{"product_id":"the-man-on-the-rock-valancourt-20th-century-classics-9781941147351","title":"The Man on the Rock (Valancourt 20th Century Classics)","description":"'A skilful, confident tale of modern Greece ... brilliantly successful ... There is indeed no fault to find with this book.' - David Williams, \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Mr. King is masterly ... he is exact, moving and funny ... a very enjoyable book.' - Angus Wilson, \u003ci\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Constructed with unobtrusive mastery ... has the quality of readability which can only be achieved by the highest type of professional skill.' - Francis Wyndham, \u003ci\u003eThe Spectator\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Serious, skilful, intelligent.' - \u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Spiro Polymerides is a con artist, petty thief, and parasite who survives only by means of his youthful beauty and natural cunning. Restlessly, he drifts from one victim to another: Irvine Stroh, an American relief worker and repressed homosexual; Helen Bristow, a wealthy, middle-aged widow; and Kiki, the young daughter of a Greek shipping magnate. As he exploits, betrays, and ultimately destroys each of the people who love him, Spiro will come to find that the final victim is himself . . . \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Man on the Rock\u003c\/i\u003e (1957) was the seventh novel by the prolific Francis King (1923-2011), who was hailed by Beryl Bainbridge as 'one of our great writers, of the calibre of Graham Greene and Nabokov'. One of King's most popular and best-reviewed novels, it returns to print in this edition, which features a new introduction by Gregory Woods.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Valancourt Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50365867294994,"sku":"9781941147351","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_5dd8deea-670c-47fc-b57d-a9e156e8704b.jpg?v=1728465545","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-man-on-the-rock-valancourt-20th-century-classics-9781941147351","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}