Littéraires - Sex and the Death of Chivalry - Pete Brown

Sex and the Death of Chivalry: Tale of an ageing Philanderer Trying to Live on the Straight & Narrow Hooks Readers from the Outset

Pete Brown’s Sex and the Death of Chivalry is delighting readers with its contemporary story of  Harrison; a man on the edge, whose life is 24/7 chaos. With his life pretty much at rock bottom, and realising that he needs to get a serious handle on things before they spiral any further out of control, it’s down to Joe, his oldest friend to help him climb back to the top. With the help of a few of his friends, can he undo all the carnage is his wake and more importantly, will he come out unscathed?

Sex and the Death of Chivalry is one of those novels that wows from the outset.

Funny, poignant and page-turning, the author’s decision to narrate his tale in the present tense delivers a sense of permanent suspense as readers find themselves immersed in the trials and tribulations of the main protagonist, Harrison.  

Showcasing a ubiquitously chaotic life (which is occasionally interjected with glimpses of normality), Pete Brown’s easy flowing writing style instantly finds favour with readers, as does his confident and contemporary literary prose.

Leaving readers wanting more, this novel seals this debut author’s reputation as a novelist to look out for.

Synopsis:

Our photo wore a heel through my eye, my flat had taken a turn for the apocalyptic, and the laminate floor she had so carefully picked out was a minefield of glass. Yet, somehow, it would all still be downhill from that moment. The moment I woke up and realised Lilly had left me. If I’d known then what I know now, as they say… well…Even at the best of times, it takes a special kind of chaos for me to function. I know that. Nearing forty, I should have learned by now; finding success at work, I should have been happy; but I hadn’t and I wasn’t. Keeping afloat in this city is easier said than done, but with Joe, my oldest friend, it feels like I have a chance. With a new girl, I might just have a hope. Still, there’s always me, Harrison, getting in my way. Along with a few beers and the fallout from a pair of angry exes. I try to stay optimistic, but Lilly might just have been right. Maybe this city is the death of ambition. Maybe it’s the death of maturity. And maybe it’s the death of chivalry too.

Garnering a host of five-star reviews, Amazon readers say:

“It is absolutely phenomenal, engaging, addictive & refreshing. The characters are great, it’s accessible and deeply thought-provoking all at once. It deserves to be hugely successful. I only wish I could read it for the first time, all over again. I’m sure I’ll return to it in the future.” - Troy

“The book starts off strong with an event that gets you hooked, and plays with you throughout the book while you are eager to find out what happened. Harrison the lead character doesn't want a particularly stressful life but trouble continues to find him in any situation. Just when things start going right, they couldn't go more wrong.” - Carl

“I found this great debut novel to be a very poignant and well-paced snippet of someone's troubled existence. In this case, the main character seems to be struggling with an addiction to toxic romantic relationships-which bring him nothing but drama.

The story was made compelling by the fact is it always told in the present tense, which creates a persistent air of suspense and slight feeling of dread at various points. It kept me wondering whether he was going to learn anything from past mistakes and gain an awareness of the rut he is stuck in.

The fact that the main character is narrating the action also gave me a feeling that he might be a slightly unreliable narrator. It therefore felt like there was perhaps a darker edge to the going on, and perhaps that there was more to his current broken relationship than he was letting on to the reader. This meant there were moments that are slightly under-explained which adds to the mystery of not just what's happening externally, but also with his internal world.” – Tim Craik-Hyde

“Loved it, well written and a great twist, funny in places and well thought out characters, fantastic story line. Great.” – Cherene Leech

Published by IAS Publishing, Sex and the Death of Chivalry (ISBN No: 978-1913717193) is available in paperback (£12.99) and Kindle format (£4.99 or free with app) on Amazon at https://bit.ly/3NXfC6z and https://bit.ly/44wOh0F

About the author:

Pete grew up in the small town of Bournemouth, Dorset and has spent the last 8 years living just outside the city of London, where he works as an IT professional.

Not too geeky though, however. Pete’s always been a huge fan of reading and writing and is a huge fan of live music. During quarantine, he has spent his time well, studying to improve his work life and most notably, published his debut novel.

Sex and the Death of Chivalry, is a tale of life, and love. While trying to stay on the straight and narrow, many obstacles befall the main protagonist, Harrison.

Everything, is absolutely perfect, but will it remain that way?

Editeur : IAS Publishing 

Nombre de pages : 168 pages

Prix : £12.99