What do you think?
Rate this book
Jonathon Fairfax #1
The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax
"You can't help being tickled" - The Guardian
"Not many books make me laugh out loud, but The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax is one of them... A comic gem" - Stylist magazine
"Shevlin was rightly picked up by the literary agency that represents the likes of David Nicholls" - Metro newspaper
Amazon UK bestseller: #1 Political Humour, #2 Humorous Fiction, #9 Humour
Shortlisted for the Bath Novel Award
When Jonathon Fairfax accidentally helps a murderer bump off Sarah Morecambe, the secretary of a senior politician, he sets off a chain of events that astonishes him. Jonathon is wrong-footed by even the most everyday things, so he's particularly startled to find himself caught up in a conspiracy that goes right to the heart of government.
Teaming up with a suave private investigator, a glamorous grannie and the probable love of his life, Jonathon must confront his greatest fears - including talking to girls and balaclava-clad killers - and answer some very difficult questions. Who murdered Sarah Morecambe? What is the strange secret that unites the entire British government? And what exactly does it feel like to kiss a real-life woman?
With its naïve, reluctant hero and wry look at life, The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax has been compared to books by Douglas Adams, Carl Hiaasen and PG Wodehouse.
"Not many books make me laugh out loud, but The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax is one of them... A comic gem" - Stylist magazine
"Shevlin was rightly picked up by the literary agency that represents the likes of David Nicholls" - Metro newspaper
Amazon UK bestseller: #1 Political Humour, #2 Humorous Fiction, #9 Humour
Shortlisted for the Bath Novel Award
When Jonathon Fairfax accidentally helps a murderer bump off Sarah Morecambe, the secretary of a senior politician, he sets off a chain of events that astonishes him. Jonathon is wrong-footed by even the most everyday things, so he's particularly startled to find himself caught up in a conspiracy that goes right to the heart of government.
Teaming up with a suave private investigator, a glamorous grannie and the probable love of his life, Jonathon must confront his greatest fears - including talking to girls and balaclava-clad killers - and answer some very difficult questions. Who murdered Sarah Morecambe? What is the strange secret that unites the entire British government? And what exactly does it feel like to kiss a real-life woman?
With its naïve, reluctant hero and wry look at life, The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax has been compared to books by Douglas Adams, Carl Hiaasen and PG Wodehouse.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2012
1289 people are currently reading
2690 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Shevlin
8 books126 followersChristopher Shevlin is, essentially, an older, bearded and slightly shorter version of Jonathon Fairfax. He grew up in Yorkshire and spent his whole adult life in London, before going to Berlin to write his second novel, Jonathon Fairfax Must Be Destroyed. The book is set in London.
When life is hard, he has always turned to books for comfort. His favourites include his battered old Jeeves Omnibus, Douglas Adams’s Dirk Gently books, 1066 And All That, the Molesworth books, and Augustus Carp By Himself. His ambition is to write books that are even a tenth as comfortingly odd.
To find out more about Christopher Shevlin, his books, and the disturbingly assertive squirrels of Helsinki, please visit www.christophershevlin.com
(Author photo by Matthias Gottwald: der-gottwald.de)
When life is hard, he has always turned to books for comfort. His favourites include his battered old Jeeves Omnibus, Douglas Adams’s Dirk Gently books, 1066 And All That, the Molesworth books, and Augustus Carp By Himself. His ambition is to write books that are even a tenth as comfortingly odd.
To find out more about Christopher Shevlin, his books, and the disturbingly assertive squirrels of Helsinki, please visit www.christophershevlin.com
(Author photo by Matthias Gottwald: der-gottwald.de)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 327 reviews
July 6, 2013
Smart, witty, and absurd with engaging characters you're sorry to see go at the end of the story.
A Hitchiker's Guide of a thriller centered around an unlikely hero in Jonathon Fairfax, a part-time Harrods men's wear associate who accidently falls into the middle of a huge government conspiracy and a romance while desperately attempting to fit into a London social scene that barely notices him.
If you love to laugh and root for the underdog, you'll love Jonathon. Just don't look under his bed.
A Hitchiker's Guide of a thriller centered around an unlikely hero in Jonathon Fairfax, a part-time Harrods men's wear associate who accidently falls into the middle of a huge government conspiracy and a romance while desperately attempting to fit into a London social scene that barely notices him.
If you love to laugh and root for the underdog, you'll love Jonathon. Just don't look under his bed.
May 23, 2014
I bought this book (Kindle version) because it came up when I was searching books similar to "The Universe Versus Alex Woods" (Great Book!), and the review was pretty good.
But How Wrong I Was! I cannot relate to any of the great feedback of this book, I found it neither funny nor engaging. I finished the book because I felt I need to read the whole thing to give it a fair review.
The characters are all a bit strange, and the intention to make the dialogue or depiction amusing just did not work on me at all.
I am not even sure what is the purpose (if any) of the story? It starts like a detective crime thriller, and then ends like a political drama, and the middle bits feels like soup opera.
Sadly, this is a disappointment to me.
But How Wrong I Was! I cannot relate to any of the great feedback of this book, I found it neither funny nor engaging. I finished the book because I felt I need to read the whole thing to give it a fair review.
The characters are all a bit strange, and the intention to make the dialogue or depiction amusing just did not work on me at all.
I am not even sure what is the purpose (if any) of the story? It starts like a detective crime thriller, and then ends like a political drama, and the middle bits feels like soup opera.
Sadly, this is a disappointment to me.
June 18, 2018
I blame Goodreads for this. After reading those Jonas Jonasson books, this website recommended this to me and looking over the glowing reviews I duly ordered the first of this series all excited. And oof. I refuse to NOT finish a book, since to me that seems an admission of weakness on my part and I always grimly slog on, no matter the length or quality (and sometimes I'm glad I continued on or the end totally redeemed the beginning and I'm thankful). I was sorely tempted by like page 50 on this one though to break that longstanding rule and it only got worse from there.
Every character I found absolutely gross. From the suave casually misogynist secret agent to the manic pixie dream girl (so much more on her later) to the posh grandma who mothers them all (because women serve a few purposes here: sex, mothering, or victim) to the repulsive politicians to the main character, whose signature trait is how remarkably personality-free and unnoticeable he is.
The humor is forced. There's a murder mystery mixed with political scandal too, but that mostly serves to make what already feels like a long book (just 313 pages but with the tiniest font I've seen in ages--the book should come with a magnifying glass) even longer, since most of it feels like it's all set up for overly plotted jokes.
Within a few pages, our bland hero Jonathon falls in love with Rachel, the manic pixie of the book. She wears wacky clothes and is beautiful (but not too beautiful) and somehow finds him fascinating. Unfortunately for him, she's a lesbian.
Good news though! She's only dating her (beautiful, natch) girlfriend because of "jealousy." And as she confesses on her 2nd real meeting with Jonathon: "The thing is that Sam is just so amazing -- she looks amazing and she does everything totally brilliantly... she made this soup and well...I think she knows that I really want to be like her, but I never will be. I never will. But, but..there are hundreds of reasons why she would - why she should. I mean...I'm not a, you know, lesbian or anything..." At this Rachel suddenly burst out laughing and was unable to stop for a long time."
The ellipses are all the authors. The sheer amount of ellipses and dashes in all the dialogue also got old. She also muses "Sam's like a trophy wife. Sometimes I think I'm just going out with her because I'm jealous of her. I never think of myself as a lesbian." She then cheats on her girlfriend with Jonathon (and gf is not really mentioned again). And two characters never deserved each other more ("She had talked about him being like a brother, but that didn't necessarily rule out a sexual relationship. After all, she liked lesbianism, so why not incest as well?")
In what is I am sure meant to be cute funny dialogue, it's like 2 villains ripped right out of a Reddit relationship thread with heaps of mansplaining. Here's a taste of their conversations (I suffered through this book so others should too!):
"This is a Filo-fax," he said. "It's stuffed with dates."
She giggled, and he could tell it wasn't at the pun.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing. Just that you really like the fact that it's stuffed with dates. It's so sweet."
"But real diaries are stuffed with dates. That's why--"
"You don't need to explain it to me."
"It's the double meaning of the word 'date'"
"I know."
"It's a kind of fruit and an appointment," he persisted.
Every character I found absolutely gross. From the suave casually misogynist secret agent to the manic pixie dream girl (so much more on her later) to the posh grandma who mothers them all (because women serve a few purposes here: sex, mothering, or victim) to the repulsive politicians to the main character, whose signature trait is how remarkably personality-free and unnoticeable he is.
The humor is forced. There's a murder mystery mixed with political scandal too, but that mostly serves to make what already feels like a long book (just 313 pages but with the tiniest font I've seen in ages--the book should come with a magnifying glass) even longer, since most of it feels like it's all set up for overly plotted jokes.
Within a few pages, our bland hero Jonathon falls in love with Rachel, the manic pixie of the book. She wears wacky clothes and is beautiful (but not too beautiful) and somehow finds him fascinating. Unfortunately for him, she's a lesbian.
Good news though! She's only dating her (beautiful, natch) girlfriend because of "jealousy." And as she confesses on her 2nd real meeting with Jonathon: "The thing is that Sam is just so amazing -- she looks amazing and she does everything totally brilliantly... she made this soup and well...I think she knows that I really want to be like her, but I never will be. I never will. But, but..there are hundreds of reasons why she would - why she should. I mean...I'm not a, you know, lesbian or anything..." At this Rachel suddenly burst out laughing and was unable to stop for a long time."
The ellipses are all the authors. The sheer amount of ellipses and dashes in all the dialogue also got old. She also muses "Sam's like a trophy wife. Sometimes I think I'm just going out with her because I'm jealous of her. I never think of myself as a lesbian." She then cheats on her girlfriend with Jonathon (and gf is not really mentioned again). And two characters never deserved each other more ("She had talked about him being like a brother, but that didn't necessarily rule out a sexual relationship. After all, she liked lesbianism, so why not incest as well?")
In what is I am sure meant to be cute funny dialogue, it's like 2 villains ripped right out of a Reddit relationship thread with heaps of mansplaining. Here's a taste of their conversations (I suffered through this book so others should too!):
"This is a Filo-fax," he said. "It's stuffed with dates."
She giggled, and he could tell it wasn't at the pun.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing. Just that you really like the fact that it's stuffed with dates. It's so sweet."
"But real diaries are stuffed with dates. That's why--"
"You don't need to explain it to me."
"It's the double meaning of the word 'date'"
"I know."
"It's a kind of fruit and an appointment," he persisted.
Read
December 5, 2019No rating. Dnf at 5%. How do you start with a murder on the very first page then become BORING?
May 1, 2024
It took me a while to get into The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax because, to be honest, I kept trying to figure out whether he’s autistic (I am) and based on autism stereotypes (am I?), or not. I don’t know the answer to the first part, but he definitely isn’t a stereotype. He’s the modern Arthur Dent, and if you recognise the name, and have heard about a certain Douglas Adams, The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax is going to be your marmite.
Reader, I loved it. Already bought the sequel – as paperback, which Am*zon (well, the “external fulfilment facility” which is a phrase that would fit this book) doesn’t beam over immediately, so now I have to wait for DAYS. Which is rude.
It’s a murder mystery. The murderer has a wife (and their relationship is not amazing, but she does take notes for him, part-housewife, part-secret-ary) and a daughter. And his face gets cold, so he has to wear a balaclava – a problem, no doubt, known to many of us. It’s also political. And, like all best satire, painfully realistic. To the point where I can actually imagine RSG being a thing in actual governments around the world. (Shevlin probably gave them ideas. Luckily, politicians don’t read books without their own faces on the cover. I don’t think any of them would admit looking like Jonathon.) It’s about two people who set their watch between 7, 14, or 21 minutes later, to be early rather than late, except then they get used to it, and it stops working. (My husband sets the clock in the living room 9 minutes later for this exact reason even though he has retired by now and doesn’t need to catch trains. But if I were to set the clock to actual time, he’d probably have a breakdown.) And it’s relentlessly funny. The book. Not my husband. He’s very unfunny while asleep. (Although his insistence that he doesn’t snore is kind of funny in a ‘sigh...’ kind of way.)
I mentioned politicians. Well. This book has a lot of politic(ian)s. Which is really funny, until you realise that actual politics looks exactly like that, only the acronyms are less dad-joke-y. And there are fewer… no, wait, that’s actually also realistic. That’s the difference between comedy and satire. Sometimes, I laughed through tears (metaphorically, I am not that invested in specifically the British government, but trust me, the Dutch one isn’t much better – its current, as of the time of writing, biggest plus side is that we don’t have one). Shevlin is good at political satire. And at crime. And at Lance.
I had two minor quibbles. First was the shortage of commas. I am not just Team Oxford Comma, I’m also Team “why is there no comma before ‘but’,” and I am willing to send the author a bouquet made entirely of commas. The second – Rachel definitely fits Jonathon, but she sort of fits him a bit too tailor-made. Most of what I’ve learned about her personality is that she fits Jonathon. This is not to say that Shevlin can’t write female characters – oh, did I absolutely love Jane! WAIT I HAVE A THIRD QUIBBLE. What happens to Sarah at the end?! Why don’t I have the second book yet?! Have I ever said I like waiting? [No – Ed.]
I recommend this to everyone who misses Douglas Adams, PG Wodehouse, and whose day gets an extra bit better when Lance asks Jonathon how to stop being so attractive that your own attractiveness makes it impossible for you to think about oh, doesn’t my hair look good today, what was I saying?
I received a free copy of this book from the author. This did not influence my review.
Rating: 9/10 rounded up to 5/5 for Goodreads.
My ratings:
5* = this book changed my life
4* = very good
3* = good
2* = I probably DNFed it, so I don't give 2* ratings
1* = actively hostile towards the reader
Reader, I loved it. Already bought the sequel – as paperback, which Am*zon (well, the “external fulfilment facility” which is a phrase that would fit this book) doesn’t beam over immediately, so now I have to wait for DAYS. Which is rude.
It’s a murder mystery. The murderer has a wife (and their relationship is not amazing, but she does take notes for him, part-housewife, part-secret-ary) and a daughter. And his face gets cold, so he has to wear a balaclava – a problem, no doubt, known to many of us. It’s also political. And, like all best satire, painfully realistic. To the point where I can actually imagine RSG being a thing in actual governments around the world. (Shevlin probably gave them ideas. Luckily, politicians don’t read books without their own faces on the cover. I don’t think any of them would admit looking like Jonathon.) It’s about two people who set their watch between 7, 14, or 21 minutes later, to be early rather than late, except then they get used to it, and it stops working. (My husband sets the clock in the living room 9 minutes later for this exact reason even though he has retired by now and doesn’t need to catch trains. But if I were to set the clock to actual time, he’d probably have a breakdown.) And it’s relentlessly funny. The book. Not my husband. He’s very unfunny while asleep. (Although his insistence that he doesn’t snore is kind of funny in a ‘sigh...’ kind of way.)
I mentioned politicians. Well. This book has a lot of politic(ian)s. Which is really funny, until you realise that actual politics looks exactly like that, only the acronyms are less dad-joke-y. And there are fewer… no, wait, that’s actually also realistic. That’s the difference between comedy and satire. Sometimes, I laughed through tears (metaphorically, I am not that invested in specifically the British government, but trust me, the Dutch one isn’t much better – its current, as of the time of writing, biggest plus side is that we don’t have one). Shevlin is good at political satire. And at crime. And at Lance.
I had two minor quibbles. First was the shortage of commas. I am not just Team Oxford Comma, I’m also Team “why is there no comma before ‘but’,” and I am willing to send the author a bouquet made entirely of commas. The second – Rachel definitely fits Jonathon, but she sort of fits him a bit too tailor-made. Most of what I’ve learned about her personality is that she fits Jonathon. This is not to say that Shevlin can’t write female characters – oh, did I absolutely love Jane! WAIT I HAVE A THIRD QUIBBLE. What happens to Sarah at the end?! Why don’t I have the second book yet?! Have I ever said I like waiting? [No – Ed.]
I recommend this to everyone who misses Douglas Adams, PG Wodehouse, and whose day gets an extra bit better when Lance asks Jonathon how to stop being so attractive that your own attractiveness makes it impossible for you to think about oh, doesn’t my hair look good today, what was I saying?
I received a free copy of this book from the author. This did not influence my review.
Rating: 9/10 rounded up to 5/5 for Goodreads.
My ratings:
5* = this book changed my life
4* = very good
3* = good
2* = I probably DNFed it, so I don't give 2* ratings
1* = actively hostile towards the reader
January 9, 2014
I have to say I loved this book. The characters are absolutely absurd, loveable and hilarious all at the same time. Even the family loving, mass murdering psycho has a loveable side to him! The plot is very fast running and is a bit zany with its twists, turns and links, but all the better for that. The humour is quirky and very British. It wasn't a laugh out loud sort of book for me but it was great fun to read. I'd certainly like to read more of the adventures of Jonathon Fairfax, a very British hero!
August 11, 2024
I’m on holiday at the moment and on my phone but if I wasn’t I’d probably post a couple of totally amazing quotes here to demonstrate how fantastically wonderful this book was.
A bit later and probably with the addition of alcohol, I’ll figure out how to access the saved quotes and plonk them in. Probably.
Anyway, absolutely loved this. Read it, it’ll make you smile!
Edit: a promised quote. Just the one as I’m still on the move…
“Rachel, on the other hand, looked almost unbearably wholesome and pleasing, like a really sexy loaf of bread.”
A bit later and probably with the addition of alcohol, I’ll figure out how to access the saved quotes and plonk them in. Probably.
Anyway, absolutely loved this. Read it, it’ll make you smile!
Edit: a promised quote. Just the one as I’m still on the move…
“Rachel, on the other hand, looked almost unbearably wholesome and pleasing, like a really sexy loaf of bread.”
July 12, 2013
Although not as polished as books you might find on the bestseller list, I found this to be a fun read that made me laugh out loud several times. And I usually don't do that when reading books. The book was oftentimes quite witty and also absurd. The ending was nicely satisfying. All in all I found it delightful.
The only negative comments I have are that the wit was sometimes a little forced or a little too pleased with itself. And the random tiny subplot about the lady's ghost seemed rather pointless.
The only negative comments I have are that the wit was sometimes a little forced or a little too pleased with itself. And the random tiny subplot about the lady's ghost seemed rather pointless.
May 16, 2021
Curiously paced - it feels forced but slow at the same time, this aims to be quirky in the same vein as 'The Hundred Year Old Man...' but falls flat. I'd have preferred working it out for myself that the main protagonist was socially awkward rather than being told it repeatedly and so didn't grow to empathise with him and so find his reactions to the situations he finds himself in funny. The plot is also wafer thin and the rest of the other character's behaviour as this slogs along is similar to Jonathan's.
July 12, 2013
I burst out laughing so many times while reading this book. If you are looking for a lift and lots of fun, this book is the epitome of dry wit. It's like reading an Arrested Development script. The pace is perfect and the characters are lovable, even the murderer who is at turns a teddy bear and a reluctant psycho. I wrote to the author and told him to keep writing and he sent me a hilarious response--such a nice guy!
March 5, 2026
As a mystery lover, this was a refreshing break from the scared-to-turn-the-light-off thrillers I usually go for. It was murder and politics but also cringey social interactions and absurdly hilarious inner monologues. The dead pan humour catches you off guard and makes for a very enjoyable reading experience.
I do have a couple question marks leftover after finishing. Firstly, Rachel’s sexuality… that whole storyline sort of landed in a convenient “oh, it was all a dream” kind of way, and I think it should have been better. Secondly, WTF happened to Sarah??!?! That is all.
You should read this book if you;
- enjoy deadpan humour
- are scared of thrillers but like mysteries
- have kindle unlimited
I do have a couple question marks leftover after finishing. Firstly, Rachel’s sexuality… that whole storyline sort of landed in a convenient “oh, it was all a dream” kind of way, and I think it should have been better. Secondly, WTF happened to Sarah??!?! That is all.
You should read this book if you;
- enjoy deadpan humour
- are scared of thrillers but like mysteries
- have kindle unlimited
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2014
A seriously funny book with numerous genuine laugh-out-loud moments. Christopher Shevlin can definitely turn a phrase!
A host of of well defined, memorable characters all helplessly entwined in an expertly conceived plot. Fans of Adams, Sharpe & Wodehouse will feel right at home in this quintessentially English farce.
A quick read and an absolute gift at the Kindle price.
A host of of well defined, memorable characters all helplessly entwined in an expertly conceived plot. Fans of Adams, Sharpe & Wodehouse will feel right at home in this quintessentially English farce.
A quick read and an absolute gift at the Kindle price.
March 15, 2021
Starts with a bang - finishes with a bang - and good fun in between. Characterisation is surprisingly deep for a comedy. Beneath the froth and fun is an acutely observed novel with a sincere core. Looking forward to working my way through this series.
January 16, 2014
I really loved this book. I thought it was very well written and funny throughout, with an original story and engaging characters.
There did seem to be a lot of coincidences happening throughout the story, which under normal circumstances might have seemed like poor story-telling, but here I thought it really worked well and helped to build the tangled web the characters end up in. Another odd thing was the inclusion of a sort-of ghost who plays a VERY minor part in the book. I wasn’t sure why this was included, but I liked it anyway.
By the time I was half way through the book I knew I wanted to read more from this author, so imagine my disappointment to find this was currently his only book! I can’t wait for more. It made me laugh on the tube. It made me happy.
There did seem to be a lot of coincidences happening throughout the story, which under normal circumstances might have seemed like poor story-telling, but here I thought it really worked well and helped to build the tangled web the characters end up in. Another odd thing was the inclusion of a sort-of ghost who plays a VERY minor part in the book. I wasn’t sure why this was included, but I liked it anyway.
By the time I was half way through the book I knew I wanted to read more from this author, so imagine my disappointment to find this was currently his only book! I can’t wait for more. It made me laugh on the tube. It made me happy.
May 16, 2019
Totally mad, absurd! A romp between murder and political corruption. At times you just don't know where it's going, but it bowls along until all is resolved at the end. I love Johnathan Fairfax, a good guy who is insecure, socially awkward but very relatable. The other characters are a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly but most have redeeming features. Some events really made me laugh out loud, the brawl in the Ritz for example. Some reviewers have been very sniffy about this book. Maybe it isn't great literature but it is fun and worth a few hours of your time.
March 5, 2021
There's a mix of reviews for this book,some love it, some loath it. I'm always sceptical about' laugh out loud books', as i rarely do, but i did two or three times and i had a grin on my face a few times. I liked the book a lot, i liked the characters, so i'll be reading more of this author.
I am keeping these extracts for when i see my sister to make her laugh. Do not read on if you plan to read the book.
'Jonathon was easily intimidated. In fact, left alone for long enough, Jonathon could probably have contrived to intimidate himself. But, now that he was being stared at aggressively by a giant in a balaclava, he was more astonished and confused than afraid. The man seemed to be waiting for an answer. Had he asked a question? Jonathon couldn’t remember. ‘Um. Sorry?’ ...
The man sighed impatiently and pinched the bridge of his nose. He stopped, then put his hand to his cheek as though to confirm what his fingers had told him, which was presumably that he was wearing a balaclava. This seemed to surprise him.
"I get a cold face," said the man.'
'From its pan the fish regarded him with a baleful eye, uncanny and impassive like Andrew Lloyd-Webber.'
'His tie was pink, and his hair so solidly gelled it looked as though he probably just took it off and left it on the mantelpiece when he got home at night.'
'His wiry black hair and his stubble could, together, have been used as makeshift velcro, if you were marooned on a desert island with him and desperately needed to construct an easy-open fastener. It took a few moments for Jonathon to realise that the man was saying something to him and that he wasn’t listening because he was thinking instead of how to turn the man into velcro.
There was no way he could explain this, so he stared stupidly. ‘Sorry?’ he said.'
I am keeping these extracts for when i see my sister to make her laugh. Do not read on if you plan to read the book.
'Jonathon was easily intimidated. In fact, left alone for long enough, Jonathon could probably have contrived to intimidate himself. But, now that he was being stared at aggressively by a giant in a balaclava, he was more astonished and confused than afraid. The man seemed to be waiting for an answer. Had he asked a question? Jonathon couldn’t remember. ‘Um. Sorry?’ ...
The man sighed impatiently and pinched the bridge of his nose. He stopped, then put his hand to his cheek as though to confirm what his fingers had told him, which was presumably that he was wearing a balaclava. This seemed to surprise him.
"I get a cold face," said the man.'
'From its pan the fish regarded him with a baleful eye, uncanny and impassive like Andrew Lloyd-Webber.'
'His tie was pink, and his hair so solidly gelled it looked as though he probably just took it off and left it on the mantelpiece when he got home at night.'
'His wiry black hair and his stubble could, together, have been used as makeshift velcro, if you were marooned on a desert island with him and desperately needed to construct an easy-open fastener. It took a few moments for Jonathon to realise that the man was saying something to him and that he wasn’t listening because he was thinking instead of how to turn the man into velcro.
There was no way he could explain this, so he stared stupidly. ‘Sorry?’ he said.'
June 13, 2018
Well written but not for me.
This was a strange book, it had excellent reviews but I struggled to finish the story. At times, it seemed like I was wading through treacle. I could neither empathise nor sympathise with the main characters and I certainly did not experience any "laugh out loud" moments. On reflection, I suppose this is what passes for humour amongst left wing intellectuals.
This was a strange book, it had excellent reviews but I struggled to finish the story. At times, it seemed like I was wading through treacle. I could neither empathise nor sympathise with the main characters and I certainly did not experience any "laugh out loud" moments. On reflection, I suppose this is what passes for humour amongst left wing intellectuals.
October 19, 2012
I couldn't put this down. This velcoe romp was totally laugh out loud hilarious.
September 22, 2016
It's very rare I give a book 5 stars, but I really enjoyed reading this. A good mix of fun, endearing characters and a creative story line.
January 26, 2025
I really enjoyed this book, it's a really fun and interesting storyline which made me laugh out loud regularly. I haven't seen this style of writing before where there is a slight bizarreness to everything and I loved it, and will give the authors recommendations at the end a read too. I also absolutely loved the characters - I read this whilst solo travelling which can get a bit lonely sometimes, and I felt like Jonathan kept me company as I relate to him a little bit! Looking forward to reading the next one 😊
January 4, 2025
It’s like something from P.G. Wodehouse set in London circa 1993 else a very, very, VERY British “A Confederacy of Dunces”. It’s absurdist and silly while being dry and subtle. I can understand that a lot of Americans (especially younger ones) might not get the humor or a lot of the references. But if you’re gen X and familiar with British humor you’ll have a good time.
July 6, 2018
I thought this was so bad only got half way through!
September 6, 2018
Not bad, not life changing, but a great way to spend a few hours away from a simliar Britain full of corrput Ministers, but at least this one has a happy-ish ending.
May 23, 2021
Give this 3.5. Didn’t think much of it to start, got a little better, but not wow. Certainly not laugh out loud, or even laugh, to be fair.
February 6, 2022
Funny
Enjoyed this book, loved the style of writing and told by the different characters. Very light and plenty of twists.
Enjoyed this book, loved the style of writing and told by the different characters. Very light and plenty of twists.
October 29, 2024
I'd have given it 3 stars had it not been for "the comic gem" false advertising.
September 28, 2025
This was quite endearing! Overall I really liked the approach and thought the characters were well done. The ending seemed a bit odd (that’s how series get you ig), but I listened on audiobook and so maybe that was my shortcoming.
July 27, 2025
Great fun!
January 24, 2019
Unfortunately this book just missed the mark on all levels. It wasn't consistently funny enough which meant that the absurdity of the story and the characters did not really work. The main character, Jonathan Fairfax is endearing and irritating in equal measure and there are some amusing moments as he tries to make sense of the world around him and then the plots that are thickening wherever he goes. The other characters are pretty one dimensional and generally unbelievable; which in itself would be fine if the book were funnier. The same could be said for the plot which requires a massive suspension of disbelief. Shame really as it was almost very good.
Read
June 8, 2025"I write books that I hope will make people laugh and feel better – so far, they are the three Jonathon Fairfax novels and a novella called The Pursuit of Coconuts. I suffer from depression, and have always found the world quite a difficult and confusing place, so – ever since I learned to read – I’ve escaped into books. Reading is so soothing and absorbing, and there’s something oddly intimate about joining an author inside a book. When a book’s genuinely funny, it feels as though – in a flash – it reveals the essential foolish absurdity of the world. I’ve listed five of the books that have worked that little miracle on me. "
From shepherd.com book finder website.
From shepherd.com book finder website.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 327 reviews