In Review

21 November 2008 22:42 BST

A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz

Published by Penguin, out now, hardback, 710pp, £17.99.

In a nutshell…

Epic. Dark. Funny. Cynical. Quirky.

What's it all about?

Jasper Dean recalls his unconventional upbringing by his father Martin Dean – an intellectual, yet unstable paranoiac. Since the legacy left by his infamous criminal brother, Terry, Martin has been determined to leave his mark on the world – a lifetime's undertaking which takes in Parisian cafes, mental asylums, strip clubs and the jungles of Thailand. However, in amongst the absurdities of such a life develops an oddly moving family story.

Who's it by?

Steve Toltz. Incredibly, this is Steve Toltz's first novel. A native Australian who has also lived in Montreal, Barcelona and Paris, he has worked in the past as a screenwriter, a private investigator and an English teacher.

As an example…

Terry Dean on shooting the captain of the Australian cricket team which had been deliberately losing games for money: "Let's see him underperform his own death!"

"There's no use having an awakening and then hitting the snooze button and going back to sleep."

Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster

The sheer scale of the story probably means it is unlikely to be picked up for the big screen – but stranger things have happened.

What the others say

"It's a spiritual search that allows lines as beautiful as: "The rhythms of the universe were perceptible in the way the boats were nodding at me," and allows a conclusion that finds an affecting depth of feeling. Yes, A Fraction of the Whole is a wildly looping rollercoaster. But there's much more to it than meaningless exhilaration." - David Mattin, Independent

"Some passages in this book are insightful and some are marvellously funny, but far too many are simply aimless. Toltz owes a lot stylistically to JD Salinger and DBC Pierre, and if you want an involving coming-of-age story which uses fresh language effectively, far better to read one of theirs." - Abigail Wilkinson, Time Out

So is it any good?

This a hugely impressive debut novel from Toltz, who has crafted a story of epic proportions that still manages to be light on its feet and frequently hilarious.

The story – recounted by Jasper Dean with parts of his father's autobiography thrown in to offer a counter perspective – spans several generations of the Dean family, whose lived have been forged through illness, murders, love affairs and crime.

While such themes could easily have made for a sombre read, what follows is a philosophical and comic journey through the minds of the protagonists.

Fans of Chuck Palahniuk and Martin Amis will find much to enjoy here, as Martin Dean struggles to escape the shadow of his brother and becomes increasingly imprisoned by the limitations of his own mind.

Jasper's determination to point out the ludicrousness of his father while becoming evermore like him provides many laugh-out-loud moments, as do the outrageous criminal exploits of his uncle Terry.

My only criticism is the tone of the novel occasionally suffers due to its tendency to veer so wildly between its themes, with the final third in particular feeling a little uneven.

This a minor gripe with an incredibly ambitious novel, however, and anyone who likes their laughs on the darker side should definitely give this one a try.

7/10

Patrick Wells