On New Year’s Eve, four strangers—Martin, Maureen, Jess, and JJ—separately climb to the top of a London skyscraper known as Toppers’ House with the intention of jumping. Martin is a disgraced television presenter, Maureen is a tired single mother, Jess is a volatile teenager, and JJ is an American musician working as a pizza delivery driver. Instead of ending their lives, they interrupt one another and begin a cynical conversation. They decide to delay their plans and form an awkward, temporary alliance to navigate the subsequent months together.
This book serves readers who appreciate dark humor and clinical observations of human failure. Those who enjoy stories where characters are deeply flawed and frequently unlikable will find these perspectives honest rather than sentimental. The reader walks away with a blunt look at how shared misery and accidental companionship can provide a reason to endure. It presents life not as a series of grand revelations, but as a tedious, funny, and difficult process that is slightly more manageable when others are around to witness it.
- Published
- 2005
- Language
- EN
