I bought this book because the title references one of my favourite songs, and then it sat on my "to read" shelf for a very long time for the self-same reason. The Go-Betweens reference, I felt, might not auger well. This could be a cringingly twee, poorly-composed, Australian indie music name dropping embarrassment. The fact that I had noticed that another of the author's novels is titled Perfect Skin, presumably with reference to the Lloyd Cole and the Commotions song, did not reassure me. It was only at the encouragement of my mate Celia, whose reading tastes are strikingly similar to my own, that I decided it was time to give Nick Earls a go.

And I'm so glad that I did! This is just my cup of tea and was a great antidote to Hannah Kent's Burial Rites which, while also excellent in entirely different ways, is nothing if not grim.

The only warning I would give is that you have to have a pretty dry sense of humour to appreciate the thread of hilarity that weaves its way through this meandering tale. I have noticed quite a few readers saying "Was that supposed to be funny?" and while I was personally left in no doubt on that score, bursting into guffaws in public places on a regular basis during the reading process, I can kind of see that it just wouldn't register on some people's humour radar.

Also, I've said "meandering tale", and that needs to be taken as a gentle warning that if you want/need a traditional plot, with the usual beginning, middle, end/boy meets girl, loses girl, gets girl back again type thing... well, perhaps you'd better give this a miss. It's not like that. It's a highly amusing (as I said, if your brain works that way) journey through a period in the life of a 25-year-old medical registrar in late 1980s Brisbane who is really not at all sure what he wants in life.

Personally, I wouldn't have it any other way. And now, if you will excuse me, I'm off to listen to the Go-Betweens non-stop for some hours. ( )

This was very funny. ( )

What is it about lad lit? I usually love it in the beginning, then completely lose interest in the middle third. With this one, I didn't bother finishing it. I just didn't enjoy it. I loved the setting at the start. the insane detailing of a medical world was fascinating and strange. but it just plodded along with nothing happening. and shoot me for a fish, but I didn't think it was funny at all. If he's a genius at comedy like someone claimed, I'll have to tell you that my humour and his are so far incompatible it's right off the scale. It was a nice read. but funny, it was not (unless it picked up after i left them) ( )

It is the year of the Jon. He has found himself suddenly in demand by nurses and he stumbles across what could be an important medical discovery. How will his year pan out? An interesting and amusing book. ( )

A novel about nothing that goes nowhere. Self-indulgent and limp, it's not even funny. ( )