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From the reviews of STRETCH, 29: 'Brilliantly funny. A dazzling performance. This is a book of great poise, teeming with invention, wicked humour and unforced insights.' OBSERVER 'Heartbreakingly funny. Debuts don't get much better than this.' DAILY MIRROR 'Lit by some truly fine writing and observation. Lanigan's account of a family sliding into misery has moments of Dickensian greatness.' INDEPENDENT 'Frank Stretch, the hero of this entertaining novel... is as original and affecting as Billy Liar or Lucky Jim were to previous generations.' Grub Smith, FHM
Following on from his original and highly praised debut, Stretch, 29, Damian Lanigan shows no sign of losing the plot with this often hilarious assault on the world of celebrity. Admittedly the subject matter is a crowded field already, but Lanigan succeeds at working Shakespeare and eating disorders into the mix while injecting originality into his observations. That he manages to be withering, unsentimental and exceptionally funny at the same time is a tribute to his talents. Patrick Moon is an actor who hasn't acted in several years, and the rest of his life isn't exactly living up to expectations either, what with his sexual problem and the uncertainty surrounding his relationship with his girlfriend, Susie. The fact that Susie (a writer) and Patrick both started off their respective careers on a high and have been underachieving ever since doesn't help, but before we consider their potentially bleak future, we are treated to a brief resume of their past. While an unoffered ring lurks in the background like a refugee from Tolkien, Patrick seems destined to wallow in 'the melancholy of mediocrity'. But then things - professionally at least - take an unexpected upward arc, and the consequences are far from what he was expecting. Whether sharing Patrick's memories of a school nativity play where his nascent talents were unleashed by playing Joseph, the Holy Spirit and Harold Wilson or describing a lesser character as having 'sunk her erotic energy into interior design a decade ago', Lanigan never fails to connect with the funny bone. And very little escapes his scathing observations: writers, actors, book reviews, celebrity lifestyle magazines, Internet pornography and the strangeness of obsessive fans all come in for a bit of flak in this well-aimed and brilliantly written pop at just about everything modern popular culture has to offer. (Kirkus UK)
Product Description
A failed actor has one last chance at success -- in this razor-sharp satirical novel from the acclaimed author of STRETCH, 29. Hailed by the Observer as 'a dazzling performance, teeming with invention, wicked humour and unforced insights' and by the Daily Mirror as 'heartbreakingly funny', STRETCH, 29, Damian Lanigan's story of the downward-spiralling life of serial under-achiever Frank Stretch, established him as one of the most distinctive voices of a new generation of British comic writers. Now, in THE CHANCERS, his new hero is struggling to escape the modern obsession with fame...There was a time when Patrick Moon had all the fame he could handle. Starring in Macbeth fresh out of RADA, he was the darling of the West End when he fell in love with fast-rising young novelist Susie Fisher. Eight years later, the spotlight has moved on, Patrick is permanently 'resting', the golden couple is badly in need of a polish and he can't even perform in the bedroom. Worst of all, Susie now writes a weekly column in which she reveals the most intimate details of their crumbling relationship. But then he unexpectedly wins a leading role in a small-budget film. Could this be his last chance to escape all his troubles and regain the public admiration he is convinced he deserves?
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From the reviews of STRETCH, 29: 'Brilliantly funny. A dazzling performance. This is a book of great poise, teeming with invention, wicked humour and unforced insights.' OBSERVER 'Heartbreakingly funny. Debuts don't get much better than this.' DAILY MIRROR 'Lit by some truly fine writing and observation. Lanigan's account of a family sliding into misery has moments of Dickensian greatness.' INDEPENDENT 'Frank Stretch, the hero of this entertaining novel... is as original and affecting as Billy Liar or Lucky Jim were to previous generations.' Grub Smith, FHM
Following on from his original and highly praised debut, Stretch, 29, Damian Lanigan shows no sign of losing the plot with this often hilarious assault on the world of celebrity. Admittedly the subject matter is a crowded field already, but Lanigan succeeds at working Shakespeare and eating disorders into the mix while injecting originality into his observations. That he manages to be withering, unsentimental and exceptionally funny at the same time is a tribute to his talents. Patrick Moon is an actor who hasn't acted in several years, and the rest of his life isn't exactly living up to expectations either, what with his sexual problem and the uncertainty surrounding his relationship with his girlfriend, Susie. The fact that Susie (a writer) and Patrick both started off their respective careers on a high and have been underachieving ever since doesn't help, but before we consider their potentially bleak future, we are treated to a brief resume of their past. While an unoffered ring lurks in the background like a refugee from Tolkien, Patrick seems destined to wallow in 'the melancholy of mediocrity'. But then things - professionally at least - take an unexpected upward arc, and the consequences are far from what he was expecting. Whether sharing Patrick's memories of a school nativity play where his nascent talents were unleashed by playing Joseph, the Holy Spirit and Harold Wilson or describing a lesser character as having 'sunk her erotic energy into interior design a decade ago', Lanigan never fails to connect with the funny bone. And very little escapes his scathing observations: writers, actors, book reviews, celebrity lifestyle magazines, Internet pornography and the strangeness of obsessive fans all come in for a bit of flak in this well-aimed and brilliantly written pop at just about everything modern popular culture has to offer. (Kirkus UK)
Product Description
A failed actor has one last chance at success -- in this razor-sharp satirical novel from the acclaimed author of STRETCH, 29. Hailed by the Observer as 'a dazzling performance, teeming with invention, wicked humour and unforced insights' and by the Daily Mirror as 'heartbreakingly funny', STRETCH, 29, Damian Lanigan's story of the downward-spiralling life of serial under-achiever Frank Stretch, established him as one of the most distinctive voices of a new generation of British comic writers. Now, in THE CHANCERS, his new hero is struggling to escape the modern obsession with fame...There was a time when Patrick Moon had all the fame he could handle. Starring in Macbeth fresh out of RADA, he was the darling of the West End when he fell in love with fast-rising young novelist Susie Fisher. Eight years later, the spotlight has moved on, Patrick is permanently 'resting', the golden couple is badly in need of a polish and he can't even perform in the bedroom. Worst of all, Susie now writes a weekly column in which she reveals the most intimate details of their crumbling relationship. But then he unexpectedly wins a leading role in a small-budget film. Could this be his last chance to escape all his troubles and regain the public admiration he is convinced he deserves?
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