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The Single Gentleman's Dining Club
“McMahon proves himself a dexterous storyteller in his first novel through interweaving the stories of five apparently lost souls in contemporary Melbourne ... his characters are written with irresistible honesty, humour, admiration, and some trepidation ... McMahon does a wonderful job of engaging the reader with the hearts, minds and loins of a hapless group of duddish Don Juans." Christine Young, InPress
"His dialogue is often brilliant ... [McMahon] captures their fumbling efforts with the authenticity of a video camera." Tony Maniaty, The Australian "This reviewer [would] not be surprised if it makes the long-list for the Miles Franklin Award." The Adelaide Bookshelf (Dymocks Adelaide) "The novel does have some genuinely humorous moments. Another strength is the adoring care with which Tony McMahon, a Melbourne author, has rendered his city." Lorien Kaye, The Age "Tony McMahon does for bachelorhood what Spike Milligan did for the war." Patrick McDonald, The Advertiser Review This is the not quite hopeless story of five postmodern men's journeys to the end of their night. Fuelled by a high-octane mix of booze and pathetically optimistic ruses, these guys are the most misguided philanderers this side of Sex and the City.
Hunter, the half-smart narrator with a Top Secret romantic streak; Stewy, his crestfallen sidekick and de facto straight man; Geordie, the world’s worst lawyer with a degree obtained under ‘special’ circumstances; Sarge, the Kiwi interloper whose penchant for impersonating police officers lands him in several different kinds of hot water; and Rain Man, the dedicated Marxist medium-pacer. RRP A$22.95, NZ$26.95 ISBN 978-0-9757979-1-3 (Paperback)
EXTRACTS
It isn’t so much that someone wants to kill you. Sure, that’ll fuck with your self-esteem every time, but it’s more the embarrassment than anything else. All of a sudden you’re the centre of attention. Everyone is looking at you. Lying there that night in an ever-expanding pool of my own blood, all I could think was that I’d never be allowed to drink in that pub again. I could just imagine the barkeep saying: ‘Sorry, mate. We don’t serve your type in here.’ ‘What type would that be?’ I’d probably ask. ‘The type that gets shot and bleeds all over the floor.’ ‘Oh. Fair enough,’ I’d say, and walk meekly out. What the hell else was I going to do? Argue the point? I think I must have lost consciousness as the medics were carrying me past the pokie machines because the last thing I remembered was someone yelling ‘Jackpot!’ at about 200 decibels. I came to in the ambulance. My comrade Geordie was squeezing my hand tightly, tears running down his cheeks. When he noticed I was awake, he let go, embarrassed. ‘You’re not gay are you, Geordie?’ I whispered. I wasn’t sure he could hear me. One of the medics told me not to talk. -----------
The Single Gentleman’s Dining Club Charter Article 1, Subsection 1, Paragraphs 1 and 2 Taking One for the Team All diners, at all times, in all situations, must keep in mind the paramount importance of upholding the noble and time-honoured tradition of Taking One for the Team. Failure to do so would undermine the very foundations of the Single Gentleman’s Dining Club. In the event two or more diners are together, and the unlikely scenario develops that one or more achieves a measure of success with a member of the opposite sex, and the even more unlikely scenario develops that said member of the opposite sex has one or more friends in tow that do not conform to what diners may consider their ‘standards’, said diner will nonetheless, and with a smile on his face, do the bad thing if that is what is required for the other member or members to do likewise. ---------------
About the Author
Tony McMahon is a very hard-working writer, unless there is something good on TV or he sleeps in after a night on the turps. Once, in the 1970s, Tony saw Enter the Dragon 28 times in a month. This was in the days before home video, and someone from the local paper came and wrote a story about it. But he can't be all that slack because his short stories have been published in various literary journals and he is a regular contributor to InPress, The Melbourne Times and VMX Magazine. The Single Gentleman's Dining Club is Tony's first novel. He lives happily in Fitzroy with his two teenage daughters.
feral tracks "The male version of Puberty Blues." After seven years in bookstores, Euan Mitchell's debut novel, feral tracks, SOLD OUT
"Mitchell’s debut novel is stunning in its breadth of locations, vibrant characterisations and intelligent handling of contemporary issues … this is an impressive, clever and entirely satisfying book." Viewpoint "The energy behind feral tracks comes from Mitchell’s ability to take a year’s worth of adventures, spanning the entire country, and to weave them into a fast-moving and engrossing story." The Courier Mail "Despite the tribulations of survival on the road, Mitchell’s alter-ego is articulate, intelligent and, most importantly, resourceful." The Age "Succeeds on all fronts." Sydney Morning Herald.
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