A Fraction Of The Whole

Meet the Deans “The fact is; the whole of Australia despises my father more than any other man; just as they adore my uncle more than any other man. I might as well set the story straight about both of them . . .” Heroes or Criminals? Crackpots or Visionaries? Families or Enemies? “. . . Anyway; you know how it is. Every family has a story like this one.” Most of his life; Jasper Dean couldn’t decide whether to pity; hate; love; or murder his certifiably paranoid father; Martin; a man who overanalyzed anything and everything and imparted his self-garnered wisdom to his only son. But now that Martin is dead; Jasper can fully reflect on the crackpot who raised him in intellectual captivity; and what he realizes is that; for all its lunacy; theirs was a grand adventure. As he recollects the events that led to his father’s demise; Jasper recounts a boyhood of outrageous schemes and shocking discoveries—about his infamous outlaw uncle Terry; his mysteriously absent European mother; and Martin’s constant losing battle to make a lasting mark on the world he so disdains. It’s a story that takes them from the Australian bush to the cafes of bohemian Paris; from the Thai jungle to strip clubs; asylums; labyrinths; and criminal lairs; and from the highs of first love to the lows of failed ambition. The result is a rollicking rollercoaster ride from obscurity to infamy; and the moving; memorable story of a father and son whose spiritual symmetry transcends all their many shortcomings. A Fraction of the Whole is an uproarious indictment of the modern world and its mores and the epic debut of the blisteringly funny and talented Steve Toltz.