Man in the Corner

Man in the Corner

'Man in the Corner is brilliant modern noir, an intriguing thought experiment and addictive read." - Simon Baker (The Mentalist)

Can you become someone else without the world noticing?

Part psychological thriller, part enthralling character study – Man in the Corner is not your average work of fiction. So impressive is Nathan Besser's debut novel that the rights to the story have already been optioned for film by Simon Baker and Rebecca Rigg, who have recently begun filming an adaptation of Tim Winton's Breath.

When David's wife confesses that she was once a prostitute, the revelation doesn't disturb him, he considers it simply an error of youth. The following night, he collapses from a rare brain disease. During his recovery, David meets the mysterious conman Ben Strbic and soon becomes embroiled in an identity theft crime worth millions of dollars. It was a perfectly acceptable life – successful business, happy marriage, two children – why then has David upended it?

In the manner of Paul Auster, Nathan Besser's writing is both compulsively readable and difficult to pigeonhole. At each turn of the many characters imperceptibly intertwined journeys, questions are raised about the irreversibility of time, and our identities which are inextricably carried along.

This remarkable debut announces Nathan Besser as a major new Australian talent.

Nathan Besser wrote poetry and short fiction from the age of sixteen. After completing high school he worked as a delivery driver, security guard, clinical trial participant, hotel manager and call centre operator. During this time he wrote for various publications, and had three stories published in the Best Australian Stories collection. After failing to find a publisher for his first novel, he devoted his time solely to business for several years, buying and starting several small businesses, including a restaurant delivery company, an online alcohol delivery company, a cold chain logistics service and two lingerie stores. Following the birth of his second child, during a short holiday in Japan, he decided to begin writing again, setting to work on what would become Man in the Corner. Nathan lives in Sydney with his wife and three children. He is currently working on another novel.

Man in the Corner
Vintage Australia
Author: Nathan Besser
RRP: $32.99