Summer Things | Joseph Connolly
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A hilariously deranged trip to the further shores of lust, snobbery and adultery, Summer Things is a comic novel by one of Britain's funniest novelists. Elizabeth has her heart set on a traditional English seaside holiday (five-star - naturally), and her oh-so-well-to-do estate agent husband Howard agrees to pay, because that is largely what Howard is for. Except that he wants to stay in London with the object of his lust, Zoo-Zoo. Their neighbour Dotty, who envies like crazy Elizabeth's lifestyle (not to say all of her brand new summer things), determines on the very same holiday, but Dotty's impoverished husband comes up with an appalling alternative (don't even ask) while their fifteen year-old son Colin is yearning after a girl - any girl. Single parent Melody is going to the seaside too, and bringing her little baby Dawn, because there's nothing else to do with her. Whoever does eventually reach England's glittering coast is sure of meeting not only the very beautiful Lulu, but also John, her insanely jealous husband - or is that just insane? To say nothing of professional playboy and all round shit-of-the-year Miles McInerney: action is what he wants It really is one hell of a mix: will there be love, death - or just a string of good and bad summer things? What is certain, is that no-one's life will ever be exactly the same again.