The Man in the Moon

William is a lonely young man on the loose in the late 1960s, and his adventures lead him to the consulting rooms of a Harley Street psychiatrist, where his delusions that he is a comic genius can be laid bare. Andrew Barrows' second novel, first published in 1996, is a hilariously bittersweet comedy that follows in the footsteps of The Tap Dancer.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 01 August 2024
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Are all aspiring stand-up comics as tragic as Baby Reindeer? If William is anything to go by, the answer is possibly ‘yes. Nostalgic, razor-sharp and deliciously peculiar, this is a weird but wonderful comedy of manners by the award-winning author of The Tap Dancer.

William is a lonely young man on the loose in the late 1960s. A disastrous appearance as a stand-up comic in a pub called The Man In the Moon is only the start of his adventures, in which he consorts with theatrical types, frenzied advertising men and accident-prone lodgers. Williams' exploits lead him eventually to the consulting rooms of a Harley Street psychiatrist, where his delusions that he is a comic genius can finally be laid bare.

Andrew Barrows' second – and so far last – novel, first published in 1996, is a hilariously bittersweet comedy that follows in the footsteps of last year's sensational reissue of The Tap Dancer, which drew praise from Alan Bennett (‘my favourite novel), Craig Brown (‘sublime comedy) and India Knight (‘hilariously funny).

Weight: 144g
Dimension: 198 x 130 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780008701871