The Dwarves of Death

by JonathanCoe (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2001

  $3.25

  William's life is beset with frustration: his band turns his melodic songs into grotesque parodies of Status Quo, and cool Madelaine dangles out of reach. Things could hardly get worse, it seems - until he becomes the only witness to a bizarre murder. A very clever, very funny book ...Brilliant - Sunday Times . Like a Hitchcock movie on drugs ...a novel of considerable gusto and panache - Observer . It's about being young, poor, confused and in love ...Sharp, lucid and witty - Guardian .

• Used

  Paperback
  2008

  $3.25

  The Dwarves of Death is a hilarious black comedy by Jonathan Coe. William has a lot on his mind. Firstly, there's The Alaska Factory, the band he plays in. They're no good, and they make his songs sound about as groovy as an unimpressed record. In fact they're so bad he's seriously thinking of leaving to join a group called The Unfortunates. Secondly, there's Madeline, his high-maintenance girlfriend whose idea of a night of passion is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical followed by a doorstep peck on the cheek. Maybe they're not soulmates after all? Lastly, there's the bizarre murder he's just witnessed. The guiding force behind The Unfortunates lies bludgeoned to death at his feet and, unfortunately for William, there aren't too many other suspects standing nearby... It's about being young, poor, confused and in love. It's also very funny ...sharp, lucid and witty . ( Guardian ). Notable for its fresh, contemporary flavour and its bristling intellectual energy. Coe has huge powers of observation and enormous literary panache . ( Sunday Times ). Jonathan Coe's novels are filled with biting political satire, moving and astute observations of life and hilarious set pieces that have made him one of the most popular writers of his generation. His other titles, The Accidental Woman , The Closed Circle , The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim , The House of Sleep (winner of the 1998 Prix Medicis Etranger), A Touch of Love , and The Rain Before it Falls , are all available in Penguin paperback.