A competently written novel. It took me some time to get into it, but when I did I was away. Cleverly written (Gregory's self deception and involuntary honesty was particularly enjoyable) though ultimately it didn't move me. Perhaps the only person who could really love it would be Martin Amis ;) ( )

Gregory Keays was once the promising author of a well-received first novel. Back in his twenties he was listed as one of Granta's 1983 Best of Young British Novelists, an honour he reminds his readers of incessantly, along with the fact that he has written many more novels than just that first one, though that is the only one he has actually finished and published. The following twenty years has seen Gregory slip down the literary scale to teaching writing classes at a local institute and doing author interviews for a magazine, with both the publication, its readers and his subjects being beneath him. Along with his dimmed career, Gregory's place at home was usurped years ago by his high-earning wife, and his teenage son has adopted a thug personality that his father dissaproves of.
When young Peter Gibson enrolls in the writing class, his seeming arrogance puts Gregory off, but it turns out that Peter is an exceptional writer, though so introverted that he hardly speaks. Gregory practically forces Peter to attend readings and launches with him, thinking that eventually Peter will be famous and he'll be remembered as the one who discovered the new talent. Through a series of events, Peter is removed from the picture and Gregory is in possession of Peter's brilliant manuscript, which no one else knows exists. With little hope of regaining his reputation through his own skills, Gregory doesn't hesitate.

Gregory is the epitome of the unreliable narrator. He finds an excuse for nearly everything he does- his incessant cheating, ignoring his son, his failed career, which he blames on his fellow Granta writer, Martin Amis. There's a hilarious scene of Gregory attending a reading by Amis, in which he sits in the audience quietly heckling the author.
In another scene, he visits Peter's parents and believes he's being charming when he's clearly creeping them out.
This is one of my reading highpoints of the year so far. ( )