On the Bus Without a Phone

by Babak Ganjei

Taking place over the course of a bus journey en route to a first date, BABAK GANJEI'S debut novel charts the seemingly infinite disappointments, misunderstandings and humiliations that have piled up over the course of narrator Bob Green's life to date. Bob's immediate circumstances, and the cast of characters with which he shares them, provide the imaginative jumping off point for digressions on teenage love, suburban ennui, pornography, race and identity, mobile phones, Converse, adult love, fatherhood, fast food, MF DOOM, the etiquette of bus seating and, perhaps most importantly of all, The Remains of the Day.

On the Bus Without a Phone is a dazzlingly intelligent, unashamedly comedic and ultimately moving work from a hugely original new writer. With his surrealist flair, world-weary melancholy and self-effacing humour, Ganjei is a Brautigan for the digital age.

"I read On the Bus… on the bus, howling with laughter and wishing the man sitting next to me was Bob—its wonderful hero—so I could turn to him and tell him how much I love him. Babak Ganjei's book is a tenderhearted, hilarious thing of beauty. I laughed so much I've been banned from public transport." —Jeff Young

"A thousand times more enjoyable than the average bus ride, Ganjei's misfit wit and flashes of insight turn this everyday trip into a vivid dissection of the digisphere's illusion of connection, and all the pleasure and pain of its often less-than-sufficient reality." —Richard Milward

"Whimsical, but deep, joyful but profound. A striking debut novel—poignant writing that delivers a punch."—Lou Sanders

"Weirdly relatable, endlessly bleak, and laugh out loud funny."—James Acaster

"The most triggering book title of the 2020s. On the Bus Without a Phone is an absurd odyssey from a true one-off comedic genius. I ❤️ BG."—Jack Rooke

"Like being invited inside the mind of the lunatic sat next to you on the bus... and realising that he has the charming, broken soul of a kitchen-sink poet."—Drew Pearce

"Magnificent—of course."—Sophie Heawood

"Poetic prose, moving and funny."—Beth Orton_x000B_

_x000B_"Funny, tangential and melancholic. Babak Ganjei is a pleasure to read."—Sheena Patel

142 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2026

Reviews

[Kirsty Potter]

funny silly ramblings

[imasimpforjesperfahey]

très sympa je l'ai lu dans le tram et le métro à Berlin et fini dans le train de nuit qui traverse la Tchéquie, tout sauf le bus finalement

[Holden]

found this at the right time in my life. needed it.

[Annie]

On the Bus Without a Phone by Babak Ganjei is a set of vignettes with a loose framing narrative of the protagonist on a long bus journey, discovering he's left his phone at home. Each chapter is a stream-of-consciousness tale about various aspects of his life, background, recent activities and attitudes. It's by turns funny, clever, poignant, deep, painful, awkward and unpleasant. I loved parts of it and wasn't keen on other parts of it - but the last page made me laugh out loud and thus it left an overall positive feeling after reading it.

[Sarah Griffe]

I struggle to understand how this got such a high rating. Don't get me wrong there were some thought provoking and relatable observations, and funny moments but it was just a mess. Not plot, not cohesive link/reason to each next thought. It was just a bunch of random thoughts on a page.....not for me

[Claudia]

This is what the inside of my head is like too

[Rebecca Wilson]

A very funny debut novel. Tapered a bit at the end but highly recommend.

[Jof Owen]

The second time I’ve laughed out loud at a book in my life

[Manon Lescaut]

La vida es chistosa pero no chistosa jiji-jaja, dirían los Eels

[Lauren Gee]

Felt abit style over substance, and not bullish enough to lean into experimentation and abstraction.

[Ellen Shannon]

really interesting and enjoyable. some borebags at book club claimed they didn't like this, probably to sound more interesting. made me like it more.

[Auggie l]

i’m making sure at least 3 other people read this

[Erica Zhao]

It honestly does feel like what I wish I could produce if I were on the bus without my phone

[Kara :)]

3.5 this was fun I love a stream of consciousness plotless book but this man’s thoughts are a little different from what I usually like to read. But I hope he had fun on the bus :D