The Plastic Tomato Cutter

A delightful story of love and snooker, of old customs giving way to outrageous youthful behaviour.

Mr Yendall, one of life’s great antiques even as a young man, charts the downward progress of society from his position as deputy-manager of Montague’s outfitters and as the habitual occupant of the corner table at the Draper’s Club.

Of another age, Tim Harding, snooker champion and member of the society of bellringers – despite him being a ‘black Protestant’ ex-Trinity College man of doubtful parentage – is so besotted by the local beauty, Cecelia Sloan, that he can hardly see straight. She insists that they follow a perfectly romantic courtship – traditional almost. Well, almost… until she discovers Tim is her brother.

Michael Curtin’s characters are enormously attractive, their dilemmas are unbelievable and yet strangely real and he brings to this novel of dazzling comic twists and turns an abiding affection for the human condition.

Reviews:

‘Curtin is one of Ireland’s best writers.’

Roddy Doyle

'Good on modern dialogue, clever with ticklish set pieces and screamingly funny about male eccentricities.’

Daily Mail

‘The effect at first of tuning one’s radio into the middle of a garrulous Irish soap opera… Curtin’s is a wit that touches the heart.’

Daily Telegraph

‘Curtin’s books are marvellous achievements, very funny and very, very human. He has also created some of the best barmen in modern literature.’

Roddy Doyle