SKU: 81893309954

The Two Kinds of Decay

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The Two Kinds of DecayA Spare and Unsparing Look at Affliction and Recovery that Heralds a Stunning New Voice The events that began in 1995 might keep happening to me as long as things can happen to me. Think of deep space, through which heavenly bodies fly forever. They fly until they change into new forms, simpler forms, with ever fewer qualities and increasingly beautiful names. There are names for things in spacetime that are nothing, for things that are less than

A Spare and Unsparing Look at Affliction and Recovery that Heralds a Stunning New Voice

The events that began in 1995 might keep happening to me as long as things can happen to me. Think of deep space, through which heavenly bodies fly forever. They fly until they change into new forms, simpler forms, with ever fewer qualities and increasingly beautiful names.

There are names for things in spacetime that are nothing, for things that are less than nothing. White dwarfs, red giants, black holes, singularities.

But even then, in their less-than-nothing state, they keep happening.

At twenty-one, just starting to comprehend the puzzles of adulthood, Sarah Manguso was faced with another: a wildly unpredictable disease that appeared suddenly and tore through her twenties, vanishing and then returning, paralyzing her for weeks at a time, programming her first to expect nothing from life and then, furiously, to expect everything. In this captivating story, Manguso recalls her nine-year struggle: arduous blood cleansings, collapsed veins, multiple chest catheters, the deaths of friends and strangers, addiction, depression, and, worst of all for a writer, the trite metaphors that accompany prolonged illness.

A book of tremendous grace and self-awareness, The Two Kinds of Decay transcends the very notion of what an illness story can and should be.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Picador USA
Published: 05/26/2009
ISBN: 9780312428440
Pages: 184
Weight: 0.50lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.40w x 0.30d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 08/02/2009 pg. 20
New Yorker (The) 04/06/2015 pg. 82
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SKU: 81893309954

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4.1 ★★★★★
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Ms.VioletGlikestoread
Boise, US
★★★★★ 5
Fantasy Romance
Format: Kindle
✨’Would it truly be that bad?' he muttered, and for the first time since she'd awoken, there was a hint of humanity in his quiet words, a crack in that jaundiced shield. Warm breath brushed past her scalp. His arms didn't let go. 'If you ended up here with no way to leave?' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Fantasy Romance 📖 🥀Oh, these moment with our MMC reach deep for me and make me love him all the more! Curse Of The Thorn King is @authorlisettemarshall’s new and utterly enchanting Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I absolutely loved it! This steamy, forced proximity, enemies to lovers story is the first installment in the new Wayfarer Fae series and I fell hard for these characters! ✨I thoroughly enjoyed the unique flower magic systems, the assassin plot, all of fun additions of Lady Lockwell's Handbook of Etiquette, and how that factored into the story. The flirtatious and stabby banter between the two main characters had me grinning like a complete fool as the romance developed….all while experiencing the moments that made my heart ache and even break for our MC’s as the plot unfolded. 🥀As I read Curse of the Thorn King I was consumed by that quintessential balance of angst, tension, steam, COMPLETE frustration (in the best way) emotional turmoil, and swoon worthy moments that my heart has come to associate with the magic of Lisette Marshall’s writing. This authors always makes me feel allll the feels ✨✨It is no surprise that I intimately drawn to these characters and their story. ✨I highly recommend Curse Of The Thorn King to fantasy, fantasy romance, and romantasy readers.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2023
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Verified Purchase
Lia
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 5
5 ⭐️ / 2.5-3 🌶️
Format: Paperback
I do not know where my original review went so I’m reposting Includes: - Beauty and the Beast vibes, but with a Fae twist - Enemies to lovers - Slow burn - Forced proximity - Standalone HEA There are now two books I love that have opening sentences that reference bars of soap. @authorlisettemarshall ‘s books never disappoint me and this standalone is no exception. I absolutely love her writing style, the unique magic systems she uses, as well as her ability to convey such vivid details regarding things like clothing and places. It really helps someone like me (who isn't a good visualizer) immerse myself in the story. It also MUST be said that Lisette has really mastered the art of writing the slow burn for me. With fun characters and banter, she sprinkles in little breadcrumbs here and there that help with the romance build up and, baby, I'm hot on those breadcrumbs' trails just EATING them up. TLDR; Put this on your TBR.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2023
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Morgan
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 4
Fun and steamy read
Format: Kindle
Fun read with some of my favorite things: enemy to lover trope, magic, badass FMC, some build-up/steam, and the occasional glimpse into the MMC’s POV.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2023
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Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 5
so good
Format: Kindle
I’ve read any number of fairy tale retellings and I believe this one is top ten. The characters are likeable but complex enough to be interesting; the plot stands alone but leads you to the next book. The dialogue is also quite clever.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2025
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Gwendolyn Brophy
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 4
Nice standalone
Format: Kindle
3.5 stars. Reminds me of the old school romances of the 80s and 90s. Boy meets girl. They fight. They fall in love. Boy screws up. Girl flees. They kiss and make up. One thing that I absolutely adore about Loretta Marshall's worlds is just how inventive she is with the magic. Magic via flowers? How does her brain think of these things?
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Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2026

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