Through the drifting life of a young journalist, Thea Astley's third novel explores vanity, stagnation, and the strains of marriage. Its sharp imagery and dense prose let urban comedy and loneliness coexist.

A novel that captures modern vanity and loneliness through the life of a restless reporter.

Through the empty routine of the young journalist George Brewster, the novel explores urban stagnation, the fraying of marriage, and the danger of self-absorption. Its style balances wit and bite, bringing loneliness and absurdity into the same frame.

An early novel that cuts sharply into urban vanity and loneliness.