A Fraction of the Whole

This is a beautifully written book with richly drawn characters. The Dean family will take you on a wild ride around the world, and as unlikely as they and their lives are, this book is so well written you'll believe every bit of it. Clever, ironic, dark, and absolutely worth reading.

Okay, I know this might sound weird, but if Dostoyevsky were alive today, Steve Toltz could probably teach him a thing or two about the nature of misanthropy. Still, A Fraction of the Whole manages to push the envelope of absurd to the very limits of transgressional fiction, while remaining humorous enough to sustain most reader's attention spans. The thing is, Toltz's characters are so incredibly hard to sympathize with, that you're likely to find yourself trying hard to understand how they are a reflection of humanity as a whole. And from this effort, the truth of their "every man" identities becomes glaringly obvious.

Anyone who reads this story is likely to be both disgusted at the characters and reflected within them, all the while laughing despite this. Oh, and if you only like stories that wrap up nice and neat and fall into your lap during the death throws of their denouements — don't read this. However, if you're comfortable with the fact that life doesn't resolve itself like a Polaroid picture, then sit back, strap on a comfy pair of headphones, and enjoy one of the quirkiest tales you're likely to feast your ears on told by a pair of truly talented narrators whose performances are of rare quality.

The book starts off a bit slowly, but you're soon drawn in to a world of villainy, deceit, and hysterically bad parenting. The narration captures each of the characters in a way that I think might not have been as carefully presented--had I just read the book. In short, one of the reasons that I listen to audio books. First class narrators, and a witty, character-driven story.

A Fraction of the Whole is a sprawling, big and baggy, super funny first novel by the Australian author Steve Toltz. The story goes back and forth between the two narrators, a father and son, telling their own stories of their lives. The father goes back to his childhood and the brother who becomes his nemesis. The son tells more of the later story, but they switch off nicely throughout the book. The ending gets a bit bizarre. Great narration.

I didn't want it to end. The characters were frustrating and endearing. You wanted to follow them through all the craziness.

Great book. Great narrators. Like nothing I've ever read. Wonderful characters. Hilarious. A strangely great father and son story that i couldn't get enough of. As original as it gets.

I loved 40% of this book! It tells the story of a father and his son who are both extremely odd and have a very dysfunctional relationship. Most of the book is told from the point of view of the son (the 60% I did not like) and 40% is wonderfully told by the father. The reader of the father portion is much better than the reader of the son portions. If you take the time to listen to it, there are a lot of moments of pleasure, however you have to wade through a lot of muck to get there.

I found this book "laugh out loud" funny - in many, many places. Both readers were just great. I am recommending to everyone I know who loves smart, funny books!

Anyone who enjoys unabridged audiobooks, for example while exercising (like I do), or on a long road trip, might enjoy this novel which is really several family stories in one!

Ironies of Martin's youthful intended good deeds in his home town gone awry

No

no way

This production is a masterpiece. Author is obviously a genious with wit and a great sense of humor who can actually write! What a rare combination! This is my favorite audio book of all time, favorite author of all time, and favorite narrators of all time. This is a riot in audio due to the Aussie accent of the father and son narrators who got it just right. Buy this!!