Changes

|title=The Engagement

|sort=Engagement, The

|borrow=Yes

|isbn=9780224096348

|pages=256

|publisher=Jonathan Cape

|date=January 2013

|summary=Gothic, psychological thriller that concerns sexual fantasies colliding in a creepy, remote Australian farm. Provocative and creepy, if a little unbelievable at times.

}}

Chloe Hooper's gothic, psychological thriller concerns an affair between a thirty-something English girl, Liese, working in Australia at her uncle's real estate business and a blandly handsome Australian farmer, Alexander. Set over one weekend as Liese is heading to Alexander's remote family farm for the first time for a weekend of passion, this is a classic 'girl trapped in spooky house and situation' story with a dark, sexual twist. Liese, who trained as an interior architect, met Alexander while showing him around exclusive Melbourne properties and, has somehow managed to get herself into a situation whereby Alexander pays her for her attentions, believing that she is some kind of prostitute. He's even paying her handsomely for her time at the weekend. With debts of her own, Liese willingly encourages this perception with little idea of the problems to which this fantasy will lead.

For more architectural design meets fiction cross over, [[Care of Wooden Floors by Will Wiles]] is well worth seeking out, while for more Australian fiction, [[The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas]] is similarly provocative.

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