eBook A Fraction of the Whole: A Novel ePub

A Fraction of the Whole is that rarest of long books–utterly worth i. he story starts in a prison riot and ends .

Steve Toltz has written a masterpiece, a smashing debut that will long be remembered as a colossal example of just how good fiction can be. He keeps you wired to the page from the jump and he defies gravity all the way to the end. -Ain’t It Cool News. First novels these days too seldom dare to raise their voices above an elegant whisper or an ironic murmur.

The fact is, the whole of Australia despises my father perhaps more than any other man, just as they adore his brother, my uncle, perhaps more than any other ma. I should also say this just to get it out of the way

The fact is, the whole of Australia despises my father perhaps more than any other man, just as they adore his brother, my uncle, perhaps more than any other man. I might as well set the story straight about both of them, though I don’t intend to undermine your love for my uncle or reverse your hatred for my father, especially if it’s an expansive hatred. I don’t want to spoil things if you use your hate to quicken your awareness of who you love. I should also say this just to get it out of the way

A Fraction of the Whole is a 2008 novel by Steve Toltz. It follows three generations of the eccentric Dean family in Australia and the people who surround them.

A Fraction of the Whole is a 2008 novel by Steve Toltz. Jasper Dean is Martin Dean's illegitimate son and Terry Dean's nephew. He narrates most of the novel, save some sections which are narrated by Martin. Jasper's difficult relationship with his father is the central subject of the book, and he leads a confused childhood due to Martin's constant bizarre lessons and diatribes.

Steve Toltz's debut novel, A Fraction of the Whole, takes the form of Martin Dean's confession of his failures and .

Steve Toltz's debut novel, A Fraction of the Whole, takes the form of Martin Dean's confession of his failures and hopes to his son, Jasper. Dante's Paradiso is more rollicking than this. It's a fat book but very light on its feet, skipping from anecdote, to rant, to reflection, like a stone skimming across a pond. His bad-tempered, regretful voice gives the book a unity and immediacy that makes it feel less like a novel and more like a stand-up routine (the book it reminded me of most was Alexei Sayle's brilliant Overtaken).

A Fraction of the Whole book. I kept feeling the real reason for the book was to give Toltz a philosophical platform. Although I remember little about this novel’s content, I remember it came along to torture me at the right time in my life-I fought and squabbled with its cruelty, I railed against its brutal wisdom and maddening honesty. This is how you write a first novel. I never remembered which character was voicing which opinion, and I can’t tell from reading some quotes I saved. But I enjoyed them anyway.

A Fraction of the Whole is an uproarious indictment of the modern world and its mores and the epic debut of the blisteringly funny and talented Steve Toltz. The Fraction of the Whole failed for me. The reasons remain unclear. Perhaps it is a younger soul's predilection, like skinny jeans. Novels which yearn to be hilarious seldom are, at least to me. This.

Steve Toltz hails from Australia, where the badgering first person runs deep, so A Fraction of the Whole, his 530-page debut, grows in the shadow of great expectations. But can it do more than just talk our ears off?

Steve Toltz hails from Australia, where the badgering first person runs deep, so A Fraction of the Whole, his 530-page debut, grows in the shadow of great expectations. But can it do more than just talk our ears off? The opening pages promise dire familial drama. Jasper Dean is trapped in a prison with a large chip on his shoulder. One thing’s for sure, he says. My father punished me for existing, and now it’s my turn to punish him for existing. Before long, Toltz is passing the narrative conch from Jasper to his father, Martin, and back again.

Steve Toltz's novel, A Fraction of the Whole, may clock in at almost 600 pages, but this .

Steve Toltz's novel, A Fraction of the Whole, may clock in at almost 600 pages, but this bizarre adventure from prison to Paris is worth i. The year is two months old. But this is the book of a two-month-old year. It may well carry the whole thing.

Book Summary A Fraction of the Whole is his first novel. Still not very illuminating, though, so it was time to investigate.

A Fraction of the Whole is an uproarious indictment of the modern world and its mores - a rollicking rollercoaster ride from obscurity to infamy, and the moving, memorable story of a father and son whose spiritual symmetry transcends all their many shortcomings. Steve Toltz the man is as laconic as his character Martin Dean is loquacious. The author bio on the book jacket simply reads: "Steve Toltz resides in Sydney, Australia. A Fraction of the Whole is his first novel.