Disco Boy

By Dominic Knight

A hilarious novel from a great comedic writer, one of the founders of The Chaser's War on Everything . No DJ can mix 'Celebration' into 'Come On Eileen' quite like Paul Johnson, the king of rancid retro. But while he has the musical jumper leads to get even the most dismal party started, he can't get his own life moving. Trapped in a job he despises, a perpetual failure with the ladies and living at home with his distinctly unhelpful parents, Paul's stuck in limbo while everyone around him is limbo-dancing. While he's avoided the corporate mousetrap that's ensnared his friend Nige, Paul dreams of one day playing his own music instead of John Farnham's. But it's much easier to joke about your problems with your friends than to do something about them. A romantic comedy that's equal parts bitingly cynical and naively idealistic, Disco Boy is a story for anyone who's ever hit the Pause button on their life, and found it hard to press Play again.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1741666260
• ISBN13: 9781741666267
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: Bantam Australia
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

New masculine Australian voice

Disco Boy seems to be me to be a new genre of Australian novel - exposing an altogether sought-after but difficult-to-find Australian male protagonist....articulate, sensitive, values-driven - and shock horror!!! able to be great friends with a woman and examine his sexual pursuits against a background of relationship relevance. There are far too few of these types of males in real life - at least as far as most of the women I know are concerned - so applauding their depliction in a novel is a good move, I would have thought. And if it encourages this kind of approach from more males, well, I would have thought that's a very good thing. But apart from the moral position taken by the protagonist, it was also a very entertaining - if light - read. Yes, there are a few musical references I'll chase up, but most of them were a deft way to convey meaning...as well as a good laugh about all the nights out we've had. Personally, I'm sparing very little mental energy on the Australian male who left such a so harsh review (seen far too many in pubs and round the traps with the lads) and will leave the subject by only wondering aloud why a new form of gallant - but self-conscious Australian bloke could be such a threat! Plus, wondering how many books he's attempted to write himself, of course....so much easier when you are outside the glass house to throw stones! Although I can confess that at first I found the first person narrative about a 20s something non-Alpha male was almost too painfully honest about the excruiating situations we find ourselves in when it comes to the opposite sex and dating, in the end I found it utterly charming. Yes, it was reminiscent of Nick Hornby, but softer. So all in all - I'd say I think brave from an author best known in Australia for other more cynical pursuits - and if this is the new age of bloke's books - I for one will support it at the retail counter, as Australian culture needs an overdose of this!