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Quicksand

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Quicksand

By: Steve Toltz
Narrated by: Joel Davey
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About this listen

Dazzling, hilarious, disturbing and utterly unforgettable new novel from the author of the Man Booker-shortlisted A Fraction of the Whole.

Intensely moving, darkly funny and hugely entertaining, Quicksand focuses on the multifaceted dynamics between the protagonists Aldo and Liam: lifelong friends, criminal and police officer, muse and writer. As well as being a compulsively funny work, Quicksand also offers its reader a profound exploration of fate, suffering and resilience; a gruelling yet illuminating depiction of physical disability; and a subversive portrait of 21st-century society in all its hypocrisy and absurdity.

©2015 Steve Toltz (P)2015 Hodder & Stoughton Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction Witty Funny
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Most relevant

What made the experience of listening to Quicksand the most enjoyable?

Narration was wonderful, every line poetically crafted and super funny. Weird characters that you fall in love with completely.

What other book might you compare Quicksand to, and why?

Early Chuck Palahniuk and Bret Easton Ellis. Pitch black themes told with even darker humour.

Have you listened to any of Joel Davey’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No but I will, he is a fantastic narrator. Made me want an Australian accent

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Aldo's talk with 'God'

Any additional comments?

I loved this from the first sentence, can't recommend it enough

Laughed, cried, wished I could quote every line

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Observations on life from it's underbelly.
Witty, funny, tragic and unsettling; but never predictable! Grips the reader in a way that is uncomfortable and at the same time intriguing.

If you think you're having a bad run of luck...

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Like his first novel, the story takes it with you, you sympathize with the protagonists, it makes you laugh and makes you cry at the same time. Keep on Steve!

Stunning!

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This is a great listen. Held my attention from start to finish. It’s very cleverly written I found myself laughing out loud to some very dark scenarios. Definitely worth a credit!

Loved it!!

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Not as good as the previous, "A Fraction of a Whole", I gave that one a rare five stars!

The problem was it was hard to like Aldo, as he sometimes behaved atrociously, an example being, asking for a reduction in his baby's funeral costs as it was still born.

The story begins with friends Aldo and Liam discussing the possibility of turning Aldo's life into a book. We know that Aldo is in a wheel chair, but not why. The rest of the book flashes back and forth in the friends' lives until we reach present day.

Quite a long listen, but stick with it.

Different

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