Fifty-fourFrom the authors of the bizarre and extraordinary Q comes this equally bizarre and powerful thriller. Set in the former Yugoslavia in the 1950s, the new novel by the members of the Luther Blissett Project, now calling themselves the Wu Ming Foundation, tells a story of the intrigue, spying and paranoia around the hiring of Cary Grant to play the lead role in a Yugoslav propaganda film. Truly bizarre, truly culty. |
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Common terms and phrases
American Angela Archie asked Azzoni Bao Dai Bar Aurora Bologna Bondurant Bottone Brando breath brother Carlino Cary Grant Chapter cigarette communist comrade Don Luciano door Dubrovnik Ettore everything eyes face Fanti fascist father Fefe Ferruccio film fingers Frances Farmer front Frosinone fuck Gaggia Garibaldi girl give going Grace Kelly hand happened head Iolanda Italian Italy killed knew Kociss L'Unità lire Lisetta Listen looked lorry Lucania McGuffin Melega Montroni Naples never Nicola nodded Odoacre Palmo partisan Piero Piccioni Pierre police replied Rizzi Robespierre Salvatore Lucania Salvatore Pagano shit Šipan Sir Lewis smile someone started stay Steve Cement Stiv stopped talking television tell there's thing thought Tito told Toni took Trieste trying turned Vittorio Capponi voice waiting walked Walterún what's who's words WU MING Yugoslavia Zhulianov Zollo
Popular passages
Page 545 - These are really the thoughts of all men in all ages and lands, they are not original with me...
Page 230 - He lit his first cigarette, a Balkan and Turkish mixture made for him by Morlands of Grosvenor Street...
Page 228 - yes" her, Then I suppose Anything goes. When Rockefeller still can hoard enOugh money to let Max Gordon Produce his shows, Anything goes. The world has gone mad today And good's bad today, And black's white today, And day's night today, And that gent today You gave a cent today Once had several chateaux.
Page 459 - The cannibal king told the prisoners that they could live if they pass a trial. The first step of the trial was to go to the forest and get ten pieces of the same kind of fruit. So all three men went separate ways to gather fruits. The first one came back and said to the king, "I brought ten apples.
Page 459 - You have to shove the fruits up your butt without any expression on your face or you'll be eaten..." The first apple went in... but on the second one he winced out in pain, so he was killed. The second one arrived and showed the king ten berries. When the king explained the trial to him he thought to himself that this should be easy. 1... 2. ..3. ..4.. .5. ..6. ..7. ..8... and on the ninth berry he burst out in laughter and was killed. The first guy and the second guy met in heaven. The first one...
Page 230 - Bentleys with the supercharger by Amherst Villiers, he had bought it almost new in 1933 and had kept it in careful storage through the war.
Page 379 - Life typecasts us. Look at me. Do you think I would have chosen to look like this? I would have preferred to have played a leading man in life. I would have been Gary Grant.
Page 263 - He walked along the waterline on the hard golden sand until he was out of sight of the inn. Then he threw off his pyjama-coat and took a short run and a quick flat dive into the small waves. The beach shelved quickly and he kept underwater as long as he could . . . Gary hears a thump to his right and lowers the book.
Page 230 - It was a battleship-grey convertible coupe', which really did convert, and it was capable of touring at ninety with thirty miles an hour in reserve
Page 522 - ... be here, for then Andre thinks the whole thing could be straightened out at once." "It is too bad," agreed Frank; "but in the present state of things, and the danger on the Atlantic from submarines, I would not want her to take the risk. But what you say delights me, as I am sure it will her, and I can't thank you enough for all the trouble you have taken.