Two Serious Ladies : With an introduction by Naoise Dolan

'My favourite book. I can't think of a modern novel that seems more likely to become a classic' Tennessee Williams'The book I give as a gift . . . It feels like giving someone an exotic fruit' Sheila Heti

'A modern legend . . . A very funny writer' Truman Capote'Profoundly witty, genuinely unusual in its apprehensions, and bracingly, humanely true' Claire MessudI am going on a trip. Wait until I tell you about it. it's terrible.Miss Goering, an eccentric, impulsive New York heiress, resides in her house and tries not to be unhappy.Mrs Copperfield, an anxious, dutiful married woman, has a great fear of drowning, of lifts, of intruders in the night. Two serious ladies, nothing is natural for them and anything is possible.For Mrs Copperfield - a trip to Panama, where she abandons her husband for love of a local prostitute. For Miss Goering - a move to a squalid little house on an island and a series of sordid encounters with strangers. Both go to pieces -and both realise this is something they've wanted to do for years.

With an introduction by Naoise DolanA