cover image The Trick of It

The Trick of It

Michael Frayn. Penguin Books, $8.95 (176pp) ISBN 978-0-14-012651-8

After a literary critic weds the novelist whose work he most admires, he becomes frustrated that he can neither influence what she writes nor write as well as she. According to PW, Frayn ``can take a serious theme, spin it out into deliciously calibrated comedy, then darken it with a touch of rue . The poignant ending adds perfection to this flawless comedy of manners.'' (Mar.)