Mr Toppit
The Darkly Comic Richard & Judy Bestseller
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- £6.99
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- £6.99
Publisher Description
The bestselling Richard and Judy Book Club Pick
'Jangly with secrets' Sunday Times
'Funny, inventive, surprisingly moving' Guardian
'Royal Tenenbaums-style saga of dysfunctional family' The Times
When Arthur Hayman, author of The Hayseed Chronicles, dies, a bizarre chain of events makes his series of children's novels world-famous. But buried deep inside the books lie secrets that begin to shake Arthur's family – his son, Luke, reluctantly immortalized as the young hero; his daughter, Rachel, for whom the books are a hole through which her life has fallen; and his enigmatic wife, Martha, who knows that secrets are best kept well-hidden.
And at the heart of The Hayseed Chronicles is the mysterious Mr Toppit, who will let none of the Haymans out of his grasp…
A darkly comic story of a family shaped by their father's literary legacy, exploring fame, fandom and long-buried secrets
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this excellent debut, Elton tells the story of a complicated family stretched to its limits by sudden fame and unexpected acquaintances. When we first meet Luke Hayman and his troubled sister, Rachel, they are dealing with the emotional fallout of living their lives in the public eye as the children of Arthur Hayman, posthumously famous author of a universally beloved series of British children's books. (It was only after Arthur was struck and killed by a cement truck that the books took off.) With increasing fame and money, Luke the obvious inspiration for Arthur's protagonist, Luke Hayseed struggles to come to terms with his notoriety and keep together his rapidly deteriorating family. Elton skillfully weaves together postwar England and a terrifyingly modern L.A., as well as the hopes and disappointments of frustrated mothers, neglected children, and clandestine lovers. While beautifully written and graced with a unique story line, it is Elton's characters who drive the novel and give it a depth uncommon in debuts.
