Paul Rainey, an ad salesman, perceives dimly through a fog of psychoactive substances his dissatisfaction with his life- professional, sexual, weekends, the lot. But when this offer turns out to be as misleading as Paul's sales patter, his life and that of his family are transformed in ways very much more peculiar than he ever thought possible.

A stunning debut novel set in the murky worlds of telephone salesmen and supermarket shelf-stackers by one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists 2013. WINNER OF THE 2025 BOOKER PRIZE 'Compulsively readable' Independent on Sunday A discontented ad salesman finds his life changed, in the wryly funny and addictive novel from Booker-shortlisted David Szalay Paul Rainey, an ad salesman, perceives dimly through a fog of psychoactive substances his dissatisfaction with his life - professional, sexual, weekends, the lot. He only wishes there was something he could do about it. And 'something' seems to fall into his lap when a meeting with an old friend and fellow salesman, Eddy Jaw, leads to the offer of a new job. But when this offer turns out to be as misleading as Paul's sales patter, his life and that of his family are transformed in ways very much more peculiar than he ever thought possible.

Details

ISBN13: 9780099515890
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 352
Edition:
Publication Date: 15 Apr 2009
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
Publication City, Country: London, United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 19.8(H)x12.9(L)x2.3(W)244
Weight (gm): 244

Author Biography

David Szalay is the author of six works of fiction, including London and the South-East, for which he was awarded the Betty Trask and Geoffrey Faber Memorial prizes, All That Man Is, for which he was awarded the Gordon Burn Prize and Plimpton Prize for Fiction and shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and Turbulence, which won the Edge Hill Prize. Born in Canada, he grew up in London, and now lives in Vienna. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages.

Reviews

One of the great English novels of recent years, a work of sublime literary realism, and a blackly comic meditation on the sins and sorrows of modernity
Brilliant... funny, painful, graphic... Compulsively readable * Independent on Sunday *
A wonderfully dark debut... A strikingly poetic glimpse into the soul of the faceless, big creatures into whose armpits one has so often been squashed on the central line * The Times *
This is David Szalay's first novel, and startlingly good... A terrific debut... A tense and compelling read * Independent *
Superb... Riveting * Financial Times *
One of the great English novels of recent years, a work of sublime literary realism, and a blackly comic meditation on the sins and sorrows of modernity
Brilliant... funny, painful, graphic... Compulsively readable * Independent on Sunday *
A wonderfully dark debut... A strikingly poetic glimpse into the soul of the faceless, big creatures into whose armpits one has so often been squashed on the central line * The Times *
This is David Szalay's first novel, and startlingly good... A terrific debut... A tense and compelling read * Independent *
Superb... Riveting * Financial Times *