I've always had a room of my own, but for some reason after about 20 minutes I can't stand the sight of it. I absolutely fell in love with Jasper, the little runt. Wow, the New York Times reviewer couldn't have gotten this one mroe wrong. A Fraction of the Whole is a 2008 novel by Steve Toltz. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 October 2020. This book will teach you all there is to know about the Australian character. Steve Toltz (born in 1972) is an Australian novelist. A Fraction of the Whole is a big book (530 pages) with big ambitions—it covers 40 years in an often laugh-out-loud, insightful, sprawling, impossible-to-summarize tale of the larger-than-life mishaps and adventures of an Australian father and son and the various miscreants and reprobates who surround them. Individual "I have a tendency to want to make myself laugh while I'm writing," he says. It's interesting enough and I found it mildly funny in parts. There’s a female guard whose stare of indifference is alluring, but I’ve never been good at chasing women—I always take no for an answer. It's almost impossible to categorize A Fraction of the Whole: a sprawling tale of love, heartache, crazy schemes and unexpected twists. Does this book contain quality or formatting issues? .It gives off the unmistakeable whiff of a book that might just contain the secret of life' Independent'With tinges of magical realism and buckets of misanthropic humour it's a clever and funny debut' Observer, 'If first novels were sandwiches, Steve Toltz's would be a juicy, swaggering doorstop of a sarnie, overflowing with eccentrically combined but delicious ingredients . • Digital Out of this particular terrain, Toltz fashions a novel of remarkable psychological and thematic range. Usually I have to finish reading a book because I really want to see where they go with it, even if some of the book wasn't that great. Incorporating death, parenting (good and bad kinds), one labyrinth, first love, a handbook for criminals, a scheme to make everyone rich and an explosive suggestion box, Steve Toltz's A Fraction of the Whole is a hilarious, heartbreaking story of families and how to survive them. This is the best thing I have read in quite a while. It’s long (562 Kindle pages), but just as I was thinking it was dragging and a rant had out-ranted its welcome, things sped up, turned plot somersaults careening from absurdist hilarity to true agony, it exploded with insanity, and it left me both laughing and gasping, “What next?”, The term The Great American Novel is often bandied about. . Came to view it as a dark comedy and that let me live with the hugely pessimistic aspects of the characters. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. "It's about Australian society and a particular Australian ethos—you know, sport and criminals—but it actually touches on a lot of Australian subjects. I am so glad I stuck with it, despite my recently acquired dislike of overly long novels. Please try your request again later. (Apparently air–conditioning offends society’s notion of punishment—as if just by being a little cool we are getting away with murder.) I read loads of reviews on this site, as well as the 'professional one-liners' in the book itself, and they all differ so much! I don't really care what happens to these characters. Not a chapter passed when I did not laugh out loud at the one-liners, the frequent displays of acerbic wit - not a moment when I was not awed by the skill w. Just when I'd completely and utterly lost faith in publishing - just when you think they're all corrupt bastards who are owned by pop stars and footballers - Penguin come up trumps and publish something that is actually worth reading. In the first year I had a relatively high opinion of my abilities and then I read other stuff and realized I was nowhere near it. $14.99 $ 14 99. Submission Guidelines, © 1996-2020 BookPage and ProMotion, inc. | 2143 Belcourt Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212. A Fraction of the Whole is a big book (530 pages) with big ambitions—it covers 40 years in an often laugh-out-loud, insightful, sprawling, impossible-to-summarize tale of the … LOOK, i dont mind quirky, even wacky, but zany i cant take and this book is zany as hell and seemingly grounded in nothing. These promotions will be applied to this item: Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. Toltz graduated from the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, in 1994. Politics, philosophy, religion, sex, love triangles this book is a mass of insanity. ", Returning to the subject of his ambition to be a writer, Toltz says, "When you're unpublished you look at books that have a certain degree of international success and you wonder, is my book as good as this one or that one, you weigh it up. I have to admit I didn't finish this. Unable to add item to Wish List. From his prison cell, Jasper Dean tells the unlikely story of his scheming father Martin, his crazy Uncle Terry and how the three of them upset - mostly unintentionally - an entire continent. Not a chapter passed when I did not laugh out loud at the one-liners, the frequent displays of acerbic wit - not a moment when I was not awed by the skill with which this author has crafted his story; not a second when I did not ache inside for the tragedy which was Jasper's, his father's and ultimately the human condition. With simultaneous publication in the U.S., Australia and the U.K., Steve Toltz's first novel, A Fraction of the Whole, is about to make a big splash. now im overwriting! . Do not borrow this book from the library. It was only through a chance contact that the book was brought to the attention of Random House America and like a real-life fairytale went on to receive worldwide release and a nod from the most prestigeous literary prize. A soaring experience. "In Australia and England when the daily tabloids decide to tear someone apart they can be quite unsparing," Toltz continues, explaining the seed of his story. I can not repeat that heartfeltedness again! It seems to be as a result glad to meet the expense of you this … Toltz has an amazing way with words, and the situations he finds his characters in are at times wonderfully bizarre, and their bent view of the world is the result. It definitely claims a high place in my top ten list. WHAT A WORK OF. • The older passengers knew that the key to happiness lay in keeping your expectations low. Every page contains insanely brilliant and incredibly hilarious observations of modern day Australian society. i wish i liked this book more as he is an aussie and can swing a metaphor, but he didnt care about me enough, just about his own oz-mocking babble and anti-philosophy. Just this part alone made me think of all my cynical Hungarian elders, because man do they think like this "The younger passengers let out cries of joy. It'll make you cry. 'i dont know how to make a great movie so ill make a really long movie and hopefully youll buy it as art'. It's brilliant, demented, hilarious and very inventive. Usually I have to finish reading a book because I really want to see where they go with it, even if some of the book wasn't that great. Sleep all day? They booed." Heartfelt thanks to Whole Story Audio for getting this and half the other 2008 Booker shortlist out so quickly. A Fraction of the Whole is his first book. 2 stars for what took up all of january. Characters Jasper Dean. The term The Great American Novel is often bandied about. An. toltz is funny, punchy and wicked so why on earth would he write such a long book? tolstoy, go for it, write a long book - you deserve it, you go to the depths of us but not this fellow (despite the booker shortlist).
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