Cirrus@Austlit

'Sebastian and his long-suffering wife attend a funeral like no other. Sebastian Field-Marshall thought this collection of notes would fit nicely into the Adventure genre. Personally, I believe there should be a new genre entitled Travesty.

'There are many diversions, tangents and deflections. As he admitted himself, this journal is the very definition of a moral hazard. Worse still, he addresses the reader directly. Yes, the fourth wall is breached on several occasions. He ignored my entreaties in this regard. Bugger off, whose story is this, I believe, was his response.

'My fondest wish, he remarked, has always been to guide the reader through the many perilous stations towards sex, death and French doors. I hope this volume, amounting to a mere 157 pages, displays his many great and not-so-great thoughts. Upon presenting him with the finished draft, he slurred – seek the light – before passing out. All the lights were off in his house, so perhaps that is all he meant.' (Publication summary)

'Plunder is a miserable so-and-so who, fortunately for him, has a delightful wife called Rebel and a long-suffering, genius son, Nick. From Plunder’s point of view, any kind of social interaction is bound to take a dive at some point. They have a dinner party where events go belly-up. Oh, and what’s this about bees?' (Publication summary)

'David has taken to drinking and brooding in the company of his only friend. Is Frank really a friend? David is astonished that his wife, Audrey, doesn’t like him anymore and would rather enjoy a bit of me-time. Arrangements are made to travel overseas. Instead, he retreats to an odd city hotel when plans don’t pan out.' (Publication summary)

'Sybil is stuck in her bourgeois, mopey rut with a horrible husband, Frank. Still, she has a low golf handicap. Her current reading matter, Jane Austen’s Emma, is offering some guidance - or is it? Until now, inaction has been Sybil’s default, but her world is about to turn pear-shaped when she least expects it. She may avoid the bunkers, but can she keep clear of the rough?' (Publication summary)

'Three Sydney-ites muddle through a comedy of errors discovering their vulnerabilities and revealing their personal foibles. This is a calamitous, darkly amusing series of interconnected novellas. Read them as distinct stories or as a suite.' (Publication summary)