Book description
Following a young woman over the course of one outrageous and insufferable downtown dinner party at the home of her estranged best friends--an artist and curator couple, whom she now realizes stand for everything she detests--Happiness and Love is a piercing debut novel about brazen materialism, self-obsession, and the empty careerism of so-called cultural elites. Years after escaping New York and the center of its artistic world--a group of self-important, depraved, and unscrupulous artists, curators, and hangers-on--our narrator is back in town. With no plans to see anyone she once knew, she's wandering around the Lower East Side, thinking about the recent death of her former best friend, Rebecca, when she runs into Eugene, one half of the artist-curator couple at the heart of her old social set. Despite her better judgement, she accepts his invitation to a dinner party. And though the party is held only hours after Rebecca's funeral, it not a memorial of Rebecca but a dinner held in honor of a young, newly famous actress whose lateness delays the party by hours. As the guests sip their natural wine and await the actress's arrival, the narrator, from her perch on the corner seat of a white sofa, silently, systematically, and mercilessly eviscerates them--their manners, their relationships, their delusions and failures, and the complete moral poverty that brings them here, to Nicole and Eugene's loft on the Bowery. When the guest of honor finally does arrive, she sets in motion a disastrous end to the evening, laying bare the depravity and decadence of the hosts' empty little lives--a hollowness that the narrator herself knows all too well.
About the Author
Zoe Dubno is a writer from New York. She attended Oberlin College and has an MFA from Rutgers University, Newark. Her fiction has appeared in Granta and Muumuu House and NY Tyrant, her nonfiction in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Review of Books, The Guardian, The Nation, Vogue, BOMB, and elsewhere. She lives in New York and London. Happiness and Love is her first novel.
Friday Fox
With support for various audio formats, ListenBook ensures I can enjoy my favorite audiobooks without worries. Looping playback is a game-changer for my study sessions. I can focus on challenging content.
Easy Sweep
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Proper
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Old Felix
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Bitmap
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DreamWeaver
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Runway Darling
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Cali Yacht
ListenBook's sleek design and easy chapter access make navigation a breeze. The narrator's voice was like butter - smooth, rich, and utterly pleasant to listen to for hours. They handled complex sentences with ease, making even dense material accessible. I never had to rewind because I missed something due to unclear delivery. Perfection!
ForumFlare
I love that ListenBook offers both basic and advanced features, catering to all types of users. Audiobooks have become my go-to entertainment, and this app is the reason. Audiobook enthusiasts, rejoice! This app's elegant design and robust functionality make it a must-have for anyone who loves to listen on the go. π§π± This is exactly what I look for in an audiobook! The narrator's pleasant voice and excellent diction made even complex passages easy to follow. I appreciated the subtle but effective use of pauses and emphasis that added depth to the listening experience. Finished it in record time because I couldn't stop listening.
Sandbox
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Preach Man
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ThoughtTrail
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Hitch Frenzy
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Genghis Glyph
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Swerve
ListenBook's sharing options make it easy to share the joy of captivating stories with friends and family. Finally, an app that understands the power of CUE playlists. Perfect for organizing.
Papa Smurf
Listening to audiobooks with my kids has become a cherished bonding activity. This app's ease of use has made reading an integral part of my everyday life.
RDTN
Audiobooks have made my long commutes enjoyable, and I'm always eager to see what's next. I'm amazed at how this app has brought back the joy of reading into my daily routine β thank you! Audiobooks made delightful β this app's usability is a breath of fresh air. CUE playlist support helps me organize my audiobooks efficiently. It's a great organizational tool. Adjusting the narrator's voice tone is a creative feature that adds a personal touch to the experience.
Lunar Treat
The convenience of having a library at my fingertips is unparalleled. I'm amazed at how this app has made my daily routines more enjoyable and intellectually fulfilling. π± Carrying my favorite stories with me wherever I go β this app is like a portable library in my pocket. ππ ListenBookβs playback is smooth and reliable. I never have issues with audio quality. I love the chapter navigation feature. ListenBook makes it easy to find specific sections.
Little Drunk Girl
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Peanut Butter Woman
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Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience