Mr. Beluncle: A Novel

By V. S. Pritchett and Darin Strauss

“Like most great comedy,” writes Darin Strauss in his Introduction, “Mr. Beluncle makes sport of the Stuffed Shirt, the Hypocritical Pious Gentleman, and the Tyrant, as well as the Big Spender–and all these descriptions fit a single character: Mr. Beluncle himself.” One of V. S. Pritchett’s most enduring characters, Mr. Beluncle is narcissistic, sanctimonious, and self-indulgent, yet despite these flaws he is undeniably compelling. Readers who follow this quirky British furniture salesman on his seemingly ordinary escapades–shopping for ridiculously expensive houses, attending services at his peculiar church, presiding over a tumultuous family meal–are in for a delightful and disquieting ride. Poignant, hilarious, and utterly unforgettable Mr. Beluncle is an ideal introduction to one of the English language’s most gifted authors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Feb 19, 2009
• ISBN: 9780307538659

V. S. Pritchett

Victor Sawdon Pritchett was born in 1900 over a toyshop and, much to his everlasting distaste, was named after Queen Victoria. A writer and critic, his is widely reputed to be one of the best short story writers of all time, with the rare ability to capture the extraordinary strangeness of everyday life. He died in 1997.