Author(s): Rosemary Tonks

Fiction

A sparklingly ironic comedy of manners set in 60s London. A rediscovered classic by 'the Poet Who Disappeared'

WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY STEWART LEE 'Should The Bloater be republished? Oh God, absolutely, it's fantastic. It makes you question the canon. What else have they missed? The idiots'

Stewart LeeMin works at the BBC as an audio engineer, where she is struggling to replicate the sound of a heartbeat. At home, other matters of the heart are making a mockery of life as Min knows it.Min has found herself the object of her lodger's affection. An internationally renowned opera singer she's nicknamed 'The Bloater', Min is disgusted and attracted to him in equal measure. But with a husband so invisible that she accidentally turns the lights off on him even when he's still in the room, Min can't quite bring herself to silence The Bloater's overtures. Vain, materialistic, yet surprisingly tender, The Bloater is a sparklingly ironic comedy of manners for all flirtatious gossips who love to hate and hate to love.PRAISE FOR THE BLOATER'Uncommonly good' Guardian 'It is the perfect aperitif, makes you feel warm and careless and much, much happier' The Times 'The Bloater delights us by its wit, relish, and new-minted metaphors' Daily Telegraph 'Brittle, spry, spiky, amusing, a comedy of love... an original and distinctive flavour' Sunday Times