{"product_id":"the-ask-a-novel-9780374298913","title":"The Ask: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003eA searing  beautiful  and deeply comic novel by a young American master Milo Burke  a development officer at a third-tier university  has \"not been developing\": after a run-in with a well-connected undergrad  he finds himself among the burgeoning class of the newly unemployed. Grasping after odd jobs to support his wife and child  Milo is offered one last chance by his former employer: he must reel in a potential donora major \"ask\"who  mysteriously  has requested Milos involvement. But it turns out that the ask is Milos sinister college classmate Purdy Stuart. And the \"give\" wont come cheap. Probing many themes or  perhaps  anxietiesincluding work  war  sex  class  child rearing  romantic comedies  Benjamin Franklin  cooking shows on death row  and the eroticization of chicken wire  Sam Lipsytes The Ask is a burst of genius by an author who has already demonstrated that the truly provocative and important fictions are often the funniest ones. A New York Times Book Review Editors Choice\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45648264495157,"sku":"ByrdShop_0374298912","price":22.11,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780374298913.jpg?v=1781714583","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-ask-a-novel-9780374298913","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}