The Information: A Novel [Paperback]

A wry, incisive satire of envy and ambition following a failed novelists absurd quest to sabotage his more successful rivalwith a new introduction by James Wood.

Richard Tull, a failed and disillusioned novelist, seethes with envy as he watches his longtime friend Gwyn Barry, a talentless, populist charlatan, rise to literary superstardom. Barry is adored by readers, celebrated by critics, and constantly in the public eye, while Tull sinks deeper into middle-aged obscurity, unable to escape the evidence of his own defeat. In a trance of impotent rage, Tull devises a vicious plan to ruin his friendor at least hurt him as badly as possibleand finds himself tumbling into Londons criminal underworld, as well as the darkest precincts of his own soul.

Laced with Martin Amiss signature linguistic brilliance and exquisite satirical bite,The Informationprobes the corrosive power of envy, the absurdity of rivalry, the hollow victories of modern fame, and the agonizing smallness of mans place in the universe. By turns hilarious and devastating, it is the work of a literary master at the peak of his dazzling powers.