Boxer, Beetle

Kevin "Fishy" Broom has his nickname for a reason-a rare genetic condition that makes his sweat and other bodily excretions smell markedly like rotting fish. Consequently, he rarely ventures out of the London apartment where he deals online in Nazi memorabilia. But when Fishy stumbles upon a crime scene, he finds himself on the long-cold trail of a pair of small-time players in interwar British history. First, there's Philip Erskine, a fascist gentleman entomologist who dreams of breeding an indomitable beetle as tribute to Reich Chancellor Hitler's glory, all the while aspiring to arguably more sinister projects in human eugenics. And then there's Seth "Sinner" Roach, a homosexual Jewish boxer, nine-toed, runtish, brutish-but perfect in his way-who becomes an object of obsession for Erskine, professionally and most decidedly otherwise. What became of the boxer? What became of the beetle? And what will become of anyone who dares to unearth the answers? First-time novelist Ned Beauman spins out a dazzling narrative across decades and continents, weaving his manic fiction through the back alleys of history. Boxer, Beetle is a remarkably assured, wildly enjoyable debut. Review Shortlisted for the 2010 Guardian First Book Award Shortlisted for the 2011 Desmond Elliott Prize "A premise as wonderfully outlandish as any weve seen in a long while... oddball and rambunctious... funny, raw and stylish." New York Times "An ebulliant and thrilling narrative... Irreverent, profane, and very funny. Best of all, [Beauman] writes prose that, like Chabon's, has the power to startle, no small feat in a debut." Publishers Weekly , starred review "First-novelist Beauman, who is just 26 years old, has concocted a bizarre and funny mystery that is filled with eccentric scholarship... Those seeking something completely different will be amply rewarded." Booklist, starred review "The story wonderfully mocks eugenics and fascism, while the writing bursts with imaginative metaphors... Quirky, comical, brilliant." Kirkus Reviews "First novelist Beauman has created a romp across the decades, with quirky characters and a complex, darkly humorous story." Library Journal Perhaps the most politically incorrect novel of the decadeas well as the funniest. Sunday Telegraph Brilliant I can only gape in admiration at a new writing force. Daily Mail Beauman strides where lesser writers wouldnt dare tiptoe. Maintains a high wire balance between giddy vulgarity, metafiction, and the sadness of being alive. Melvin Jules Bukiet, author of After and Strange Fire Witty, erudite articulate and originaloften gobsmackingly smutty. Time Out London Frighteningly assured. Independent on Sunday Beauman writes with wit and verve. Financial Times Prodigiously clever and energetically entertaining. Guardian Many first novels are judged promising. Boxer, Beetle arrives fully formed: original, exhilarating, and hugely enjoyable. *Sunday Times * DazzlingAs in P.G. Wodehouse and the early Martin Amis the tone is mischievous and impudent. Daily Express A heart-stoppingly creative debut. He snares you with a new hook every page. Simon Rich, author of Ant Farm His killer irony evokes early Evelyn Waughthe funniest new book Ive read in a year or two. Independent A rambunctious, deftly plotted delight. Observer About the Author Ned Beauman was born in 1985 and studied philosophy at Cambridge University. He has written for Dazed & Confused, AnOther Magazine , the Guardian , the Financial Times , and several other magazines and newspapers. He lives in London and is is at work on his second novel. Visit www.boxerbeetle.com. Ned Beauman Has Been Named As One Of Granta Magazine's Best Of Young British Novelists 2013 Longlisted For The 2012 Man Booker Prize And Shortlisted For The For The Guardian First Book Award, Ned Beauman Was Chosen By The Culture Show As One Of The Twelve Best New British Writers In 2011. This Is A Novel For People With Breeding. Only People With The Right Genes And The Wrong Impulses Will Find Its Marriage Of Bold Ideas And Deplorable Characters Irresistible. It Is A Novel That Engages The Mind While Satisfying Those That Crave The Thrill Of A Chase. There Are Riots And Sex. There Is Love And Murder. There Is Darwinism And Fascism, Nightclubs, Invented Languages And The Dangerous Bravado Of Youth. And There Are Lots Of Beetles. It Is Clever. It Is Distinctive. It Is Entertaining. We Hope You Are Too. What Could A Beetle Of Almost Mythical Rarity, A Scientist With Fascist Sympathies And A Jewish Boxer With Nine Toes Have To Do With Town Planning, Atonal Music, Artificial Languages And A Private Detective Found Dead In His Own Flat? The Answer Lies In 1934 And The Relationship Between Philip Erskine And Seth Sinner Roach. As The Men Spar With Each Other And Grapple With Themselves, The Action Switches From An East London Boxing Ring To A 'bohemian' West End Nightclub, From A New York Dinner Party To A Dark Cave In Poland, From A Political Summit At A Country House To The Blackshirts' Riot At Cable Street And Back To The Present Day. With Astonishing Dexterity, Beauman Delivers A Novel About Control That Is Fizzing With Ideas. By Ned Beauman. Action and misadventure in a novel about control that is fizzing with ideas. Only people with the right genes and the wrong impulses will find its marriage of bold ideas and deplorable characters irresistible. It is a novel that engages the mind while satisfying those that crave the thrill of a chase. There are riots and sex. There is love and murder. There is Darwinism and Fascism, nightclubs, invented languages and the dangerous bravado of youth. And there are lots of beetles. It is clever. It is distinctive. It is entertaining. We hope you are too. In de jaren dertig van de 20e eeuw huurt een Britse aristocratische entomoloog uit fascistische kringen en overtuigd voorstander van de rassenverbetering een aan lager wal geraakte homoseksuele bokser als studieobject in