Ladies and Gentlemen

Adam Ross's first work, following his critically acclaimed novel Mr Peanut, is a collection of six short stories: 'Futures', 'The Rest of It', 'The Suicide Room', 'In the Basement', 'When in Rome', 'Middleman' and 'Ladies and Gentleman'. Each story reads like a jewelled vignette of barely-glimpsed lives, drawn with a Phillip Roth-like vision.

Appelow, a quasi-cynical quasi-optimist who expects the extraordinary from life, yet is completely unprepared for the reality he finds himself in; Thane, the professor, whose relationship with the sinister bon vivant Donato causes him to question his own moral foundations; the nameless college student who watches tragedy unfold before his eyes; the complicated and often dark marital relationships depicted in 'In The Basement'; Caleb, who learns the lesson of brotherly love and starting over the hard way; Jacob, child actor and voiceover specialist who isn't sure whether he wants to be Jewish or not; and Sara, who is faced with the choice of reliving the past or carrying on with the present.

Ross's true genius lies in the fact that his secondary characters are as important as his protagonists; each has a distinct voice and each is memorable. The only criticism that can be levelled at Ladies and Gentleman is that it comes to an end.