Man On Fire

Kelman, Stephen

ISBN 10: 1408865467 / ISBN 13: 9781408865460

Published by Bloomsbury Circus / Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London, 2015

About this Item

First edition, first impression with full number line. SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR, IN BLACK PEN, ON TITLE PAGE 'Best wishes and happy reading! Stephen Kelman'. Some minuscule edge wear to top and bottom of jacket and spine, top corners very slightly creased, not price clipped (£12.99), no other inacriptions, internally clean tight and square, overall a vg+ copy, looks unread. 305pp. I was beating the life out of Bibhuti with a baseball bat when my first monsoon broke. John Lock has come to India to meet his destiny, a destiny dressed in a white karate suit and sporting an impressive moustache. He has fled the quiet desperation of his life in England, decades wasted in a meaningless job, a marriage foundering in the wake of loss and a terrible secret he cannot bear to share with his wife. He has come to offer his help to a man who has learned to conquer pain, a world record breaker who specialises in feats of extreme endurance and ill advised masochism. Bibhuti Nayak's next record attempt, to have fifty baseball bats broken over his body, will set the seal on a career that has seen him rise from poverty to become a minor celebrity in a nation where standing out from the crowd requires tenacity, courage and perhaps a touch of madness. In answering Bibhuti's call for assistance, John hopes to rewrite a brave end to a life poorly lived. ut as they take their leap of faith together, and John is welcomed into Bibhuti's family, and into the colour and chaos of Mumbai, where he encounters ping pong playing monks, a fearless seven year old martial arts warrior and an old man longing for the monsoon to wash him away he learns more about life, and death, and everything in between than he could ever have bargained for. Scarce signed.

Seller Inventory # 010143

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Man On Fire
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Circus / Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London
• Publication Date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1408865467
• ISBN 13: 9781408865460
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Jacket by Greg Heinimann
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Printing: 1st Printing
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)

About this title

Synopsis

An unforgettable story of faith, forgiveness and second chances, Man on Fire is a powerful and touching novel from the Booker and Guardian-shortlisted author of Pigeon English.

John Lock has come to India to meet his destiny: a destiny dressed in a white karate suit and sporting an impressive moustache. He has fled the quiet desperation of his life in England: decades wasted in a meaningless job, a marriage foundering in the wake of loss and a terrible secret he cannot bear to share with his wife.

He has come to offer his help to a man who has learned to conquer pain, a world record breaker who specialises in feats of extreme endurance and ill-advised masochism. Bibhuti Nayak’s next record attempt – to have fifty baseball bats broken over his body – will set the seal on a career that has seen him rise from poverty to become a minor celebrity in a nation where standing out from the crowd requires tenacity, courage and perhaps a touch of madness. In answering Bibhuti’s call for assistance, John hopes to rewrite a brave end to a life poorly lived.

But as they take their leap of faith together, and John is welcomed into Bibhuti’s family, and into the colour and chaos of Mumbai – where he encounters ping-pong-playing monks, a fearless seven-year-old martial arts warrior and an old man longing for the monsoon to wash him away – he learns more about life, and death, and everything in between than he could ever have bargained for.

About the Author

Stephen Kelman's first novel, Pigeon English, was shortlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize, and the Guardian First Book Award, and was a Barnes & Noble "New Voices" selection. Kelman was also shortlisted for the New Writer of the Year Award at the 2011 Galaxy National Book Awards. He lives in St. Albans, England.