Perfect Skin [Paperback]

Nick Earls (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 7, 2002

Jon Marshall leads a pretty normal life. He's a partner in his own practice, owns a nice house in a nice suburb and cruises town in a Beemer. But things are about to change. Big time. It all kicks off when he falls prey to the vicissitudes of email dating and is forced to bear the brunt of the tantrums of a grumpy (and increasingly aggressive) Window Weasel, sent to him in a moment of madness by his friend and colleague, George.Events are complicated further by a new 'running buddy', a mad woman with eighties hair and a very accident-prone cat, all of whom conspire to make Jon's world spiral ever so slightly out of control ...Fortunately, the responsibility of being the lone parent to an adorable baby girl, nicknamed the Bean, brings him back to relative sanity, for it's the Bean who shows him life's endless possibilities. Praise for "Nick Earls": 'Earls does blokey emotional turmoil brilliantly. Very nearly perfect' - "Mirror". 'A funny and moving story' - "Daily Express". 'A really funny book that is also very touching' - "Shine". 'Funny and touching' - "Hello!".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A newly widowed Australian doctor finds himself caught between the demands of raising his infant daughter and those of the dating world in Earls's breezy but thoughtful romance. Dating proves far more difficult than child-rearing for Jon Marshall, the laser surgeon whose wife dies during childbirth. He quickly sinks a budding romance with Katie, a friend of his office manager, in a series of hysterical scenes in which Jon has some unseemly accidents with Katie's unfortunate cat. Things get a bit more serious when the 30-ish Jon befriends an attractive college student named Ashley: they start out as running buddies, but their relationship slowly blossoms into something more serious. The most intriguing subplot involves Jon's internal wrestling match with the legacy of his marriage, which had been problematic before his wife's death. He finds he must come to terms with his old relationship before he can make a go of it with his college-age partner. Earls spends far too much time dissecting Jon's social life in the context of '80s rock music, and while he writes touchingly about the joys of being a young single parent, he conveniently glosses over most of the nightmares. He earns kudos, however, for steering his would-be lovers away from a formulaic happy ending, though the feel-good resolution will still satisfy dedicated romantics. Dating can be daunting at any age, but Earls paints the battle of the sexes as a friendly duel with plenty of promising common ground, and readers should enjoy this amiable, well-crafted and genuinely romantic book. (Oct. 24)Forecast: A bestseller Down Under, Earls could be embraced here as the Aussie Nick Hornby, but it will take some good reviews and even better marketing.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

In the wake of several comic novels about men learning to date and love in their late twenties comes a comic novel about a man relearning dating and love in his mid-thirties. Bumbling but charming Jon, a laser surgeon and single father to six-month-old Lily (aka Bean), is back on the dating scene. His return is marked by comic travails, which his friends and coworkers ridicule endlessly, including a particularly funny scene wherein he urinates on his date's cat. Halfway through the novel it's revealed that Bean's mother died in childbirth and that Jon's a widower rather than a divorce. This revelation would feel forced in other novels, but here it is earned, as are most of the funny moments, with complex characters and compelling examinations of the ambivalence that sometimes accompanies grief. Some of the gags go on much, much too long, but this Australian best-seller is funny and moving, even for readers who aren't worried about the future of their perfect skin. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan (June 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330481207
• ISBN-13: 978-0330481205
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Talking is Good, March 6, 2003

By 

Andrew K. Quan (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Perfect Skin: A Novel (Hardcover)

Two of my favourite literary characters are Louis Ironson - from Angels from America - who polemicizes, intellectualizes, pontificates and basically just talks and talks - and Mo, from the very funny comic strip "Dykes to Watch Out For" who basically does the same. In the face of fear, pain or jealousy, they talk against the world, and yeah, it's blathering, but I find it charming. Probably because I do the same, which is maybe a reason why I'm a writer.

The main character in Perfect Skin does an awful lot of talking which biases me towards both liking him and liking the book.

Another reason why I like the book: I like books that are about people and relationships, that don't necessarily need big events to drive the story. Perfect Skin is a page-turner because you want to know what happens to the characters. It's about how we live our daily lives, how we relate to each other, and how we reach out to people.

A lot seems to be made about the humour in this book - and it's true, it's very very funny and enjoyable because of it - but perhaps it works all the better because of what lies underneath - weighty gusts of loss and hurt, recovery and survival.

I found it affecting and beautiful: a perfect little gem of a book that let me under the skin of some characters I was glad to meet and get to know.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I laughed, I cried, March 12, 2002

By 

T. Morong (Somerville, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Perfect Skin: A Novel (Hardcover)

Where else could you find a story about a recently widowed father who pees on his date's cat?

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing change of pace, March 21, 2002

By 

Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Perfect Skin: A Novel (Hardcover)

I am a self-proclaimed British Chick books lover and when I saw this one in the library, I was intrigued by the cover jacket ~~ it looks like something I would read and the fact that it was written by an Aussie and a male at that, I just had to pick it up. It's wonderful! It's cute and pardon the pun ~~ it's adorable. (I don't think the author would like that term applied to his book!)

Jon, a single dad and doctor, is attempting to go back into the world after his wife's death in childbirth and what ensues is a series of misfortunate and hilarious accidents. (I have to say that Nick Earls sure knows his cats! I am almost tempted to ask him if my cat was the basis of Flag, the cat hero in this book!) Anyhow, one day he was just dad to Lily and a dermatologist in a busy practice then the next day, he's juggling between two women. Katie is the woman trapped in the 80s with the 80s hairdo that Jon and his office mates secretly joke about. Ash is the jogging partner that makes his mind go around in circles. Jon is left juggling his feelings for Ash while trying to let Katie down gently. That is where Flagg comes in. Flagg decides that he likes Jon ~~ and Jon seems to be extremely clumsy where the cat is concerned. (My husband laughed and laughed over choice parts of the book.)

I really can't go into too much details about this book because if I do, I will ruin it for the next person to read this review. All I can say is buy this book and see for yourself. Earls writes with humor and grace about a single dad slowly feeling his way back into the world after his wife's death. He also writes with feeling about Jon's coming to grips with his wife's death and becoming a father. Jon may be bewildered and confused at times, but what father wouldn't be? And it is just one of the best short reads I've read this year.

If Earls has more books out in the States, I'll be sure to pick them up. He is a talent to watch out for.

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