A Short Gentleman
Published on 5. March 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-0-09-949285-6 (ISBN)
Description
How did Robert Purcell, distinguished barrister and perfect specimen of the British Establishment, end up in prison? An intellectual giant but an emotional pygmy, Robert is a man struggling to come to terms with the forces that have brought him down, from the wife who wanted him to change, to the ex-girlfriend who came back to haunt him and the childhood bully who turned into an adult bully.
Despite everything, Robert remains the same magnificently self-righteous man he always was, utterly resistant to therapy, change and the emotional demands of the opposite sex.
Despite everything, Robert remains the same magnificently self-righteous man he always was, utterly resistant to therapy, change and the emotional demands of the opposite sex.
Reviews / Votes
He is arguably the finest comic novelist working in Britain today. Indeed, he may just be finest comic anything working in Britain right now... Canter's prose is achingly funny...it is also vital, acute, literary and oddly moving. -- James Kidd * Independent * Brilliant, but for God's sake don't let this book fall into the hands of any women - if they find out what we're really like we'll never hear the end of it -- Charlie Higson Canter is a sharp writer with a wickedly dry wit. His precise style is a joy to read, combining riotous humour and moments of genuine pathos * Metro * This is light reading but deceptively so, offering deliciously well observed vignettes of the top legal set * Time Out * Witty, accomplished and highly entertaining * Mail on Sunday * Exhilarating...brilliantly plotted * New Statesman * With great panache and assurance, Jon Canter lampoons the pretentions of England's top legal set...this comic tour de force. -- Emma Hagestadt * Independent * Brilliantly witty * Arabella Weir * Jon Canter projects a series of funny, sometimes hilarious, incidents in which the comedy is structured rather than slapstick, verging on the licentious but masterfully avoiding it * Times Literary Supplement *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
459 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-09-949285-6 (9780099492856)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Jon Canter is the author of two other novels, Seeds of Greatness, adapted for BBC Radio 4, and Worth. He has also written stand-up comedy, TV and radio scripts for many of Britain's most prominent comedians, and comment pieces for the Guardian.