About this item
Highlights
- Danny Williams didn't mean to be a lawyer, but somehow he is -- and for up to eighteen hours a day.
- Dylan Thomas Prize (Literary Excellence) 2006 4th Winner
- Author(s): Nick Laird
- 368 Pages
- Fiction + Literature Genres, Romance
Description
About the Book
An energetic, fiercely funny, ultimately redemptive debut novel set in London and Northern Ireland chronicles the lives of two reunited friends who discover that one of them has accidentally stolen money from a band of paramilitary terrorists.Book Synopsis
Danny Williams didn't mean to be a lawyer, but somehow he is -- and for up to eighteen hours a day. He's well paid, home owning, and twenty-seven but is also overworked, lonely, and frequently stoned. The plan was to leave the troubles of a small town in Northern Ireland for the big city in England, but one evening an old school friend, Geordie, bursts into Danny's shiny new life. On the run from a Loyalist militia, Geordie brings everything Danny thought he had left behind and dumps it on his doorstep.
With infectious wit and energy to burn, Utterly Monkey is a searing, fiercely funny, and ultimately redemptive novel about surviving an office job, outwitting the bad guys, and, hopefully, getting the girl.
Review Quotes
"An adventure into love and politics and the law. Laird's writing is deft, good-humoured and absorbing." -- Frank McCourt
"A terrific debut novel. A beautifully intricate dissection of the corporate world, and a hilarious depiction of modern male friendships." -- Time Out (London)
"An extraordinarily accomplished novel, by a confident and eloquent voice, filled with humour and insight." -- Sunday Times (London)
"Combines humor and heart with subversive intelligence. ... Laird is funnier and edgier than (Nick) Hornby." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"The real thing, a novel rich in both achievement and promise, by a writer who can actually write." -- The Times (London)
"A blithe, breezy read that nevertheless delivers biting insight. Laird is certainly no slouch--but he wondrously understands the mindset." -- Entertainment Weekly
"Part caper movie, part coming-of-age story, part urban satire ... introduces a wonderfully original and limber voice." -- Michiko Kakutani, New York Times
"An utterly engaging modern social satire with an unpredictable, violent edge. ... An excellent exploration of modern relationships." -- Library Journal