A Very Private Gentleman: A Novel

Martin Booth

$21.00

This product is not returnable.

Publication Date: February 1st, 2005

Publisher:

Picador

ISBN:

9780312309091

Pages:

288

Stock Information

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Description

BASIS FOR THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE THE AMERICAN, STARRING GEORGE CLOONEY AND DIRECTED BY ANTON CORBIJN

The locals in the Italian village where he lives call him Signor Farfalla--Mr. Butterfly--for he appears to be a discreet gentleman who paints rare butterflies. But as inconspicuous as Farfalla tries to make himself, his real profession is deadly, unbeknownst to the sometime brothel worker, Clara, with whom he sleeps.

Of a certain age, and as his feelings for Clara intensify, Farfalla has resolved to make his next job his last--all the while sensing a treacherous circle closing in on him.

About the Author

Martin Booth (1944-2004) was the bestselling author of novels including Hiroshima Joe, Islands of Silence, and The Industry of Souls, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Another novel, A Very Private Gentlemen, was adapted into the 2010 movie, The American, starring George Clooney. He also wrote several nonfiction books, including Cannabis: A History, Opium: A History, and the memoir Golden Boy: Memories of a Hong Kong Childhood. Booth was born in England, but spent much of his childhood in Hong Kong, a location that would deeply inspire his writing. He moved back to England at the age of 20, and started his literary career as a poet. He worked as a schoolmaster, a job he held until 1985, when the success of Hiroshima Joe allowed him to devote himself full-time to his writing. At the time of his death in 2004, he was living in Devon, England.

Praise for A Very Private Gentleman: A Novel

“Crisp yet lyrical, simple yet intelligent...haunting, shocking, and tense.” —Booklist

“With Farfalla, Booth has a created a rich, conflicted antihero whose clever rationalizations mask a soul weary with self-doubt...making us question our own moral values, our sense of right and wrong--and where exactly to draw the line.” —Boston Globe

“A psychological suspense thriller invested with life-and-death gravitas.” —Seattle Times

“There are echoes of Nabokov in this in this tense and poetic mystery.” —Today (UK)