Headlong by Michael Frayn

Headlong by Michael Frayn

An unlikely con man wagers wife, wealth, and sanity in pursuit of an elusive Old Master.

Invited to dinner by the boorish local landowner, Martin Clay, an easily distracted philosopher, and his art-historian wife are asked to assess three dusty paintings blocking the draught from the chimney. But hiding beneath the soot is nothing less-Martin believes-than a lost work by Bruegel. So begins a hilarious trail of lies and concealments, desperate schemes and soaring hopes as Martin, betting all that he owns and much that he doesn't, embarks on a quest to prove his hunch, win his wife over, and separate the painting from its owner.

In Headlong, Michael Frayn, the master of what is seriously funny (Anthony Burgess), offers a procession of superbly realized characters, from the country squire gone to seed to his giddy, oversexed young wife. All are burdened by human muddle and human cravings; all are searching for a moral compass as they grapple with greed, folly, and desire. And at the heart of the clamor is Breugel's vision, its dark tones warning of the real risks of temptation and obsession.

With this new novel, Michael Frayn has given us entertainment of the highest order. Supremely wise and wickedly funny, Headlong elevates Frayn into the front rank of contemporary novelists.

Michael Frayn has worked as a newspaper reporter, author, playwright, filmmaker, and translator, among other things. The novel Headlong and the play Noises Off are two of his most well-known works. He is based in London.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780805062854
ISBN 10	0805062858
Title	Headlong
Author	Michael Frayn
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Henry Holt & Company Inc
Year published	1999-09-02
Number of pages	342
Prizes	Short-listed for British Science Fiction Association Award 2000, Short-listed for James Tait Black Memorial Book Prize: Fiction 2000
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.