LEAD TITLE … A hilarious debut from recent Cambridge graduate Iain Hollingshead that introduces us to Jack Lancaster, who, at only twenty-five is far too young to be having a mid-life crisis, but who’s going have a pretty good shot at it anyway. A novel for disillusioned twentysomethings everywhere.

On the surface, Jack’s is an idyllic situation: he has a highly-paid job in a city bank, a subsidised flat in West London and a beautiful girlfriend. But when he dumps Lucy and she sleeps with his best friend, Rick, by way of revenge, Jack’s life begins to fall apart. His inept attempts to woo his attractive new colleague, Layla, become increasingly frustrated. His hairline is retreating faster than a brigade of Italian war heroes. His search for a sense of ‘purpose’ in life remains unfulfilled. Deciding that life is too short to continue putting numbers into Excel boxes, Jack succeeds in getting sacked from work and embarks on a bumbling journey of self-discovery, taking in the House of Commons, the Inca Trail and a small prep school in Berkshire.

 

Iain Hollingshead is 24 years old. He writes features for the Daily Telegraph, and has also written for the Sunday Times. He studied history at Cambridge, then worked in Westminster for the Vote 2004 Campaign, and in Michael Howard's office. He lives in London.