"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Dazed by these changes, Alfie drifts--on a cloud of Tsingtao beer and Sinatra-fuelled reverie--into a new teaching job and into a string of pointless affairs with his students. But a man can only drift for so long before he starts to sink--and Alfie must learn some bitter lessons before he can regain the happiness he once knew in Hong Kong.
Tony Parsons' second novel deserves to match the phenomenal success of his first, Man and Boy--although there are reasons why it might not. One for My Baby lacks the cutesy appeal of single fathers bringing up sons and some readers may find it--with its double portion of deaths and mid-life depressions--a more demanding read altogether. The book deals with tough realities, with people who have ceased to love themselves and each other, with snobbery and prejudice and the acute loneliness of city life. But the tale is redeemed, ultimately, because humour and warmth pervade even its darkest corners. The laughable antics of Alfie's father are balanced beautifully by George Chang, Alfie's serene and dignified Tai Chi instructor. And while our hero's journey is an arduous one, we are invited to laugh with and at him and never to pity him. Mr Parsons deserves praise for creating a book that is not merely different to his first but also bigger, tougher and cleverer. --Matthew Baylis
Praise for One For My Baby:
‘Subtle and intelligent’ The Times
‘Full of hard-earned wisdom. An essential purchase’ GQ
‘The same combination of self-deprecating humour and well-intentioned bafflement that endeared Man and Boy to millions of readers’ Observer
‘Stylish, polished, complex and it really gets its teeth into the big issues of sex, love, family and friendship’ Mirror
‘Another brilliant novel that combines laughter and tears, love and sex – and real human emotions’ Evening Standard
‘The writing is confident and accomplished...He makes the reader care...This is art shot through with humanity’ Independent on Sunday
‘Heartbreakingly universal and full of killer lines on love and love lost’ Financial Times
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
£ 3.50
Within United Kingdom
Book Description Soft cover. Condition: New. 1st Edition. A BRAND NEW BOOK UNUSED. Full refund if not satisfied. 24 hour dispatch. If not pictured in this listing, a scan of the actual book is available on request. Seller Inventory # mac2281
Book Description PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # VC-9780006514817
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. This item is printed on demand. New copy - Usually dispatched within 5-9 working days. Seller Inventory # C9780006514817
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 384 pages. 7.72x5.12x1.10 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0006514812
Book Description Condition: New. New novel about men, love and relationships by the author of the Book of the Year, Man and Boy. Num Pages: 400 pages. BIC Classification: FA. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 198 x 129 x 26. Weight in Grams: 282. . 2008. First Edition. Paperback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # 9780006514817
Book Description Condition: New. New novel about men, love and relationships by the author of the Book of the Year, Man and Boy. Num Pages: 400 pages. BIC Classification: FA. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 198 x 129 x 26. Weight in Grams: 282. . 2008. First Edition. Paperback. . . . . Seller Inventory # 9780006514817