The Promise of Things
Some of our strongest, most lasting relationships are hidden in plain view—those we have with objects. What do our possessions do for us? And how do they do it?
In The Promise of Things, Ruth Quibell explores what our possessions say about us: who we think we are, what we long for and struggle against. It invites us to think about how we use things, what makes them precious, and why we find it so hard to throw these objects away.
REVIEWS
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'Best New Talent', The Saturday Paper 2016
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'The majesty of things, and how we cherish them. A delightful idiosyncratic read for anyone who's ever experienced that little thrill over an object deemed inconsequential to others. Magnificent.' -- Nikki Gemmell
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'Ruth Quibell's The Promise of Things is better than clever. It is a quiet work of art that offers intimate observations about those ordinary "things" of life that matter so much and so differently to each of us.' -- The Age/Sydney Morning Herald
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‘beautiful turns of phrase’ -- The Newtown Review of Books
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'From an antique wardrobe she can't bear to throw away to a stone she collects off a beach and holds onto for comfort, Quibell cleverly demonstrates how humans relate to the inanimate.’ -- Bookseller and Publisher
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'You extrapolate her ideas and apply them to your own stuff, and this is where the work that goes with reading The Promise of Things occurs.' -- The Lifted Brow
IN THE MEDIA
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Read an extract from The Promise of Things in the Sydney Morning Herald
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Read an extract on Simone de Beauvoir And The Importance Of Play in Yen Magazine
BUY THE BOOK
Available in good book shops and online, including: