160,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ 

Happy Halloween! Join us this weekend for some spooky fun and sweet treats! πŸŽƒ

A Fraction Of The Whole

By Steve Toltz
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.14 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 24,110 ratings, 3,421 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
A Fraction of the Whole, by Steve Toltz, tells the tumultuous story of the eccentric Dean family, focusing on the relationship between father Jasper and his son Martin. The novel navigates their misadventures, philosophical musings, and relentless pursuit of happiness amid life's absurdities. This darkly comedic tale blends wit, wisdom, and unpredictable twists as it explores themes of legacy, identity, and the complexities of familial bonds.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
Save 16% Off
Savings are calculated from our regular price of $25.00 compared to the current price of $21.00.
$2100
Elsewhere:
$2900
On Sale
in Clearout Sale until 2 Nov or while stocks last
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you relish stories featuring quirky, dysfunctional family dynamics, philosophical musings, and dark humour. This novel offers an intriguing mix of memorable characters, wild adventures, and sharp social commentary, wrapped in a narrative that twists with unexpected surprises and profound reflections.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

From the New South Wales bush to bohemian Paris, from sports fields to strip clubs, from the jungles of Thailand to a leaky boat in the Pacific, A Fraction of the Whole follows the Deans on their freewheeling, scathingly funny and finally deepy moving quest to leave their mark on the world.

From his prison cell, Jasper Dean tells the unlikely story of his scheming father Martin, his crazy Uncle Terry and how the three of them upset - mostly unintentionally - an entire continent.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

"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? Relatives or enemies? It's a simple family story.

From the New South Wales bush to bohemian Paris, from sports fields to strip clubs, from the jungles of Thailand to a leaky boat in the Pacific, A Fraction of the Whole follows the Deans on their freewheeling, scathingly funny and finally deeply moving quest to leave their mark on the world.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

A Fraction Of The Whole by Steve Toltz has been praised for its dark humour and thought-provoking narrative. Critics commend Toltz's sharp, witty prose and the complex father-son relationship that drives the story. The novel's blend of philosophy, satire, and absurdity is highlighted as engaging and intellectually stimulating.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780143009528

Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 October 2008

Country: Australia

Imprint: Penguin Random House Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 42.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 578g

Pages: 720

Collections

Best Sellers at Book Hero Fiction General Fiction Gift Finder Gifts for adults Gifts under $100 Gifts under $30 Gifts under $50 In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books Literary Fiction Literary fiction gifts New Release Fiction Penguin Books Steve Toltz The Great Clear Out Sale The Great Clear Out Sale: General Fiction

About the Author

Steve Toltz was born in Sydney. His first novel, A Fraction of the Whole, was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Guardian First Book Award. afractionofthewhole.com.au Facebook http-//stevetoltz.com

Also by Steve Toltz

View all
  • Here Goes Nothing
    The virtuoso new novel from the author of the Booker-shortlisted A Fraction of the Whole. Nobody was ever thinking about me. Now that I'm dead, I dwell on this kind of thing a lot. Angus Mooney is in a dark placeβ€”the afterlife. His days are spent in aching embarrassment; god, religion, the supernaturalβ€”he was wrong about everything. He longs for...
    By Steve Toltz
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • On Sale
    18% off
    Here Goes Nothing
    The virtuoso new novel from the author of the Booker-shortlisted A Fraction of the Whole. 'Nobody was ever thinking about me. Now that I'm dead, I dwell on this kind of thing a lot.' Angus Mooney is in a dark placeβ€”the afterlife. His days are spent in aching embarrassment; God, religion, the supernaturalβ€”he was wrong about everything. He longs for...
    By Steve Toltz
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3700
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Rising of the Lights
    From the Booker-shortlisted author, an audacious comic lament for a world that no longer knows itself. 'Brilliant, hilarious, eccentric and beautiful. A surfacing story unlike anything I've read. I need two copies of this book. One to keep on my shelf, and a sacrificial one so I can cut out paragraphs and frame them.' Tim Minchin 'The cure for loneliness...
    By Steve Toltz
    Paperback
    $3100
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Fraction Of The Whole
    A Fraction Of The Whole
    The hilarious family saga as a beautiful clothbound hardback, part of the Penguin Modern Australian Classics series. From his prison cell, Jasper Dean tells the unlikely story of his scheming father Martin, his crazy Uncle Terry, and how the three of them upsetβ€”mostly unintentionallyβ€”an entire continent. The whole of Australia despises Martin, just as they adore Terry. Jasper might as...
    By Steve Toltz
    Hardback
    $4000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from General Fiction

View all
  • On Sale
    17% off
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Yesteryear
    A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE β€” Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE β€” Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE β€” Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS β€” Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale β€” Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...
    By Caro Claire Burke
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    14% off
    Dylan's Pick Dylan's Pick
    Theo of Golden
    THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...
    By Allen Levi
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    17% off
    The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people β€” but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    By Alison Espach
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    A Court of Splintered Harmony
    Romance, danger, and intrigue await you in the breathtaking sixth book in the #1 bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series.What was broken will be remade.Deep in the heart of the continent, Koschei the Deathless is stirring. Though he's been bound to a mountain lake for millennia, the insidious threat of his return now spreads across the Fae territories,...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Threshing Day
    The next book in the blockbuster Empyrean series, Threshing DayΒ contains thirteen stories starring your favorite characters and their dragons. The deluxe first edition includes sixteen beautiful original full-color illustrations by artist Joe Requeza.Β  Β  Rebecca Yarros is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over twenty novels, including Fourth Wing and In the...
    By Rebecca Yarros
    Hardback
    $6999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses Paperback Box Set (5 books)
    All five of the Court of Thorns and Roses paperbacks packaged together in a gorgeous box set. "Passionate, violent, sexy and daring." β€”USA TODAY on A Court of Thorns and Roses Feyre is a huntress. The skin of a wolf would bring enough gold to feed her sisters for a month. But the life of a magical creature comes at...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Set
    $9999
    Elsewhere:
    $12495
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Assassin’s Apprentice
    Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb marks the beginning of an extraordinary adventure in the rich and immersive world of the Six Duchies. Set against the backdrop of a kingdom teetering on the brink of civil war, this gripping tale introduces readers to FitzChivalry Farseer, a royal bastard whose existence threatens the stability of the crown. When the crown prince's secret...
    By Robin Hobb
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Throne of Glass Box Set (Paperback)
    Enter the realm. Unleash the darkness. Live the legend. Discover the worldwide phenomenon of the #1 New York Times-bestselling Throne of Glass series in this gorgeous 8-book box set! In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Set
    $12400
    Elsewhere:
    $15500
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Chain Reaction
    Jack Reacher, \"the coolest continuing series character\" (Stephen King), returns in a brand new, pulse-pounding read from Lee and Andrew Child. The world’s bestselling hero is back in a brand new, high-octane adventure! β€˜She knew that finding Reacher would not be easy . . .’ Washington DC. General Susan Turner needs help from the only guy she knows will get...
    By Lee Child and Andrew Child
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Shirl's Pick Shirl's Pick
    The Things We Never Say
    Internationally bestselling and prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout's new novel tells the story of a chance incident in a man's lifeβ€”a poignant meditation on loneliness, friendship, and free will in a capsizing world. Artie Dam is a man with a secret. He spends his days teaching history to high schoolers, expanding their young minds, correcting their casual cruelties, and lending a...
    By Elizabeth Strout
    Hardback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin
    The third instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. In A Court of Wings and Ruin, the gripping third book of the ACOTAR series, Feyre Archeron faces the ultimate battle for her world. Having returned to the Spring Court, she is determined to gather...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Mist and Fury
    A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas continues Feyre Archeron's epic journey in the world of the High Fae. Having survived the brutal trials under the Mountain, Feyre returns to the Spring Court. Though she now possesses the immortal powers of the High Fae, the traumatic experiences have left scars on her human heart. Haunted by the...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 160,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

General Fiction lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all