Polaris: And Other Stories

Fay Weldon journeys to the wilds of Scotland and far-off Tasmania in these twelve tales of sexual politics and marital and political warfare
In “Christmas Lists—A Seasonal Story,” the endless lists created by a suburban couple become a metaphor for marriage, family, and enduring love. In “Delights of France or Horrors of the Road,” a woman goes to a psychiatrist to cure her sudden, inexplicable paralysis, unaware that her constant bragging about her brilliant physicist husband conceals a raging fury. “Redundant! or the Wife’s Revenge” takes place in a plastic surgery ward, where Fay Weldon finds an ironic humor. The title story introduces newlyweds Meg and Timmy, whose union is tested when Timmy is called away to naval duty and Meg discovers a shocking secret. By turns funny, tragic, macabre, and bittersweet, Polaris is a collection of masterworks by one of our most incisive authors.