Will Stebbings is rapidly gaining critical acclaim for his insightful novels, encapsulating nostalgia for the sixties and seventies, whilst adding a fair smattering of humour. His first novel 'Off the Mark' received so many plaudits that he felt compelled to write 'Further Off the Mark' which continues the rites of passage for its main character, Mark Barker, who left an all-boys' school with no experience of girls or the adult world in general. 'Completely Off the Mark' is about Mark's further exploits in the early 1970s, while 'Mark's Out of Eleven' takes us back to 1960 and his days at an all boys' Grammar School, when educational institutions were as much about discipline as they were education.
'Tess of the Dormobiles' is a comedy thriller and is not part of the Mark Barker quadrilogy, being set firmly in the 21st century and featuring a female lead character.
Will's love of soul music features heavily in his work, where he often used sixties and seventies soul records as the chapter titles.
All of Will's novels are set predominately in Norfolk, which is where he was born and raised.
This story charts the progress of Mark Barker, who leaves an all boys' Grammar School in 1965, having absolutely no experience of girls or, indeed, the world as a whole.
The scene is set in the first chapter by his amusing recollections of the time he spent at school where the staff were a curious mixture of sadists and perverts. We also get an insight into life in the sixties for a working class family in a small Norfolk town.
Mark's first day in his first job is fraught with uncomfortable experiences. Every mistake is taken to heart, but he is a quick learner and soon establishes himself. The story reminds us of life before computers, calculators and modern photocopiers. Mark had a reputation at school as being a bit of a joker and he seeks to establish a similar reputation at work, so the story is littered with comical incidents.
His unusual encounter with the mini-skirted Blodwyn forces him to question his own sexuality and desires. He meets the lovely Pauline, whom he considers to be the most beautiful girl he has ever met, yet he falls for the plain and waspish Karen, who breaks his heart by her total lack of compassion.
He tries to look beyond Karen to find a girlfriend, but everytime he gets close to getting a date, something goes wrong and his thoughts return to Karen. Unsuccessful blind dates and foursomes only serve to exacerbate the loneliness of this sensitive teenager, as he scrapes through to manhood and attempts to get 'off the mark.'
Título : Off the Mark
EAN : 9780463229774
Editorial : Will Stebbings
El libro electrónico Off the Mark está en formato ePub
¿Quieres leer en un eReader de otra marca? Sigue nuestra guía.
Puede que no esté disponible para la venta en tu país, sino sólo para la venta desde una cuenta en Francia.
Si la redirección no se produce automáticamente, haz clic en este enlace.
Conectarme
Mi cuenta