Bullet Points

Description

When you make a living solving other people's problems...It's good to be aware of your own. In the next ten seconds several facts presented themselves to me: That Richard has already formed the same ambition as I had; That, with his academic prowess and a family who did not so much support him as physically heave him into useful niches, he would have a better chance of fulfilling it; That, unless I could defy precedent and probability, I would find myself for ever half a lap behind. Psychologist Peter Kristal has a method for sorting out people's lives. By arranging their histories like the index entries in a biography, the sequences of cause and effect that have led to their particular neuroses are cunningly revealed. His technique gains him a modicum of success: a thriving practice in Chicago with a client list of rising stars. But by concentrating on his rival Richard he is blind to the other factors which put both his life and the lives of others at risk...

Mark Watson was born in Bristol in 1980. A stand-up comedian, he recently gained international attention with the world's first solo 24-hour show, which won three Edinburgh Festival awards and was described by the Scotsman as 'one of the defining moments of fringe comedy, sure to become a cultural legend'. He had previously won the 2002 Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award, and been nominated for the Perrier Best Newcomer Award in 2001 with the show 'Far Too Happy'. He lives in London with his fiance, who accepted his proposal on stage.

"He's a fledgling Nabokov for the era of Big Brother" Independent "Bullet Points is unnervingly accomplished. Expect to hear plenty more about him" Observer "This is an extremely well plotted novel with a surprisingly twist in the tale and augurs great things for the future" The Times "Fresh and imaginative... with wonderful flashes of humour. This is a clever and unusual book, and Watson is to be commended" Independent "Bullet Points is a fluent performance, an extremely competent first novel" Times Literary Supplement