Hunters and Gatherers - Hardcover

Nicholson, Geoff

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0879515597 ISBN 13: 9780879515591

Publisher: The Overlook Press, 1994

Synopsis

In this maddeningly clever novel about collectors, collecting and a search for the world's most reclusive writer since J.D. Salinger, Steve Geddes is a writer who has been commissioned to write a book about collectors. His research introduces him to a Felliniesque cast of characters, including an alluring woman named Victoria who collects lovers who collect cars. While some try to organize the chaos of the universe by collecting, others do it by amassing knowledge. One of these others is Steve's friend Jim, who has made a long term financial commitment to purchase all 18 volumes of The Books of Power, the most eccentric encyclopedia ever written (the entry on Britain begins "England swings like a pendulum do"). Steve notices there is an entry on the reclusive writer, Thornton McCain, that mentions a novel Steve has never heard of - The Bullet Leaves the Gun. In spite of himself, Steve sets out in search of this possibly apocryphal book and its reclusive author, and what he finds is astounding.

About this title

About the Author

Geoff Nicholson is the author of twenty books, including Sex Collectors, Hunters and Gatherers, The Food Chain, and Bleeding London, which was shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize. He divides his time between Los Angeles and London.

From Kirkus Reviews

Attention fans of Evelyn Waugh, Douglas Adams, or any other clever, subversive British comedic writer: Add Geoff Nicholson to your must-read list. In this absurdly hilarious shaggy dog tale about collectors and collecting, the wickedly funny author of The Food Chain (1993) follows the misadventures of Steve Geddes, an unsuccessful London writer. When his well-employed wife finally tires of supporting him and boots him out, Steve tries to make some sense of his life by relocating to the dreary northern town of Sheffield. There he embarks on the cynical project of writing a book about people who are obsessive collectors. After dealing with the obvious cases, like hoarders of jelly molds and sports cars, he soon becomes involved with more covert collectors: people who amass lovers, knowledge, jokes, strange sounds, even imaginary beer cans. At the same time he must contend with a destructive anti-collector who threatens to ruin all of his subjects' accumulations. Then there is the mysterious door-to-door saleswoman whose 18-volume Books of Power is the strangest encyclopedia anyone has ever seen--except, of course, for Steve's friend Jim, who sets out to memorize every bizarre entry, each one a scatological jumble of random observations. And what are we supposed to make of Steve's favorite obscure writer, Thornton McCain, about whom, despite his disgust for collectors, he soon finds himself obsessing? Flying along a wild lattice of coincidences, Nicholson takes the reader into improbably funny territory. Just when you think he's spun out of control with too many different characters and plots, he brings it all together for a ridiculously inventive conclusion. On the surface a darkly hysterical romp, upon closer inspection a sly meditation on obsession, possession, and, finally, creativity. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: The Overlook Press
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0879515597
• ISBN 13: 9780879515591
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224