Role reversal

I am sure many of you remember back to that time when you had finished your degree at university and were on the brink of entering that scary thing called the BIG WIDE WORLD. You had to say goodbye to that student lifestyle, of only worrying about getting to lectures on time, finishing your assignments, and finding enough work to keep you off the streets. Then all of a sudden it ends, just like that, and now it is time for you to find a REAL job. If this senario relates to you, even better if it has or is happening to you soon - then this new book by Australian author Adam Ford, is just what you need.

Man Bites Dog is for a 20 something audience who can understand exactly what the main character Steven is going through. "Steven has just crossed the imaginary line into the Real World and now he's delivering mail. He goes to the pub, he watches Murder, She Wrote with Gina, he listens to Wayne's performance poetry...he's coasting. Until three unexpected figures flip him headfirst over his handle bars."

Firstly there is Satan, the Doberman from hell, then there is Emma, the comic reading poet, who teaches Steven a thing or two about relationships. Finally there is Mrs Fraser who accuses him of murder and puts his whole postal career at risk. This is a book full of bikes, dogs, friends, humour and to add a bit of originality, comics. Steven and his friends are either writing poetry or comic books, and as Ford is a cartoonist himself, he has included some great little comics to read at the start of each chapter. Yes this is a book for the young crowd and while it is not a challenging read it is thoroughly enjoyable, funny and witty.

Ford writes easily with a great sense of characterisation, allowing each character to jump from the page and become a part of your life. He deals with that big question, what should I do with my life and shows that along the way it is the friends you have, the willingness to experience life and give anything a try and have a good laugh that really is the main focus of the book.

"I never really planned my life. I sort of had it planned for me, but not in any grandiose, manipulative way. A better way to look at it is that I never spent any time actually working out what I was going to do from day to day. It was all kind of laid out for me. Primary school to secondary school, secondary school to university, university to...some kind of job related to my 'field of expertise.' But after three years of wiping drool from my lecture notes, the only thing I could state with confidence was that I would rather strip my skin off with a razor blade and dive into a swimming pool filled with lemon juice than hand in another essay or sit through another three hour exam again. I may have had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but I was dead certain about what I didn't want to do."

Man bites dog is a tale about love, comic detective life and all importantly, getting you act together. It is for all those who are afraid to take that next step out of uni and into the real world. Enjoy and Good luck.

Michele Perry

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