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by John Niven
Irish novelist Kennedy Marr is a first rate bad boy. When he is not earning a fortune as one of Hollywood's most sought after script writers, he is drinking, insulting and philandering his way through LA, 'successfully debunking the myth that men are unable to multitask'. He is loved by many women, but loathed by even more including ex-wives on both sides of the pond.
Kennedy's appetite for trouble is insatiable, but when he discovers that he owes 1.4 million dollars in back taxes, it seems his outrageous, hedonistic lifestyle may not be as sustainable as he thought. Forced to accept a teaching position at sleepy Deeping University, where his ex-wife and teenaged daughter now reside, Kennedy returns to England with a paper trail of tabloid headlines and scorned starlets hot on his bespoke heels. However, as he acclimatizes to the quaint campus Kennedy is forced to reconsider his laddish lifestyle. Incredible as it may seem, there might actually be a father and a teacher lurking inside this 'preening, narcissistic, priapic sociopath'.
Straight White Male is a wildly funny and whip smart tale of Kennedy's transatlantic misadventures. It's an uninhibited and heartfelt look at the mid-life crisis of a lovable rogue.
"Starred Review. [Niven's] novel, in a vivid reverse ontological way, itself represents the product of Kennedy's redemption as a writer and a human being; highly recommended for readers who appreciate the conundrum that is life" - Library Journal
"Starred Review. Literary satire finds redemption as a character ruled by his genitals discovers he has a heart." - Kirkus Reviews
"Although the story is rather predictable and Kennedy's last-ditch epiphany feels forced, readers looking for a ferociously funny read will enjoy his company." - Publishers Weekly
"A sharp and knowing satire…thoroughly enjoyable."– The Guardian (UK)
"Thanks to Niven's talent the manopause has never been such fun" –The Daily Telegraph (UK)
"This is a writer who could wring laughs out of pretty well anything...hilarious." - The Times (UK)
"Outrageously funny...You won't be able to stop laughing" - Timeout (UK)
"Straight White Male is caustic and poignant, yet consistently, addictively funny…clever and joyous." - The Independent (UK)
"There's nothing faster, sadder or funnier than John Niven on men." - Caitlin Moran
"Deliciously hyperbolic,obscenely funny, unexpectedly affecting. Niven never, ever, pulls a punch." - Rupert Thomson
This information about Straight White Male was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
John Niven was born in Scotland. He is the author of six novels including Kill Your Friends, which is being made into a major motion picture, and The Second Coming. He lives in England.
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