SKU: 14983176467

The Portable Veblen

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The Portable VeblenLonglisted for the 2016 National Book Award for Fiction Finalist for the Baileys Prize for Women's Fiction An exuberant, one of a kind novel about love and family, war and nature, new money and old values by a brilliant New Yorker contributor The Portable Veblen is a dazzlingly original novel that's as big hearted as it is laugh out loud funny. Set in and around Palo Alto, amid the culture clash of new money and old (antiestablishment) values, and

Longlisted for the 2016 National Book Award for Fiction

Finalist for the Baileys Prize for Women's Fiction

An exuberant, one-of-a-kind novel about love and family, war and nature, new money and old values by a brilliant New Yorker contributor

The Portable Veblen is a dazzlingly original novel that's as big-hearted as it is laugh-out-loud funny. Set in and around Palo Alto, amid the culture clash of new money and old (antiestablishment) values, and with the specter of our current wars looming across its pages, The Portable Veblen is an unforgettable look at the way we live now. A young couple on the brink of marriage--the charming Veblen and her fianc Paul, a brilliant neurologist--find their engagement in danger of collapse. Along the way they weather everything from each other's dysfunctional families, to the attentions of a seductive pharmaceutical heiress, to an intimate t te- -t te with a very charismatic squirrel.

Veblen (named after the iconoclastic economist Thorstein Veblen, who coined the term "conspicuous consumption") is one of the most refreshing heroines in recent fiction. Not quite liberated from the burdens of her hypochondriac, narcissistic mother and her institutionalized father, Veblen is an amateur translator and "freelance self"; in other words, she's adrift. Meanwhile, Paul--the product of good hippies who were bad parents--finds his ambition soaring. His medical research has led to the development of a device to help minimize battlefield brain trauma--an invention that gets him swept up in a high-stakes deal with the Department of Defense, a Bizarro World that McKenzie satirizes with granular specificity.

As Paul is swept up by the promise of fame and fortune, Veblen heroically keeps the peace between all the damaged parties involved in their upcoming wedding, until she finds herself falling for someone--or something--else. Throughout, Elizabeth McKenzie asks: Where do our families end and we begin? How do we stay true to our ideals? And what is that squirrel really thinking? Replete with deadpan photos and sly appendices, The Portable Veblen is at once an honest inquiry into what we look for in love and an electrifying reading experience.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 11/01/2016
ISBN: 9781101981597
Pages: 448
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.30w x 1.40d
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SKU: 14983176467

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Claudia. Lebel
Lowell, US
★★★★★ 5
Convenience is king (or queen) for a busy person
Style: 600 Count (2 Pack of 300), Size: 300 Count (Pack of 2)
I use these plates a lot. Nice looking, nice weight and finish. Good for a quick bite or reheating something in the microwave. Thick enough and heavy enough not to leak. I use 3 different sizes, price is right
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Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2025
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Callie
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Mini paper plates
Style: 600 Count (2 Pack of 300), Size: 300 Count (Pack of 2)
These smaller paper plates are perfect for a quick lunch when you don't need a big plate but just something quick for a sandwich or a dessert. I love these plates because they are so durable. They're sturdy and the value is amazing. I've checked everywhere on pricing and you can't really beat Amazon's prices for these. Additionally, they always arrive on time and they are always packed well. I've been using these for years. I love them. They make my life much easier. (:
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Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2025
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Mike Crawford
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 1
Good plates but someone can't count
Style: 600 Count (2 Pack of 300), Size: 300 Count (Pack of 2)
Good plates, exactly what I needed. Sold as 2 packs of 300 but only 1 pack of 300 arrived. Since this is an Amazon deal, they don't give you a way to talk to a seller, only let you make "suggestions" for the future. Only recourse given at that point to to return for a refund. It would appear sending half the order is a common issue with this particular offer.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2024
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Brenda D Wingfield
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
Good price . Good quality
Size: 10 Inch, Unit Count: 44
Sturdy and worth the price which is low.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2026
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Ryan S. (DGNO)
Alexandria, US
★★★★★ 5
Great paper plates for good price
Size: 10 Inch, Unit Count: 372.0
Just as Durable as more expensive options. Greta price for the product. Nice designs, and great for parties.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2026

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