A Fraction of the Whole
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Our Book of the Month for July 2009 is "A Fraction of the Whole" by Steve Toltz. It was shortlisted for the 2008 Man Booker Prize, but was beaten by The White Tiger.
A Fraction of the Whole begins in a “strange prison”. Jasper Dean has a story to tell, but declares that it is not easy to negotiate with memories; nevertheless, he engages the reader’s attention. Why did his father, Martin, become the most hated man in Australia ? Conversely, how did his uncle Terry attain the status of national hero? And what lies behind the enigmatic statement: “My father’s body will never be found?”
In childhood Martin Dean is struck down by a mystery illness, then slips into a coma that lasts for well over four years. He recovers, to find that he has a brother. The novel traces Terry’s development from talented young sportsman to notorious criminal.
Inspired by advice to “Create”, Martin embarks upon a series of outlandish schemes and bizarre projects, to try to discover his own identity.
Jasper needs to come to terms with his extraordinary father, and also has to find himself: “To get to the bottom of myself. To get to the bottom of thought. To get beyond time.” En route, he learns about his mother.
Steve Toltz’s debut novel runs to over 700 pages, which a number of critics have found excessive. Mixed reviews note that the book is “riotously funny”, a “rich, father-and-son story”; whilst suggesting that its “garrulous absurdity” wears thin. Did you find it “unforgettable, rollicking and deeply moving”, or were you turned off by “some awful dud patches” and gags that are “arrant nonsense”?
Join us in reading A Fraction of the Whole. Come back when you've finished the novel and leave your comments below.
Content last updated: 30/06/2009
About our expert
Stephanie Forward is Senior Tutor in Open Studies in the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of Warwick, and is an Associate Lecturer with The Open University. Her publications include Dreams, Visions and Realities; Sex, Social Purity and Sarah Grand (with Ann Heilmann), and the CD script for Blenheim Palace: The Churchills and their Palace.
Stephanie has been involved in two significant OU/BBC projects: The Big Read (2003) and the television series The Romantics (2006). She also leads the Open2 bookclub.
