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The Third Angel: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Alice Hoffman
Publisher: Shaye Areheart Books
Category: Book
List Price: $25.00
Buy New: $13.90
You Save: $11.10 (44%)
New (37) Collectible (1) from $13.90
Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 404
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
Condition: Brand New!!!
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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 8 more reviews...
 The Third Angel May 15, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This work is somewhat confusing. It leaves the reader saying, so, what was the point of that?
 Hoffman Falls Short May 13, 2008
Unquestionably, Hoffman is one of America's five best novelists now writing. Her use of language and her gift for storytelling are both stunning. She sees beauty in words; a phrase or sentence from her pen can have such impact that the reader is forced to stop in admiration for the craft and the insight. Her stories invariably bring the reader to tears.
Although her early works are notable, she reached a new level with "The Probable Future", and has turned out one stunning novel after another - until now. "The Third Angel" is good, but not great, and great is what we've been expecting and getting from Hoffman with "Probable Future," "Blackbird House," and "Ice Queen."
What sets Hoffman apart is her use of magic realism, so utterly convincing and captivating. Unfortunately, it doesn't work for me in "The Third Angel." I felt she was rushing for a deadline. Ultimately, this is a hiccup in her oeuvre, and I can't wait to read her next novel.
 Love, Heartache and The Ghost in Room 707 May 9, 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.
Ken Douglas, author of Tangerine Dream, Scorpion & Running Scared.
My frist and definitely not last Alice Hoffman book April 29, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This was a beautiful, moving book. I really wanted to savor it but unfortunately finished it in two days anyway because I couldn't put it down. The writing manages to convey the mood and each character's emotion without being overly wordy.
I've been aware of Alice Hoffman for many years but for some reason never picked up one of her books until now. I have a hard time finding authors I really like and I'm excited to start reading her prior novels.
When she is good, she is brilliant... April 23, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I just made my way, joyfully, through this book. Her best since "Blue Diary". This is Hoffman at the top of her game, and I loved it, start to finish.
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