The Personals
Brian O’Connell
The Personals reveals how classified ads are not just a few commercial lines of text in print or online – they can be a treasure trove of fascinating human stories; stories of love, loss, loneliness, redemption and hope. Some people do Sudoku, others watch Netflix. Brian O’Connell loves the classified ads. In an era of spin doctors and press releases, celebrities and social influencers, the classified ads can open a door into the lives of ordinary people with extraordinary stories. What draws Brian to the classified ads are the intriguing human stories he finds there, the unexpected twists and turns, the personalities, the curious objects and the range of human experience waiting to be discovered. The Personals is a diverse collection of compelling stories about the people and the lives behind the small ads.
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Copyright (#u02bac65b-4738-563e-9594-7c57dd2d8310)
In order to protect privacy, some names, identifying characteristics, dialogue and details have been changed or reconstructed.
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First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2019
FIRST EDITION
© Brian O’Connell 2019
Illustrations © Micaela Alcaino 2019
Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers 2019
Cover images © shutterstock.com
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
Brian O’Connell asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
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Source ISBN: 9780008321345
Ebook Edition © October 2019 ISBN: 9780008321352
Version: 2019-09-06
Note to Readers (#u02bac65b-4738-563e-9594-7c57dd2d8310)
This ebook contains the following accessibility features which, if supported by your device, can be accessed via your ereader/accessibility settings:
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Page numbers taken from the following print edition: ISBN 9780008321345
Dedication (#u02bac65b-4738-563e-9594-7c57dd2d8310)
‘Just for a second, I thought I lost myself,
And I watched my body falling,
And all the colours look brighter now.’
Brian Carey, RIP
Contents
1 Cover (#u4bee3e60-711c-5eea-a55a-4be8990ebb56)
2 Title Page
3 Copyright
4 Note to Readers
5 Dedication
6 Contents (#u02bac65b-4738-563e-9594-7c57dd2d8310)
7 Introduction
8 PART ONE: LOVE AND LOSS
9 When East Meets West
10 A Ringless Marriage
11 A Dress for the (Middle) Ages
12 A Chance Encounter of a Shocking Kind
13 A Long Engagement