Martin Amis Visits on Tues., 18 September 2012 at 7 PM
Who: Novelist Martin Amis.
What: Reading and signing his new novel, Lionel Asbo.
When: Tuesday, 18 September 2012 at 7 PM.
How much: Free -- but give us a call to let us know you're coming. The number here is (925) 837-7337.
Where: Rakestraw Books.
Why you should care: "Lionel Asbo crackles with brilliant prose and scathing satire [and is] savagely funny... So who could predict that, from this deliciously nasty setup, an author the New York Times once called 'fiction's angriest writer' would craft a novel so... Dickensian, a novel with such... I hate to even say it...heart... What follows is hilarious and strangely compelling—a gleefully twisted Great Expectations... Amis adopts a big, playful storytelling voice in this book. He riffs like a jazz master, in and out of vernacular, with brief gusts of description, all driven by a tight bass line of suspense." -- Jess Walter, Publishers Weekly
"A surprisingly tender story… For all its scabrous humour, this is at heart an old-fashioned tale in which goodness may still find a way to triumph." -- The Daily Mail [U.K.]
A savage, funny, and mysteriously poignant saga by a renowned author at the height of his powers.
Lionel Asbo, a terrifying yet weirdly loyal thug (self-named after England's notorious Anti-Social Behaviour Order), has always looked out for his ward and nephew, the orphaned Desmond Pepperdine. He provides him with fatherly career advice (always carry a knife, for example) and is determined they should share the joys of pit bulls (fed with lots of Tabasco sauce), Internet porn, and all manner of more serious criminality. Des, on the other hand, desires nothing more than books to read and a girl to love (and to protect a family secret that could be the death of him). But just as he begins to lead a gentler, healthier life, his uncle -- once again in a London prison -- wins £140 million in the lottery and upon his release hires a public relations firm and begins dating a cannily ambitious topless model and "poet." Strangely, however, Lionel's true nature remains uncompromised while his problems, and therefore also Desmond's, seem only to multiply.
It is an honor for us to welcome Britain's greatest living novelist to Rakestraw Books. Please join us for an event that you will never forget. Reservations are very strongly recommended.
- Street:
- 522 Hartz Ave
- Additional:
- City:
- Danville ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94526
- Country:
- United States
