Singling Out the Couples [Paperback]

'Duffy is deadly, and very funny, on the narcissism and self delusion which seem to keep ... coupled love going' (Independent )

'A witty, sexy, modern fable ... Duffy has a wonderful, cynical view of modern relationships' (Gay Times )

'An intelligent piece of writing that forces us to re-examine sex and love in today's society' (Express )

'A darkly post-modern fairy-tale for the This Life generation ... A wise, witty, wicked book' (Scotsman )

'A darkly post-modern fairy-tale for the This Life generation ... A wise, witty, wicked book'

'Duffy is deadly, and very funny, on the narcissism and self delusion which seem to keep ... coupled love going'

'A witty, sexy, modern fable ... Duffy has a wonderful, cynical view of modern relationships'

* Reissue of one of Stella Duffy's most enduring and popular novels: a wickedly funny and romantic fable --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

A princess, perfect in every way except one, arrives in London from a land of milk and honey, and sets up home in a Notting Hill tower block. Her self-appointed mission - to break up couples in love. For what she lacks is a heart.

With gleeful dedication, she sets about seducing a husband-to-be, prizing apart two devoted gay men, and ensnaring a contentedly married woman. But things start to go wrong: despite herself she becomes fond of one of her lovers, and discovers a tiny heart growing in her chest. The Queen and King, meanwhile, have despatched her brother to stop her. Will he be a match for her? Her magic is stronger, but then he does have a heart of his own ...

Born in London but brought up in New Zealand, Stella Duffy has been a stand-up comic, a member of improvisation company Spontaneous Combustion, and is the author of four cult crime novels (Serpent’s Tail), Singling Out the Couples (Sceptre 1998) and Eating Cake (Sceptre 1999) She continues to perform, recently appearing in the successful improvisation Lifegame, and now lives in London.

Once upon a time in a land both far away and remarkably close there is a truly happy people and ruling over them all in justice and joy there is a queen and a king. He is a king of remarkable loveliness and she is a queen of good counsel. They are loving and loved and to them is born a daughter, long limbed, bright eyed and perfect in every way. To the Naming Ceremony of the precious daughter are invited the great and the good, the fair and the fancy, the wise and the wild. Their gifts are prized above all else and they give them willingly for, as everyone knows, to give to the Princess is of itself an uncommon blessing. To the sweet baby daughter they give gifts of great beauty, special charm, intense attraction, enviable wisdom and courageous passion. And the daughter grows strong in her gifts, full in these favours and with seasons and time and much sunshine and just a little fierce rain, she becomes a renowned beauty, famed scholar and fabled wit. Then one day she leaves the land that is far distant and very close and journeys to our land and walks among us. And I see you for what you are. Then she laughs aloud. For in her own land she would only ever be a princess. Which would be such a terrible waste of talents and fortune. Here she shall be Queen. And the Princess is perfect in every way, every direction, every point – except for the gift that was forgotten. For while the daughter has beauty and charm and elegance and wit and wisdom, she has no compassion. The Compassion Fairy was stuck on a tube and her gift was missed at the Naming. Missed but not noticed, for the charms of the Beauty Fairy were so glowing, the laughter of the Comedy Fairy so loud and the intellect of the Clever Fairy so bright, that no one even noticed the Compassion Fairy had failed to arrive. And she sat fuming and forgotten in the dirty underground cave. To the daughter then, everlasting love is an obscene myth and sweet tenderness a rotting peach, a kiss just a maggot wriggling at its heart. To the daughter the parents are a nuisance and the mother is an obstacle in ambition's path, she would be Queen and she will control. Eventually. But no matter, for now she is beautiful and funny and gentle and sweet – and her cruelty exquisitely encased in the finely wrought and delicate shell that are her perfect eyes, nose, mouth, hair, arms, legs, breasts, feet, torso and cunt. And she knows us and we love her and only the Compassion Fairy sleeps a troubled dream.