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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Michelle
New York, US
★★★★★ 5
Husky approved!
Color: Cheers
Got this for my large husky to wear for his 10th birthday. He didn't tear it up right away. The squeaker lasted longer than it does with most toys. He seemed to genuinely enjoy the toy. Removed the stretchy string once I got a few pictures so he wouldn't eat it. Very cute.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2026
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Sammy1089
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 5
Buy Me, I’m Ideal
Color: Bark-Day
Perfect size for my small dog
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Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2026
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Verified Purchase
Audry
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
5 Stars - My Gentle Giant Loves It!
Color: Pawty, Color: Pawty
I got this toy for my German Shepherd, who is very gentle and loves soft plush toys. Even though he’s a big dog, he’s careful and enjoys playing gentle tug-of-war so the rope part as the string is perfect. The toy was a little smaller in length than I expected, but it hasn’t mattered at all — he absolutely loves it! It’s soft, thick, and has a squeaker deep inside that will make it hard for a dog to pull out. It is cute, and has held up well to a lot of carrying around and light tugging. If you have a gentle dog who loves plush toys, I definitely recommend this one. I would absolutely purchase it again! Fun little dog birthday gift.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2025
A
Verified Purchase
Ashley
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 5
Stupid cute!
Color: Crown, Color: Crown
My Lily looked so cute on her first birthday and it was so easy to put on. It doubles as a toy if you want to cut the band off. It's got a crinkling sound, no squeaker
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Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2025
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Jessica
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Not for tough dogs who chew
Color: Pawty
My dog loves it! We play tug of war and it’s still holding up. She is 40 pounds and is strong. But this would not be durable for dogs who rip things apart.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2025

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