Beneath the Axle-Tree: An Introduction to Eliot's Poems, Plays and Criticism - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0333901665 ISBN 13: 9780333901663

Publisher: Macmillan, 1753

Synopsis

A funny, moving and highly original snapshot of what it is to be a thirtysomething in a post-Duran Duran world.Jon Marshall leads a pretty normal life. He's a partner in his own practice, owns a nice house in a nice suburb and cruises town in a Beemer. But things are about to change. Big time. It all kicks off when he falls prey to the vicissitudes of email dating and is forced to bear the brunt of the tantrums of a grumpy (and increasingly aggressive) Window Weasel, sent to him in a moment of madness by his friend and colleague, George. Events are complicated further by a new 'running buddy', a mad woman with eighties hair, and a very accident-prone cat, all of whom conspire to make Jon's world spiral ever so slightly out of control . . .Fortunately, the responsibility of being the lone parent to an adorable baby girl, nicknamed the Bean, brings him back to relative sanity, for it's the Bean who shows him life's endless possibilities.Nick Earls has written another terrific novel that will have you sniggering with glee and begging for more. PERFECT SKIN is sheer, indulgent delight!

About this title

About the Author:

Nick Earls is the author of Zigzag Street and Bachelor Kisses, both available as Pan Originals. His previous jobs include suburban GP and story-telling armchair. He lives in Brisbane.

From Publishers Weekly:

A newly widowed Australian doctor finds himself caught between the demands of raising his infant daughter and those of the dating world in Earls's breezy but thoughtful romance. Dating proves far more difficult than child-rearing for Jon Marshall, the laser surgeon whose wife dies during childbirth. He quickly sinks a budding romance with Katie, a friend of his office manager, in a series of hysterical scenes in which Jon has some unseemly accidents with Katie's unfortunate cat. Things get a bit more serious when the 30-ish Jon befriends an attractive college student named Ashley: they start out as running buddies, but their relationship slowly blossoms into something more serious. The most intriguing subplot involves Jon's internal wrestling match with the legacy of his marriage, which had been problematic before his wife's death. He finds he must come to terms with his old relationship before he can make a go of it with his college-age partner. Earls spends far too much time dissecting Jon's social life in the context of '80s rock music, and while he writes touchingly about the joys of being a young single parent, he conveniently glosses over most of the nightmares. He earns kudos, however, for steering his would-be lovers away from a formulaic happy ending, though the feel-good resolution will still satisfy dedicated romantics. Dating can be daunting at any age, but Earls paints the battle of the sexes as a friendly duel with plenty of promising common ground, and readers should enjoy this amiable, well-crafted and genuinely romantic book. (Oct. 24)Forecast: A bestseller Down Under, Earls could be embraced here as the Aussie Nick Hornby, but it will take some good reviews and even better marketing.

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About this edition

• Publisher: Macmillan
• Publication date: 1753
• ISBN 10: 0333901665
• ISBN 13: 9780333901663
• Binding: Paperback