Straight White Male

June 23, 2014
As this boisterous novel from Scottish author Niven (Kill Your Friends) begins, once-promising Irish novelist Kennedy Marr is leading a life of excess in Hollywood, where he squanders his talent working on screenplays because they pay better than novels. Kennedy, burdened by overextended writing commitments and a $1.4 million tax debt, finds escape in the form of a literary grant offered by Deeping University in Warwickshire. But there’s a catch: Kennedy must also lecture at the school, near the home of his ex-wife, Millie, and 16-year-old daughter, Robin. Kennedy tries to make a go at his new job and begins an affair with one of his students. But just when he thinks he’s escaped Hollywood, a movie shoot at Pinewood Studios drags him back. And then there’s the matter of his mother dying in an Irish hospital. With such a full plate, will Kennedy be able to see his way clear to a new life? Niven simultaneously satirizes Hollywood and academia and scores solid points against both. Although the story is rather predictable and Kennedy’s last-ditch epiphany feels forced, readers looking for a ferociously funny read will enjoy his company. Agent: Clare Conville, Conville and Walsh (U.K.).