Bbc radio 4 book at bedtime, care of wooden floors. Upon his arrival the narrator discovers that his friend, oskar, infamous at university for tidiness and insistence on order, has left notes all over the apartment to. The author, an architecture and design journalist, lives in london and is at work on his second novel. In the care of wooden floors, the ending is improbable but less chaotic than one might have expected. Vintage natural wood floors residential and commercial. Individual maintenance schedules will vary depending on use, wear and tear, and lifestyle. An unnamed writer finds himself entrusted with looking after a disturbingly minimalist apartment in a nameless mittel. Oskar is a minimalist composer best known for a piece called variations on tram timetables. The protagonist was oscars trusted friend from college. Mar 09, 2012 care of wooden floors indicates that wiles has an eye for beauty, but an even more impressive eye for ugliness. Its a novel full of impeccably stylish writing, even if its plot could afford to. Naturally, the first thing that happens is the narrator spills wine on the floor and is unable to completely eradicate the evidence.
He has been a construction professional since 1987. Will wiles a bold and brilliant debut from a darkly funny new voice. Give dull hardwood floors a little pickmeup with a tea treatment. Overall, this is a funny, well written novel told in a memorable and distinctive voice. Its about the quest for perfection and the struggle against entropy. Care of wooden floors by bill wiles great pick for 2020. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading care of. Oskar is a mitteleuropean minimalist composer best known for a piece called variations on tram timetables. Find books like care of wooden floors from the worlds largest community of readers.
Taking proper care of hardwood floors is essential if you want them to last a long time. Care of wooden floors npr coverage of care of wooden floors. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Care of wooden floors is about how a tiny oversight.
There are references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Care of wooden floors is a mustread for anyone who s ever bungled a housesitting gig, or felt inferior to a perfectionist friend that is to say, all of us. Over time, when your wood floors start to look a little dull, they can be renewed through recoating. Will wiles, author of care of wooden floors when an aspiring writer agrees to look after his old friends flat, enduring an absent homeowners passiveaggressive notes isnt the worst. Care of wooden floors indicates that wiles has an eye for beauty, but an even more impressive eye for ugliness. Anyone resistant to the charms of either cats or blond wood interiors may want to steer clear of will wiless debut novel, which prominently. Wood is the most beautiful, economical, environmentally friendly, and easy to care for flooring you can choose for your home. An exlibrary book and may have standard library stamps andor stickers. A witty debut novel about a housesitting gig gone terribly, hilariously wrong.
Its about a friendship between two men who dont know each other very well. Maintenance guide for wood floors finished with lacquer. Care of wooden floors by will wiles overdrive rakuten. The worn surfaces of secondhand furniture or salvaged flooring have been recreated.
Generally, there are two types of residential wood flooring. Boil 5 or 6 tea bags in 5 cups of water and allow to cool. Care of wooden floors is funny, beguiling and quietly profound. Using a mop, apply the tea to your floors for a temporary shine that. He is married to a californian art dealer named laura and he lives with two cats, named after russian composers, in an eastern european city. Interior designers and cat lovers look away now, for care of wooden floors is a disaster novel. Journalist will wiles fiction debut, care of wooden floors, takes this unlikely plot and twists it into a tight, lovely, unique work full of heart as well as darkness. Download technical and safety data sheets for all the above products at maintenance guide wooden floors original 29414. How to clean and care for hardwood and laminate floors, by. To keep wood floors looking and performing well for generations, follow our recommended guidelines. But when the wood loses its luster, hire an expert to apply a new coat of finish. An old friend asks you to look after his two cats and his apartment. Taking care of hardwood or laminate floors can be challenging given the everyday conditions of a family and pets.
Pages are intact and are not marred by notes or highlighting, but may contain a neat previous owner name. In will wiles debut novel care of wooden floors, an unnamed narrator is invited to mind an empty apartment in an unspecified eastern european city. Care of wooden floors, by will wiles the independent. Wood flooring enhances the decor of any room, and provides timeless beauty that will increase in value throughout the years. Care of wooden floors is about loneliness, friendship and the quest for, and struggle against, perfection. A novel by wiles, will a copy that has been read, but remains in excellent condition. Its about alienation and being alone in a foreign city. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Care of wooden floors by will wiles 2012, cd, unabridged. One of the things weve developed a routine with, is the care of our pergo flint maple hardwood if you missed our previous two posts, check out why we choose our hardwoods and how to install them make sure to give them a read weve also had several questions about hardwoods throughout the home some people cant believe we put them in the kitchen because were crazy. Jul 01, 2012 buy care of wooden floors by wiles, will isbn.
May 22, 2014 care of wooden floors is a cleverly written story that is convincing and all the more funny for some of the disasters being just a little over the top. Care of wooden floors is a series of catastrophes and disasters from start to finish. The protagonist of care of wooden floors has been asked to watch a friends flat in an unnamed eastern european city. Never use wood polish on your laminate floor because it will dull the finish and create a very slick walking surface. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading care of wooden floors. If your floors see a lot of foot traffic, food spills, or pet mischief, have the surface sanded every 7 to 10 years or whenever you notice worn areas, loss of stain color, or gouges. Oct 09, 2012 the title is a reference to a book oskar leaves along with instructions to immediately clean up any spills on his precious wooden floor. Times literary supplement a darkly comic battle of wills. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Apr 25, 20 care of wooden floors by will wiles, 9780007424443, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Wood on the floor wood flooring reigate wood flooring. Books similar to care of wooden floors care of wooden floors. An unnamed narrator agrees to housesit for his old college friend, oskar, in a dreary, unidentified eastern european city.
Proper care for your floor will make a big difference in how satisfied you are with it, as well as how well it holds up. Care of wooden floors kindle edition by wiles, will. A brilliantly dark literary debut of death, destruction and interior decoration. Despite oskar leaving extensive notes on how to keep his flat in pristine condition, a tiny oversight initiates a chain of farcical, and even fatal, disasters. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel. What i enjoy the most about wiles work is his writing style and humour this was a clear highlight with his second novel, the way inn, and it certainly didnt disappoint here.
It turns out a novel about trying to keep a floor clean can be edgeofyourseat compelling. Number two on our list is the care of wooden floors by will wiles. Oscar, the friend, is a fastidious classical musician going through a divorce. Care of wooden floors is a mustread for anyone whos ever bungled a housesitting gig, or felt inferior to a perfectionist friendthat is to say, all of us. This involves applying a new coat of wood floor finish. Care of wooden floors care of wooden floors audiobook, by will wiles. Jul 16, 2019 taking care of hardwood or laminate floors can be challenging given the everyday conditions of a family and pets. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. It tells the story of a friendship between oskar, a minimalist music composer best known for his variations on train timetables, and an old university friend, whose name we never get to find out. Care of wooden floors by will wiles paperback harpercollins. Goodreads members who liked care of wooden floors also liked. Understand vintage vintage gives you the charm and authenticity of used wooden floors from day one. A bold and brilliant debut from a darkly funny new voice.
And it is, a little, about how to take care of wooden floors. Another option is to mix equal parts of vinegar, rubbing alcohol and water. However, it might have been nice to give our narrator a name and to identify oskars city, if. These methods dry spotfree quickly, but be sure to work in small areas of the floor at a time. About the author will wiles is a journalist and contributor to icon, a monthly architecture and design magazine in the u. Wood floor maintenance, cleaning hardwood floors nwfa. Care of wooden floors, which won a betty trask award, and the way inn, which will be published by fourth estate in june 2014.
Like one of those nightmares when things keep going from bad to worse. The title is a reference to a book oskar leaves along with instructions to immediately clean up any spills on his precious wooden floor. Sweep or vacuum twice a weekor every day, if youre up for it. In fact, in a national survey of estate agents, 90% said that houses with. But for the floors, and the sofa, and the porn, and the dead and missing, the flat was restored to order. Care of wooden floors is about how a tiny oversight can trip off a disastrous and farcical fatal, even chain of consequences. Care of wooden floors will wiles 9780385676397 netgalley. Upon his arrival the narrator discovers that his friend, oskar, infamous at university for tidiness and insistence on. Care of wooden floors is a cleverly written story that is convincing and all the more funny for some of the disasters being just a little over the top. Aug 14, 20 many wood floors on the east coast are well over 100 years old, says frink. Care of wooden floors will wiles 9780007436262 netgalley. Care of wooden floors by will wiles, 9780007424443, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. About aa book club aa book club is a series of informal discussions open to all about writing and architecture drawing on fiction, essays and journalism and often featuring wine and crisps.
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