Danny Williams didn't mean to be a lawyer, but somehow he is -- and for up to eighteen hours a day. He's well paid, home owning, and twenty-seven but is also overworked, lonely, and frequently stoned. The plan was to leave the troubles of a small town in Northern Ireland for the big city in England, but one evening an old school friend, Geordie, bursts into Danny's shiny new life. On the run from a Loyalist militia, Geordie brings everything Danny thought he had left behind and dumps it on his doorstep.
With infectious wit and energy to burn, Utterly Monkey is a searing, fiercely funny, and ultimately redemptive novel about surviving an office job, outwitting the bad guys, and, hopefully, getting the girl.
About the Author :
Nick Laird was born in 1975 in Northern Ireland. He was a scholar at Cambridge University, and later spent a year at Harvard University as a visiting fellow. The author of To a Fault, a poetry collection, he has received several prestigious awards for both poetry and fiction, including the 2005 Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.
Review :
"An adventure into love and politics and the law. Laird's writing is deft, good-humoured and absorbing." -- Frank McCourt
"A terrific debut novel. A beautifully intricate dissection of the corporate world, and a hilarious depiction of modern male friendships." -- Time Out (London)
"An extraordinarily accomplished novel, by a confident and eloquent voice, filled with humour and insight." -- Sunday Times (London)
"Combines humor and heart with subversive intelligence. ... Laird is funnier and edgier than (Nick) Hornby." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"The real thing, a novel rich in both achievement and promise, by a writer who can actually write." -- The Times (London)
"A blithe, breezy read that nevertheless delivers biting insight. Laird is certainly no slouch--but he wondrously understands the mindset." -- Entertainment Weekly
"Part caper movie, part coming-of-age story, part urban satire ... introduces a wonderfully original and limber voice." -- Michiko Kakutani, New York Times
"An utterly engaging modern social satire with an unpredictable, violent edge. ... An excellent exploration of modern relationships." -- Library Journal
