''The Trick of It'' is a 1989 novel by

Michael Frayn Michael Frayn, FRSL (; born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce '' Noises Off'' and the dramas ''Copenhagen'' and ''Democracy''. His novels, such as '' Towards the End of the M ...

. It is written in the form of a series of letters to a colleague in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

and tells the story of an academic working in English Literature who specialises in the works of an older famous contemporary feminist woman writer. She comes to visit his college and they sleep together that night. In the morning she leaves, and he pursues her hoping to resume the relationship; they eventually marry. She presently begins to write about his family, and especially his mother. He makes unsuccessful attempts to get her to change the structure of this work. The novel thus explores, in the framework of a comic novel, the theme of relationship of reader and writer.

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''The Trick of It''
on Curled Up With A Good Book 1989 British novels Novels by Michael Frayn Epistolary novels Novels about writers Viking Press books {{1980s-epistolary-novel-stub