The Portable Veblen
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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Amazon Customer
New York, US
★★★★★ 5
Elegant tray
Size: 9" x 6.2" x 2.2", Color: Khaki Green
Nice tray. The green is a very dull brownish green, nice if you’re looking for something classic. Perfect to hold my partners few colognes and watch.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2026
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Cindy stephens
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 5
Quality
Size: 9" x 6.2" x 2.2", Color: Black (Gold)
Quality is very good and it fit perfectly for my husband's phone, wallet, etc. Bought another one for his dresser to hold his colognes.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2026
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Emma In MN
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
Great easy storage that looks nice
Size: 9" x 6.2" x 2.2", Color: Black (Gold)
Great catch-all bin for wallet, keys, etc.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2026
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Ray
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 5
Works great!
Size: 9" x 6.2" x 2.2", Color: Black (Silver)
Super cute and serves its purpose. My husband has a place to put his keys and wallet without scratching the dresser.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2026
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cldsk
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 5
Good quality! Looks great!
Size: 9" x 6.2" x 2.2", Color: Black (Silver)
This is a well made valet. It is just the right size for the small table that I wanted it for. The leather seems of good quality and the silver metal accent gives it a nice touch that blends well with my decor! This is definitely a nice buy if you are looking for a valet! For my needs, I wanted one with a leather interior vs the velvet or suede so it would be easier to clean - this fit the bill!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2025

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