On the Floor

On the Floor

by Aifric Campbell (Author)

Synopsis

This is the story of a life in crisis, set in the world of high finance. At the age of twenty-eight, Dubliner Geri Molloy has put her troubled past behind her to become a major player at Steiner's investment bank in London, earning $850k a year doing business with a reclusive hedge fund manager in Hong Kong who, in return for his patronage, likes to ask her about Kant and watch while she eats exotic Asian delicacies. For five years Geri has had it all, but in the months leading up to the outbreak of the Gulf War in 1991, her life starts to unravel. Abandoned by her corporate financier boyfriend, in the grip of a debilitating insomnia, and drinking far too much, Geri becomes entangled in a hostile takeover involving her boss, her client and her ex. With her career on the line as a consequence, and no one to turn to, she is close to losing it, in every sense. Taut and fast-paced, On the Floor is about making money and taking risks; it's about getting away with it, and what happens when you're no longer one step ahead; ultimately, though, it's a reminder to never, ever underestimate the personal cost of success.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
Publisher: Serpent's Tail
Published: 01 Mar 2012

ISBN 10: 1846688086
ISBN 13: 9781846688089
Book Overview: The higher you fly, the further you have to fall.

Media Reviews
Aifric Campbell is one of my favourite Irish novelists -- Joseph O'Connor
Sexy, sad, riven with longing, The Loss Adjustor confirms a talent of unusual promise -- Nicholas Shakespeare
Campbell writes with lambent precision . . . The Loss Adjustor is a mesmerising study of a woman clinging to the knotted cord of adolescence, uncertain whether to go backwards or forwards * Guardian *
Art imitates life in this new novel by former trader Aifric Campbell. -- Harriet Dennys * City AM *
Impressively constructed... a short, snappy and ultra-smart drama -- Henry Sutton * Daily Mirror *
Enjoyable... Campbell knows this world well - so it all feels authentic -- Thomas Kelly * Irish Sunday Times *
On the Floor is a riveting novel from a unique talent. Aifric Campbell effortlessly conjures the action and excitement of the trading room floor creating a novel that explores the consequences of risk taking and ultimately thrills from start to finish. * Irish Tatler *
An energetic and illuminating read... Campbell manages to make this portrayal both eloquent and funny... On the Floor is a funny-yet-serious coming-of-age story about a young woman who finally grows up and takes control. -- Arifa Akbar * Independent *
Campbell paints a vivid picture of the high-pressured, macho trading floor. -- Anne Sexton * Hot Press *
The drama of high finance is ably conveyed... -- John O'Connell * Guardian *
A fantastic read that avoids getting bogged down in high finance specifics while revealing enough information to keep you engaged... -- Brian Campbell * Irish News *
Campbell has taken a considerable risk with such a wry, coarse, cynical, jargon-laden and tough offering. But then again, risks reap dividends. -- Sile McArdle * Irish Sunday Independent *
Aifric Campbell knows her subject and her descriptions of the bustling trading floor have the ring of truth. -- David Evans * FT *
The slick pace and the atmosphere of gobby vulgarity are so different from Campbell's previous work that they confirm her as a versatile, smart, highly readable writer. * Irish Times *
Geri is the sort of flawed character you root for... enjoyable -- Thomas Kelly * Sunday Times *
Excellent... a fascinating read * Sydney Morning Herald *
Author Bio
Aifric Campbell was born in Ireland and grew up in Dublin. She later moved to Sweden where she completed a Linguistics degree and lectured in semantics. She subsequently spent thirteen years as an investment banker in London before leaving to study psychotherapy and creative writing, most recently at the University of East Anglia. She now lives in Sussex with her husband and son. Her previous two novels, The Semantics of Murder [9781846686580] and The Loss Adjustor [9781846687310], are also published by Serpent's Tail.