Palace Pier

by KeithWaterhouse (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2003

  $4.04

  In the early 1960s, a golden age for newly-discovered writers, Chris Duffy was something of a nearly man. His debut novel was reasonably successful; his second was turned down as being too like the first. Thanks to procrastination and heavy drinking, he has published nothing since. Settled now in Brighton, where he ekes out a living running a market bric-a-brac stall, Duffy dreams of the blurred decades that seem to have slipped through his fingers: where did it all go wrong? But during one confusing weekend, on the opening days of the Brighton Literary Festival, everything looks set to change. Lurching through the razzmatazz of stilt-walkers, mime artists and unicyclists, Duffy learns of the existence of a long-lost manuscript by a famous novelist, now dead, and resolves to get hold of it, pass it off as his own and thus give his wilted career a kick-start. Unfortunately, little in Duffy's disordered life ever runs smoothly, particularly on this crowded weekend!

• Used

  Paperback
  2003

  $14.13

• Used

  Hardcover
  2003

  $3.40

  Over one alcoholic weekend in Brighton, we watch the progress of Murray Gibbs, a 'nearly man' of the Swinging Sixties who is approaching his sixtieth birthday. Back in 1963 Murray's first novel sank without trace, and his second - and last - was rejected for being too much like Lucky Jim. His play was turned down by the Royal Court for being too much like Look Back in Anger, and his screenplay and television scripts were no more successful. Now, forty years on, Murray is still fixated by the sixties and the famous people he claims to have known, and inbetween running his bric-a-brac stall and conducting a desultory affair with Pearl, the landlady of his basement flat, he still lives in hope of making his own name. Then he discovers that Pearl has written a novel, and it's undeniably good. Murray offers to edit it for her for a share of the royalties, but its unflattering portraits of her friends make her reluctant to publish - until Murray makes her the very generous offer of using his name instead. Naturally Murray's dreams of fame go horribly wrong, and during this drink-sodden weekend we soon learn exactly why Murray's life has been one lost opportunity.