A Fraction of the Whole
By Steve Toltz
Martin Dean spent his entire life analyzing absolutely everything – from the benefits of suicide to the virtues of strip clubs – and passing on his self-taught knowledge to his son, Jasper. But now that his father’s dead, Jasper can fully reflect on the man who raised him in intellectual captivity and the irony is this: theirs was a great adventure.
As he recollects the extraordinary events that led to his father’s demise, Jasper recounts a boyhood of outrageous schemes and shocking discoveries – about his infamous criminal uncle, his mysteriously absent mother, and Martin’s constant battle to leave his mark on the world. From the Australian bush to the cafes of Paris; from the highs of first love to the lows of failed ambition, this is an unforgettable, rollicking and deeply moving family story.
‘A riotously funny first novel that is harder to ignore than a crate of puppies… Mr. Toltz’s merry chaos — a mix of metaphysical inquiry, ribald jokes, freakish occurrences and verbal dynamite booming across the page — deserves a place next to A Confederacy of Dunces’
Wall Street Journal