Something happens to us that we live not at all as we dreamed: a series of failures, a series of small compromises, a few lies and lack of will, and now we are only shadows of our true selves.
British writer David Nichols takes this shady life literally: 30-year-old Stephen McQueen is a reserve actor, his appearance on stage in the title role will take place if the main performer, the idol of the public, suddenly falls ill or is late. But the wait for the high point dragged on for years. What can be done so that the daughter ceases to be shy, the ex-wife respects him, and love again fills everything with meaning? Are all means good to regain the main role in your own life? Or is “loser” a stigma forever? The new novel by the author of «We» (Inostranka, 2015) and «One Day» (Ripol-classic, 2015) is not only smart, but witty — it will definitely not disappoint fans of his slightly sad and subtle British humor.
Translation from English by Anna Olefir. Foreigner, 416 p., 2015.