollywood Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Summer, was published by Free Press in 2004. In the Rooms was his first novel. Educated at Oxford, he lives in New York City.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas Dunne Books; Reprint edition (April 12, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0312622783
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312622787
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.16 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.94 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #9,447,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #64,118 in Humorous Fiction
- #300,133 in Literary Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
3.9 21 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

Important information

To report an issue with this product, click here.

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Tom Shone

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

The film critic of The Sunday Times, I have written six books, including Blockbuster: How Hollywood Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Summer (Simon & Schuster, 2004), Scorsese: A Retrospective (Abrams, 2014) and The Nolan Variations (Knopf, 2020). My writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Vogue and New York. I also teach film history at NYU.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5

21 global ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Captain

Easy Does It

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2011

Verified Purchase

Viewed from the point of a recovering alcoholic the book is quite different than most reviewers see it. It is full of the funny, quirky, feeling, dilusional, denial that we experience done up in a new way. It also portrays the out of control spiral we get into as we try to over-control our lives. I saw myself on every page. All the material anyone need for an AA Step 1.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kindle Customer

It's as good as it gets

Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2011

Verified Purchase

I found Tom Shone in one of his razor sharp literary columns ripping some poor soul about something which I can't remember; however, his writing was so extraordinary that I was moved to find another of his offerings. Up popped "In the Rooms."
In my lifetime I've only read a handful of authors whom I would classify as "the best of the best." Tom Shone rests comfortably near the top of that list. Besides telling a story that is filled with a laugh-till-you-cry brand of slightly bent British humor, his literary mechanics are simply flawless. Rarely, if ever, have I found myself more absorbed in the quality of the author's writing than I did in his very interesting story. He writes with such flair and pace that I would revisit passage after passage just to savor his incredible style and skill. Carefully woven subtle punch lines and over your shoulder looks create a fast moving can't-wait-for-the-next-page kind of read. It's the type of novel that is so well written, it makes a new author ponder another vocation since he'll never be able to obtain Tom Shone's level of excellence ... I know, I'm that scribe.
William O. Wing

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

ellen foster

Should have been funnier

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2013

Verified Purchase

This book tried to walk the line between funny and meaningful and slipped between the gap, without really doing either very well. The author would have done better to choose one or the other. The ending had a "just got to crank out a few more pages" sort of feel to it. Not sorry I read it, but I wouldn't recommend it to my book club.

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2011

Verified Purchase

I found that the book just flitted around too much and the recovery talk mixed in with the book publishing talk became tedious and for lack of a better word boring.

It was a nice effort. Not a terrible read at all. Just not my cup of tea.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kathleen Babb

A funny, wise and heartfelt novel

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2011

Verified Purchase

It isn't often that you find a light-hearted novel this finely written. I loved every word. Its warmth and wit made it a true pleasure to read, and I couldn't put it down once I began. There are passages that conjure New York in brilliant and frequently hilarious detail, and I really enjoyed spending time with the characters. Kelsey, the reclusive, alcoholic writer at the novel's center, is wonderfully vivid, and the description of his rise and fall is engrossing. There are also some great observations about writers and sobriety, as well as some genuinely poignant moments. The fact that it was set in the insular worlds of AA and publishing added a certain novelty to the plot, and I thought the ending was lovely and touching. A sweet, fun and surprisingly resonant read.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

D. P. Birkett

Over-thinking

Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2011

Verified Purchase

The book operates on two levels. It is a sophisticated satire on literary life in New York City, full of insider references to the high end of the world of books and writers. It can be read for pure entertainment and is very funny. Patrick Miller, the first person narrator, writes in the style of the laddish Brits (Hornby, Barnes and both Amises) and admires the American minimalist dirty realists (Carver and Ford etc) and has some clever things to say about them.
It is also a profound investigation of the AA paradox. The paradox is the AA insistence that you must surrender some part of your reasoning power although reason is what makes you want to stop drinking. How can brilliant creative people reconcile themselves to this?

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Barney

Outstanding, Interesting and Different

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2015

Verified Purchase

I read a lot. This book caught my attention right away. I cannot remember how I came across the title and started the book, but I'm glad I did. What I liked was the way Patrick tricked himself and tried to convince others of his "non-alcoholic" lifestyle.
I liked the author's style of writing because it seemed to move quickly.
Shone does a great job of building his characters.
A very well written fiction novel.

Helpful

"His secret felt like my secret somehow."

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2011

I assume this novel is meant as a parody of the sober life in NYC, but the writing is disappointing, a cross between snarky and absurd, like a bad sitcom in search of a laugh track. No stereotype ignored, the cult, the chants, amends, steps, a shambling collection of fanatical devotees. British literary agent Patrick Miller follows reclusive Pulitzer-Prize winning writer Douglas Kelsey into a "meeting", intuitively hatching a plot to sign him with his agency. Big surprise, the bumbling Patrick is taken for a newcomer, welcomed by his new best friends, leaning on Kelsey for advice. The action takes place in Miller's office (rarely), in bars (occasionally) and in meetings (frequently), a hodge-podge of advice du jour (the familiar slogans) and ridiculous conversations: "It's a disease. It's definitely the one you want, though."

In a sloppy smorgasbord of recovery jargon (see Dr. Drew's "Celebrity Rehab") and misinformation ("You write a book about it, go on Oprah. Kate Moss rings you up."), Shone rides the wave of "sober living", celebrity meltdowns and reality TV interventions. Laughing at his characters, not with them, the author attempts to tap into the lucrative and tragic market, but falls flat for want of real humor. However marginal, the whiff of profit trumps any façade of authenticity. Luan Gaines/2011.

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Peter Amsterdam

More Satire Would Help

Reviewed in Germany on May 23, 2011

Verified Purchase

The author is very well aware of AA customs.
He probably is in AA himself, but cannot reveal this because of the anonymity tradition.
If you are in AA you may like it, if not it is too much of an insider's story.

See more reviews

Buy new: $21.70$21.70 $3.99 delivery: Aug 25 - 28 Payment Secure transaction Ships from Lindon8980 Sold by Lindon8980 Returns Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Buy used: $4.95

Other Sellers on Amazon

Follow the Author

In the Rooms: A Novel Hardcover – April 12, 2011

Purchase options and add-ons

Popular titles by this author

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Product details

Videos

Important information

About the author

Tom Shone

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries

Buy new:

$21.70

$3.99 delivery: Aug 25 - 28

Payment

Secure transaction

Ships from

Lindon8980

Sold by

Lindon8980

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Buy used:

$4.95