The Wonder Lover

Malcolm Knox

Allen & Unwin, May 1, 2015 - Fiction - 384 pages

'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

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.

The Wonder Lover is a stunning novel that again and magnificently confirms Malcolm Knox as one of our brightest stars, an imaginative tour de force that ranks alongside the best work of Nabokov, Amis, Ireland and Carey. The Guardian famously wrote of Malcolm, 'If Winton is an aria, Knox is early Rolling Stones', but this time around he's got the orchestra along as well and every single note rings deep and rich and true. This bedtime story told by children to adults is jaw-droppingly original, breathtakingly audacious and fearlessly accomplished.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - lesleynicol - LibraryThing

I found this to be a really silly book about a completely stupid man . The story is quite ridiculous and if any man wants to maintain three separate families in different parts of the world, who cares? I was really surprised that such a respected journalist as Malcolm Knox would write such drivel.

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - natsalvo - LibraryThing

Malcolm Knox is an award-winning journalist and author who has proven that he is adept at writing both fiction and non-fiction pieces. His fifth novel, The Wonder Lover is an adult fable and ...

About the author

Malcolm Knox is the author of Summerland, A Private Man and Jamaica, which was shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Award last year and won the Colin Roderick Award. He is also a Walkley Award-winning journalist and author of many non-fiction titles. He came late to surfing, but is now an obsessively enthusiastic surfer, and writes about surfing and the surf with authority and great passion.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Wonder Lover
• Author: Malcolm Knox
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin, 2015
• ISBN: 176011250X, 9781760112509
• Length: 384 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / General