Anita Brookner

Anita Brookner was an English novelist and art historian. Born on July 16, 1928, she was awarded the Booker Prize for her novel 'Hotel du Lac' in 1984. Brookner was known for her elegant prose and insightful explorations of the themes of loneliness and social isolation in her characters' lives. Before becoming a novelist, she pursued a distinguished academic career in art history, specializing in 18th and 19th-century French art. She was also the first female Slade Professor of Fine Art at the University of Cambridge. Anita Brookner passed away on March 10, 2016.

Books

This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

  1. 1. Hotel du Lac

    Cover of 'Hotel du Lac' by Anita Brookner

    The novel follows the story of a romance novelist, who, after a love affair with a married man, is sent by her friends to a Swiss hotel to recover. At the hotel, she meets various eccentric characters, including a wealthy woman and her daughter, a mysterious, wealthy man, and a couple on their honeymoon. As she observes and interacts with these characters, she is forced to examine her own life and choices, ultimately deciding whether to accept a marriage proposal from a man she doesn't love or to continue living independently.

  2. 2. Look At Me

    Cover of 'Look At Me' by Anita Brookner

    This novel delves into the life of Frances Hinton, a lonely and introverted librarian who lives a quiet life in London, spending her time working at a medical research library. Her existence is shaken when she befriends the sophisticated and worldly Alix and her circle of friends, leading Frances into a series of events that challenge her perceptions of love, friendship, and her own identity. As Frances becomes more entangled in the lives of her new acquaintances, she is forced to confront the reality of her desires and the painful understanding that attention from others can be both a blessing and a curse. The narrative is a poignant exploration of loneliness, the longing for connection, and the complexities of human relationships, all told through the keenly observant and introspective lens of the protagonist.

  3. 3. Family And Friends

    Cover of 'Family And Friends' by Anita Brookner

    "Family and Friends" is a novel that delves into the lives of the Dorn family, focusing on the matriarch Sofka and her four children, Frederick, Alfred, Betty, and Mimi, as they navigate the complexities of their relationships and individual aspirations in post-World War II London. The narrative unfolds through a series of vignettes that reveal the family's dynamics, their bourgeois existence, and the personal struggles each member faces in pursuit of love and fulfillment. The novel examines themes of loneliness, the search for happiness, and the intricate web of familial bonds, all set against the backdrop of a changing society.