STIFF - Shane Maloney
It falls to the few to sort out the messes made by the many. Murray Whelan, assistant and jack-of-all-trades for the Minister for Industry must regularly vet all comers and documents before they reach his time-poor boss, Charlene Wills. Fencing with other members of the Labor party is a daily occurrence - they may be technically all on the same side, but that doesn't mean they can't irritate the life out of each other in each and every interaction. Sent by party hopeful Angelo Agnelli to find out what's happening out at Pacific Pastoral meatworks, Murray isn't a happy man. This is going to take some serious time out of his daily grind at the office, dealing with the darling public who all seem to think the Minister is there to sort out every petty little detail of their lives. It's hard enough to find a tradesman to come out and fix the gaping hole in his roof, let alone sort out all of what is happening in Charlene's electorate.
A body has been found in the No 4 freezer out at the meatworks, and it only takes the most casual of inquiries to find out that the deceased probably hadn't trapped himself in there while in the process of pinching some lamb for his next Sunday's roast. Murray begins to question what his life is really all about. He already knows it comes cheaply - the half-arsed efforts made by someone to kill him could only have come from someone hired on the cheap.
Book Review:
If this book can't raise a few snorts and belly-laughs from you, dear reader, there is something seriously wrong. With you. Truly. The adventures of Murray Whelan, proud member of the Australian Labor party, office worker, single parent and all around smart-arse all began here with STIFF. Reading this book thirteen years after it was written hasn't taken the edge off a work etched out with vinegar-dipped razor blades. Murray Whelan's wry observations can still be applied to how we Australians operate, politically, socially and any other "ly" we may hope to conquer. Smart and funny doesn't even begin to describe STIFF, but startlingly, monstrously accurate and ferociously funny would be approaching the right kind of fawning adoration that you can't imagine the author ever tolerating.
Perhaps we won't go as far as saying that STIFF could be your reading sorbet (totally stripping away all memories of other recent reads and freshening you up for newer challenges) so let's say instead it will be a welcome slap. As always, the first novel in a series has the tough job of establishing a character, making him dear enough to our fickle hearts so that we will seek him out in other works while also placing him at novel's conclusion at fascinating roads yet to be taken. Murray Whelan, master of the smart comeback and champion of the depressed (or as long as they remains interesting), on reflection, actually hasn't had that much time spent on his description. His character would seem to allow nothing less than a tardy remark on such things, and with a galloping narrative regularly taking on plot tangents made fascinating by their familiarity (political manoeuvres, rip-off merchants, bureaucratic tangles), it will take some concentration to
keep it all straight.
Perhaps thankfully, for some readers, the world of Murray Whelan isn't all sunshine. The tangled mess that was, and still is, the Australian political system on a small scale may prove a little frustrating at times and threaten to take the edge of pace but let's not be picky - this is a still just a short novel that manages to pack just so much in.
Other Entries About this Book:
Books
Book Review
Other Entries About this Author:
Author
Shane Maloney :
19 Jul 2011 - 9:52pm
Book Review
NICE TRY - Shane Maloney :
20 Apr 2008 - 12:27am
THE BRUSH OFF - Shane Maloney :
7 Nov 2007 - 2:33pm
STIFF - Shane Maloney :
7 Oct 2007 - 11:24pm
Books
The Big Ask :
20 Jul 2011 - 8:34pm
The Brush Off :
20 Jul 2011 - 8:35pm
Nice Try :
20 Jul 2011 - 8:36pm
Something Fishy :
20 Jul 2011 - 8:38pm
Stiff :
20 Jul 2011 - 8:39pm
Sucked In :
20 Jul 2011 - 8:42pm
