A Fraction of the Whole — Steve Toltz

A Fraction of the Whole marks the arrival of an ambitious new writer who deftly mixes humour, surprise, and astute observations of the human condition to create a novel that entertains, scandalizes, and enlightens.

Martin Dean spent his entire life analyzing absolutely everything -- from the benefits of suicide to the virtues of strip clubs versus brothels. Now that he's dead, his son Jasper can fully reflect on the man who raised him in intellectual captivity.

As he recollects the extraordinary events that led to his father's demise, Jasper recounts a boyhood of outrageous schemes and shocking discoveries -- about his infamous and long dead criminal uncle, his tortured and mysteriously absent European mother, and Martin's constant losing battle to make a lasting impression on the world.

It's a story that takes them from the Australian bush to the cafes of bohemian Paris, from the Thai jungle to labyrinths, mental hospitals, and criminal lairs, from the highs of first love to the lows of rejection and failed ambition. The result is an uproarious indictment of the ridiculousness of the modern world and its mores, and the moving, memorable story of a father and son whose spiritual symmetry transcends all their many shortcomings.