x-book ®

The Man in the Moon

Get in the xigxag app
Already purchased

Click to open directly in the xigxag app.

This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book. Pre-order Buy Now £{{ price }} Send as a gift
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Are all aspiring stand-up comics as tragic as Baby Reindeer? If William is anything to go by, the answer is possibly ‘yes’. Nostalgic, razor-sharp and deliciously peculiar, this is a weird but wonderful comedy of manners by the award-winning author of The Tap Dancer.

William is a lonely young man on the loose in the late 1960s. A disastrous appearance as a stand-up comic in a pub called The Man In the Moon is only the start of his adventures, in which he consorts with theatrical types, frenzied advertising men and accident-prone lodgers.

William’s exploits lead him eventually to the consulting rooms of a Harley Street psychiatrist, where his delusions that he is a comic genius can finally be laid bare.

Andrew Barrow’s second – and so far last – novel, first published in 1996, is a hilariously bittersweet comedy that follows in the footsteps of last year’s sensational reissue of The Tap Dancer, which drew praise from Alan Bennett (‘my favourite novel’), Craig Brown (‘sublime comedy’) and India Knight (‘hilariously funny’).

Critics Review

‘Another splendidly surreal book from Mr Barrow’s pen . . . Beautifully written, with a splendid eye for the inconsequential detail’ Jennifer Paterson, Spectator

‘The Man in the Moon cuts a ripping tear through the elaborations of the current English tragi-comic novel’ Iain Finlayson, Financial Times

‘A splendid straight-faced comedy, not to be missed’ Penelope Fitzgerald, Evening Standard

‘Andrew Barrow’s deadpan wit and extraordinary ear for dialogue turn this short novel into a comic masterpiece’ Selina Hastings, Sunday Telegraph

‘Possibly the most misanthropic novel I’ve read since Gulliver’s Travels’ Lucy Atkins, Guardian

‘The late flowering of Andrew Barrow as a comic genius has been one of the most refreshing events of modern fiction . . . Full of insight into our failure to connect, the book is sad, funny, even haunting’ Hugh Massingberd, Oldie

‘Barrow does not just observe – where the bias is visual – he also successfully captures registers of speech . . . A single word, looking no more than utilitarian, often evokes a whole personality’ Hal Jensen, Times Literary Supplement

‘The Man in the Moon is not only an extraordinary display of what the huge ears and dissecting blade of Mr Barrow can do when they are loosed upon the unconnected babble of those upon whom he eavesdrops, it is also a brilliant, hilarious and highly disturbing testament to what careless talk reveals . . . Imagine The Waste Land written by Harold Pinter’ Alan Coren, Spectator

More from the same

Author

Narrator

About xigxag and the x-book®

Enjoy the best audiobooks on xigxag, an innovative, user-friendly audiobook platform that makes it easy to find, purchase, and enjoy your favorite books in audio format. xigxag’s flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less – affordable prices and the best audiobook deals with no subscription required.  Give the perfect gift with our audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options

 

xigxag’s groundbreaking listen-and-read x-book® technology offers a truly immersive digital book experience.  Our technology combines the audiobook, text, and images into a brilliant integrated format, with exclusive audiobook features and a next-gen digital reading experience built in.  The x-book selection can be easily discovered by looking for the purple x-book ribbon, or filtering by x-book when searching for a book.

 

xigxag’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices ensures a guilt-free listening experience from an exceptional digital book platform – an exciting alternative to big tech.  Enjoy audiobooks from the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, a leader in audiobook innovation. Experience extraordinary customer service from their friendly UK support team.

 

Search effortlessly, read honest audiobook reviews evaluating both the book and the narration, and discover hidden gems.  Download or stream top audiobook titles anytime, anywhere and get the best possible listening experience on the UK’s best independent audiobook app.  Experience the future of audiobooks today.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.