The Bloater: The brilliantly original rediscovered classic comedy of manners

£8.99

Min works at the BBC as a sound engineer, trying to create an authentic heartbeat sound effect, and ignore her colleagues. Min is theoretically married, but George is so invisible that she accidentally turns the lights off even when he’s still in the room. Min is also being courted by an internationally renowned opera singer who she refers to as The Bloater (a swelled, salted herring). Disgusted by him and attracted to him in equal measure, her dilemma is whether to sleep with him or not.

Peek Inside

ISBN: 9781784877804 Author: Tonks, Rosemary Publisher: Vintage Publishing Publication Date: 5th May 2022 Imprint: Vintage Classics Cover: Paperback Dewey: 823.914 (edition:23) Pages: 160 Language: English Edition: Reprint Readership: General - Trade / Code: K Category: Subjects: ,

WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY STEWART LEE

‘Should The Bloater be republished? Oh God, absolutely, it’s fantastic’ Stewart Lee

Min 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

‘A wonderfully unromantic romantic comedy’ Daily Telegraph

‘Uncommonly good’ Guardian

‘It is the perfect aperitif, makes you feel warm and careless and much, much happier’ The Times

Read a sample here

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