Noughties

Noughties

A Novel

About the Book

Inspired by Martin Amis and Zadie Smith, Ben Masters bursts on the literary scene with his lively and erudite debut novel about a college graduate on the cusp of adulthood.

Eliot Lamb has had countless nights like this before. He's out with his mates, pint in hand, shots at the ready.  They're at the King's Arms and will soon be making their familiar descent: pub, bar, club. But this time it's different.  When the night ends and tomorrow begins, he'll graduate from Oxford and head reluctantly into adulthood.  As he stares into the foam of his first beer, he knows it won’t be easy.  He’ll have to confront his feelings for Ella, an Oxford classmate whose passion for literature matches his own, as well as Lucy, his first love, whose ominous phone calls and text messages are threatening to unravel him. And then there’s the tragic secret he's been hiding all this time, which is about to find its way out and send his night into serious turmoil.
     Ben Masters has written a thoroughly modern coming of age story full of style, heart, and humor. Eliot Lamb—for all his mastery of literary theory, postmodern novels, and classic poetry—is going to be dragged into adult life, whether he likes it or not.
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Praise for Noughties

Praise from the UK for Noughties

“A lively, bittersweet hymn to student days. . . Funny and tender. . . . Noughties is a caustic, street-smart novel for our times.” Financial Times

“[Noughties] is intelligent and entertaining and, like early Martin Amis, it is an attempt to say something honest and even modest under a superficially flashy stylistic surface.” The Sunday Times

“This confident debut will infuriate you, make you laugh, trigger lots of nostalgia and leave you with a knowing smile” Time Out London

“All-singing, all-dancing style, full of flourishes and wordplay.  A genuine comic talent.” Daily Mail

“Masters is expert on the rhythms and textures of the student experience.” The Times Literary Supplement

“A faultless prose style. . . . Moments of brilliance. . . . Noughties triumphs.” Dazed and Confused
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About the Author

Ben Masters
Ben Masters teaches English at the University of Nottingham. His literary journalism has appeared in New York Times, the Times Literary Supplement, and Literary Review. More by Ben Masters
Decorative Carat
Random House Group