Crack Open A Fraction of the Whole
August 30th 2009 02:42
Want a laugh? Then crack open A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz. This colossal book takes the dysfunctional family to a new realm. A chronicle of the wayward Dean family, A Fraction introduces us to the Father, Martin Dean, a true non-conformist who is bent on living his life outside the square, dragging son Jasper along with him. The Uncle, Terry Dean who becomes Australia’s much loved criminal (only in Australia) who wreaks havoc in the sporting world by systematically assassinating those corrupting his beloved nation’s favourite pass-times. And our narrator, Jasper, the long suffering son who would do anything to be released from his father’s genetic make-up.
It’s a crazy book, full of laughable, extraordinary situations in which suspension of believe is your first port of call. I’m not a fan of big books, but once into this rollicking mayhem, it was hard to leave. Over 700 pages of witty ramblings, mostly from Jasper, puts this read into what I can only call comic opera. And there is no leaving during the intermission!
Actually you can open it at just about any page and find something worth chuckling over.
Page 20, p.2 ‘I have nothing against children, I just wouldn’t trust one not to giggle if I accidentally stepped on a land mine.’
Page 316, p.3 ‘She was the one who told me I was only good-looking enough to attract about 22 percent of the female population. I thought that was a dismal figure, really abominable. It wasn’t until I was able to spot the loneliness in the faces of men that I realized that being attractive to 22 percent of women is a whopping success story. There are legions of ugly, wretchedly lonely, hopelessly inept sociopaths out there who fall in the 0-2 percent category – armies of them – and every one would kill for my 22 percent.’
Page 317, p.2 ‘Whatever the case, sometime during my week-long absence the fish came down with a bad case of starvation and, unlike humans in the same fix, did not think to resort to cannibalism.’
So you get the general idea. Not to be taken seriously is an understatement. But there is a lot to be said for having a good laugh at one’s self, (a very healthy trait in Australian society) and in fact A Fraction of the Whole is really just one big laugh at the whole human race.
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