Proud Garments

Paperback, 215 x 139mm

Published 1996

A wickedly funny story of family love and betrayal which moves from the world of do-it-yourself property development in 1990s Auckland to fabric mills and fashion showrooms of Milan. Rich, comic, heart-breaking, Anderson's prose has the power to enthral.

Praise for Proud Garments
‘She is a novelist of great talent, well qualified to write black comedy. But she has, too, the comprehension of human incomprehension, the pity for human pity, that makes it possible to write tragedy.’
—Penelope Fitzgerald, Times Literary Supplement

‘She brings a considerable wisdom to the craft, combining generosity and tenderness with an unflinching eye. To the last line, her story and characters continue to reveal themselves.’
—Carol Birch, Independent

‘Anderson's writing is emotionally intelligent, forgiving of human nature and gently funny.’
—Gill Pyrah, Sunday Telegraph

‘Proud Garments is a great pleasure: the plot is energetic and satisfyingly coherent, the characters are full of surprises, and above all there is the Anderson wit, that sharp eye and sharp ear for the peculiar within the ordinary.’
—Kate Grenville, Landfall

‘Reading Anderson is exhilarating.’
—Leo Colston, Time Out

‘Proud Garments will be enjoyed by admirers of Barbara Anderson's deft, witty and often pungent prose.’
—Graeme Lay, North & South

‘What a writer this woman is! I love her astringent wit and wisdom, her comic gift, her respect for language, her earthy humanity. She writes as an artist paints, seeing the shadows beneath the surface, the spaces in between.’
—Molly Anderson, Otago Daily Times

‘This is not so much a book review as a gush. I loved Proud Garments … I realise that I need to be a little more analytical about this book, and indeed it seems to me a perfect text to demonstrate the kind of pleasure the reading of fiction constitutes. From the first sentence … one feels complete confidence – not just in the story, or in the characterisation, which are both absolutely skilful, but in the style, the tone, the atmosphere, those intangibles which envelope and reassure the reader.’
—Jane Stafford, Evening Post