The Trick of It

The Trick of It is a 1989 novel by Michael Frayn. It is written in the form of a series of letters to a colleague in Melbourne and tells the story of an academic working in English Literature who specialises in a fascination with a famous but unnamed contemporary feminist woman writer. She comes to visit his college and they sleep together that night. The morning she leaves and he pursues her hoping to resume the relationship. In time she writes about him or rather about his mother. The novel explores the theme of admiration of famous people by unknown members of the public and what might happen if there was a relationship between these two.

First edition (publ. Viking Press)