Those good people at Text know how to write a blurb that gives nothing away. Here it is, from the back cover of Craig Sherborne’s first foray into fiction, The Amateur Science of Love:
Colin dreams of escaping his parents’ New Zealand farm for a grand stage career. He makes it to London and a disastrous audition before meeting Tilda; beautiful Tilda, older, an artist; who brings his future with her.
A heady romance leads to a new home in a decaying former bank in a small town hours from Melbourne. They are building a life together; but there are cracks in the foundation.
This is a love story, told from passionate beginning to spectacular end. It is intimate and honest, blackly funny and emotionally devastating.
So there I was, reading in a rather desultory way – enjoying the writing enough to post a Sensational Snippet – but just starting to wonder if the narrator’s bleakly comic navel-gazing was going anywhere, when … wham! I was riveted by the plot. At half-past three in the morning I finally fell asleep last night with the book drifting onto the pillow, and grabbed it again (with a coffee to keep me awake) when the alarm went off at 6:00am this morning.
No, I’m not going to spoil it for you either. Go and get a copy, and see why Helen Garner wrote this for the front cover:
All women with lingering illusions about the way men think should read this fast-moving, sharply focused, fantasy-shattering little thunderclap of a book’.
Gentlemen, you should read it too, because now we know what you’re thinking…
PS It is very good about small town rural life as well!
© Lisa Hill
Author: Craig Sherborne
Title: The Amateur Science of Love
Publisher: Text Publishing 2011
ISBN: 9781921758010
Source: Casey-Cardinia Library
Availability:
Fishpond: The Amateur Science of Love
ANZ LitLovers LitBlog 
Now that is what I call an intriguing review! I enjoyed your sensational snippet, am slightly worried by the “all women […] should”, but overall the consensus is one of overwhelming curiousity…
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By: Sarah on August 21, 2011
at 2:49 am
Honestly, Sarah, I wasn’t meaning to tease, but I couldn’t think of a way to write about this book without revealing aspects of the plot and ruining it for people.
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By: Lisa Hill on August 21, 2011
at 10:13 am
No criticism intended! I suspect that I have carelessly and regrettably spoilt the odd plot in my time and I am always appreciative when other bloggers are sensitive to spoilers. You’ve done an excellent job, and I hope the author is duly grateful :)
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By: Sarah on August 21, 2011
at 8:51 pm
No worries, Sarah, I didn’t take it that way *warm smile*
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By: Lisa Hill on August 21, 2011
at 9:03 pm
OOh intrigued!
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By: annabelsmith on November 8, 2012
at 4:26 pm
Good! Grab a copy and you will see why he just won the Melbourne Prize for Literature Best Writing Award!
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By: Lisa Hill on November 8, 2012
at 4:33 pm
[…] Edge) (Ransom Publishing) Craig Sherborne, The Amateur Science of Love (Text Publishing Company), see my review. Rohan Wilson, The Roving Party (Allen & Unwin) see my […]
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at 7:11 pm
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