{"product_id":"the-butt-9780802129284","title":"The Butt","description":"When Tom Brodzinksi tries to give up smoking, he inadvertently sets off a chain of events that threaten to upset the tenuous balance of peace in a not-too-distant land. When he flips the butt of his final cigarette off the balcony of his vacation apart-ment, it lands on elderly Reggie Lincoln, lounging on the balcony below. Lincoln suf-fers a burn, and the local authorities charge Tom with assault―in a country with draconian anti-smoking laws, a cigarette is a weapon of offense. For reparation, Tom must leave his family behind and wander through the arid center of the country's deserted territory. Joining Tom on his journey is Brian Prentice, a mysteriously sin-ister presence, who has his own sins to make up for. Inevitably, the two men en-counter violence, forcing them to come together despite their seething mistrust. Refusing facile moral certitudes, \u003ci\u003eThe Butt\u003c\/i\u003e is set in a distorted world, a country that is part Australia, part Iraq, and part the heart of a distinctively modern darkness.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWill Self\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of many novels and books of nonfiction, including \u003ci\u003eGreat Apes\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eHow the Dead Live\u003c\/i\u003e, which was shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel of the Year; \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Dave\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eLiver\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eUmbrella\u003c\/i\u003e, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize; \u003ci\u003eShark\u003c\/i\u003e; and \u003ci\u003ePhone\u003c\/i\u003e. He lives in South London.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Grove Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50328356880658,"sku":"9780802129284","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_346a8716-a45a-4f4e-a9bb-dc19901f44ef.jpg?v=1727736911","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-butt-9780802129284","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}