The Fat Man in History: Short stories by Peter Carey
Author(s): Peter Carey
RARE AND COLLECTIBLE | Australian Fiction
The stories in Peter Carey's collection are bizarre, funny and chilling. Their landscape is exotic and surreal, an ominous near-future that has the distinct feel of contemporary life. Carey's narratives are an exhilarating blend of fable, fantasy and allegory in which, as in dreams, something odd and menacing takes control.Here are societies in which people gamble for new bodies in a genetic lottery or watch apprehensively as first buildings, then parts of the landscape, and eventually their neighbours, begin to dematerialise and vanish. Here is what happens when a miniature replica of a small town and its inhabitants assumes a more compelling reality than its original or when a group of fat men, ostracised by a revolutionary government, plot its overthrow.
1974, First edition. A very good copy of the scarce hardcover edition of this twice Booker Prize winning authors first book. Light rubbing to the spine ends and base of the boards and the usual light tanning of the pages. This is an interesting association copy in that it was once owned by Sister Veronica Brady and has her signature on the front free endpaper and ink linings throughout the text. The d/w is good with some edge chipping and is now in a protective cover. Scans available if required.
Product Information
Peter Carey was born on May 7, 1943 in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia. His first two books, The Fat Man in History (1974) and War Crimes (1979), were short story collections. His first novel, Bliss, was published in 1982. At the time he was balancing his writing career with the operation of an advertising agency in Sydney, and his books were not generally known outside of Australia. He began to receive international attention when Illywhacker was published in 1985. He won the Booker Prize in 1988 for Oscar and Lucinda and in 2001 for True History of the Kelly Gang. His other works include The Tax Inspector, Parrot and Olivier in America, and The Chemistry of Tears. He also won the Miles Franklin Award three times. In 2015 he made the Australian Book Designers Association Award shortlist for his title Amnesia. This title also made the 2015 Prime Minister's Literary Awards shortlist.
General Fields
- :
- : University of Queensland Press
- : University of Queensland Press
- : 01 December 1974
- : books
Special Fields
- : 141
- : 823.3
- : Hardback
- : Peter Carey