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The Third Angel: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Alice Hoffman
Publisher: Shaye Areheart Books
Category: Book
List Price: $25.00
Buy Used: $7.19
You Save: $17.81 (71%)
New (44) Used (41) Collectible (7) from $7.19
Avg. Customer Rating:  42 reviews
Sales Rank: 3209
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 0307393852
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780307393852
ASIN: 0307393852
Publication Date: April 8, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Acceptable condition. May contain marks, writing, scuffs, and edge wear. Orders shipped within 2 business days. Choose EXPEDITED for fast delivery.
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Product Description
“Alice Hoffman is my favorite writer.”
–Jodi Picoult
Alice Hoffman is one of our most beloved writers. Here on Earth was an Oprah Book Club selection. Practical Magic and Aquamarine were both bestselling books and Hollywood movies. Her novels have received mention as notable books of the year by the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, and People magazine, and her short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in the New York Times, The Boston Globe Magazine, Kenyon Review, Redbook, Architectural Digest, Gourmet, and Self.
Now, in The Third Angel, Hoffman weaves a magical and stunningly original story that charts the lives of three women in love with the wrong men: Headstrong Madeleine Heller finds herself hopelessly attracted to her sister’s fiance. Frieda Lewis, a doctor’s daughter and a runaway, becomes the muse of an ill-fated rock star. And beautiful Bryn Evans is set to marry an Englishman while secretly obsessed with her ex-husband. At the heart of the novel is Lucy Green, who blames herself for a tragic accident she witnessed at the age of twelve, and who spends four decades searching for the Third Angel–the angel on earth who will renew her faith.
Brilliantly evoking London’s King’s Road, Knightsbridge, and Kensington while moving effortlessly back in time, The Third Angel is a work of startling beauty about the unique, alchemical nature of love.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 37 more reviews...
Wistful and sad October 12, 2008
I've given this book 4 stars for the beauty of the prose but must confess that I prefer, these days, to read books which uplift me and make me feel happy, rather than near perfect works which leave me feeling sad and hollow inside. There are three stories which interconnect through their characters and run backwards from 1999 to the 50's. The main theme is unrequited love and it all left me feeling miserable and empty. As good as this book undoubtedly is, I felt like reaching for the anti depressants after it ended.
 Wow Excellent Book October 1, 2008
This is the first book I have ever read by Alice Hoffman and it will not be the last. I am on my way to my local library today. I LOVED this book.
I actually cried while reading through parts of the stories. She has so
much emotion in her writing.This book is a MUST read.
 Love Hoffman but this one was confusing for me September 24, 2008
I have read all of Alice Hoffman's books and absolutely love her style. She seems to have a deep connection with the spiritual and is able to bring it off the page and into your heart. I found this book gripping and often hard to put down, however, it was a bit confusing with it going backwards. I think I would have appreciated it more if it was written in reverse order. I did love the explanation of the Angel of Life and the Angel of Death along with the "Third Angel" that walks among us. I found the three different (yet the same) story lines to be interesting and captivating. Ms. Hoffman was able to show us the humanity of the doctor in both the positive and negative. All in all I really enjoyed the book but I gave it three stars because I found the backward style confusing for me. It appears that most others did not, so perhaps it's just me.
 What has happened to Alice Hoffman? September 21, 2008
I was very dissappointed in this book. The plot is a cliche that reminds me of Maeve Binchey's novels. I like Binchey's books put the are in a genre that Hoffman should not compete with. Her previous books were whimsical in ways that were literaly and not soap opera.
Barbara Covell
Love, Heartache and The Ghost in Room 707 September 19, 2008
Sometimes I think the whole concept of language and storytelling have spent centuries waiting around for Ann Hoffman to come along and use them. She is certainly one of the best wordsmiths the English Language has ever produced, one of the best storytellers too and she's at the top of her game with this one.
The Third Angel is three novellas which work backward in time, telling the story about interconnecting characters and a ghost. What happened back in 1952 affects what happens in 1966 and 1999. We get the last story first and the first story last.
The story opens with American Attorney Maddie Heller arriving at the Lion Park Hotel in London. Her sister Allie is getting married and her husband to be Paul who is ill. However, that doesn't stop Maddie from sleeping with him. Maddie is the bad sister. Children's author Allie is the good. The ghost in room 707, well he's just the ghost. In Maddie's defense, if there can be any defense for a woman who sleeps with her sister's intended, is that she's in love him. It's tragic for Maddie, what she has done can ruin her sister's life. Will it?
Maddie's story finished we move back to 1966 and Ms. Hoffman captures the time beautifully. She captures the story of Paul's mother Frieda beautifully as well. Frieda is an over educated maid in the Lion Park Hotel and she's besotted with a wannabe Jim Morrison type and she has his child and names him Paul, who will eventually grow up, get sick and marry Maddie's sister Alley. Again Ms. Hoffman has given us characters so true that they'll be in your head long after your reading of this book is done. She's done the ghost justice too.
Frieda's story finished, we move still backward in time to 1952 and join twelve-year-old Lucy, who will later in life give birth to Allie and Maddie. Her father and stepmother bring her across the ocean to London as they are going to the wedding of stepmom's sister Bryn who still has a thing for her ex-husband Michael, who is not the guy she's supposed to be marrying. Lucy carries messages back and forth between Michael and Bryn and it's because, whoops, better stop right here, but needless to say the ghost might not be a ghost yet. You'll have to get this book to find out more, but it'll be a good investment.
Ann Hoffman's characters, her ghost, her three angels, the rabbet who lives in the hotel and the city of London all invite you to crack open the pages of the best book you'll read this year.
Reviewed by Vesta Irene
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