Description

Book Synopsis

Longlisted for The Indie Book Awards 2016
Longlisted for The Voss Literary Prize 2016

This is the story of John Wonder, a man with three families, each one kept secret from the other, each one containing two children, a boy and a girl. As he travels from family to family in different cities, he works as an Authenticator, verifying world records, confirming facts, setting things straight, while his own life is a teetering tower of breathtaking lies and betrayals.

'Some books read as if they are touched by magic, so wondrous and astonishing is the experience of immersing yourself in them. That's how I feel about The Wonder Lover. It is written with confidence and daring, with a joyous freedom and a love for story and language that is only possible when an artist has truly mastered their craft. It is a compulsive and thrilling read, a dazzling achievement. There is a word that should be used very rarely but I believe is absolutely right for this book: The Wonder Lover is superb.' -- Christos Tsiolkas, author of The Slap



Trade Review
Knox has created a jewelled puzzle box in these pages. It is by some distance his most complex novel to date. * Weekend Australian *
Gotta hand it to Knox. He knows how to grab the reader's full attention... The whole mess is expertly described and ends in a thoroughly satisfying way. * Country Style *
A genuinely original and intriguing work. * Adelaide Advertiser *
The Wonder Lover contains much fine writing and observation. * Sydney Morning Herald, Best Books of 2015 *
An exquisitely wrought dissection of one man's downfall. * Sunday Age *
A strange and beautiful creation. It reveals Knox to be an author of a controlled virtuosity with few peers in this country... It marks a considerable leap in Knox's formal ambition: an evolution thrilling to watch unfold. * Saturday Paper, Best Books of 2015 *
It flows with easy energy to its exciting and startling finish. Enjoy Knox's rich, poetic and imaginative word power as you follow the amazing life of John Wonder. * Good Reading *
Complex and ambitious... The last third of the novel is a wonderfully sustained serio-comic account of the collision of worlds that John strove so hard to keep apart. * Saturday Age, Best Books of 2015 *
A deftly written and hypnotic tale about fidelity and longing. * Who Weekly *
Few authors have such a sharp eye - or stylish pen - for the secret lives of men. * Australian Women's Weekly *

The Wonder Lover

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    £12.34

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    RRP £12.99 – you save £0.65 (5%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Fri 3 Jul 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Malcolm Knox

    5 in stock

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      Publisher: Allen & Unwin
      Publication Date: 07/04/2016
      ISBN13: 9781760291129, 978-1760291129
      ISBN10: 1760291129

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      Longlisted for The Indie Book Awards 2016
      Longlisted for The Voss Literary Prize 2016

      This is the story of John Wonder, a man with three families, each one kept secret from the other, each one containing two children, a boy and a girl. As he travels from family to family in different cities, he works as an Authenticator, verifying world records, confirming facts, setting things straight, while his own life is a teetering tower of breathtaking lies and betrayals.

      'Some books read as if they are touched by magic, so wondrous and astonishing is the experience of immersing yourself in them. That's how I feel about The Wonder Lover. It is written with confidence and daring, with a joyous freedom and a love for story and language that is only possible when an artist has truly mastered their craft. It is a compulsive and thrilling read, a dazzling achievement. There is a word that should be used very rarely but I believe is absolutely right for this book: The Wonder Lover is superb.' -- Christos Tsiolkas, author of The Slap



      Trade Review
      Knox has created a jewelled puzzle box in these pages. It is by some distance his most complex novel to date. * Weekend Australian *
      Gotta hand it to Knox. He knows how to grab the reader's full attention... The whole mess is expertly described and ends in a thoroughly satisfying way. * Country Style *
      A genuinely original and intriguing work. * Adelaide Advertiser *
      The Wonder Lover contains much fine writing and observation. * Sydney Morning Herald, Best Books of 2015 *
      An exquisitely wrought dissection of one man's downfall. * Sunday Age *
      A strange and beautiful creation. It reveals Knox to be an author of a controlled virtuosity with few peers in this country... It marks a considerable leap in Knox's formal ambition: an evolution thrilling to watch unfold. * Saturday Paper, Best Books of 2015 *
      It flows with easy energy to its exciting and startling finish. Enjoy Knox's rich, poetic and imaginative word power as you follow the amazing life of John Wonder. * Good Reading *
      Complex and ambitious... The last third of the novel is a wonderfully sustained serio-comic account of the collision of worlds that John strove so hard to keep apart. * Saturday Age, Best Books of 2015 *
      A deftly written and hypnotic tale about fidelity and longing. * Who Weekly *
      Few authors have such a sharp eye - or stylish pen - for the secret lives of men. * Australian Women's Weekly *

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