When a stranger arranges for you to fall in love there are bound to be some strings attached, as Steve discovers in Matt Thorne’s clever, sinister tale.

Steve Ellis is bored with life. His job is dull, he hasn't had a girlfriend in years, and his bedroom ceiling is caving in. Then he meets a man in a pub who asks him about his perfect woman. Of course, Steve thinks this is all a joke and describes his fantasy right down to the very last detail including her name - Cherry. So when Cherry not only appears but fulfils his every desire, Steve is taken aback - but also deliriously happy. But such happiness comes at a price…

Longlisted
The Man Booker Prize 2004
Published by
Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Publication date
Matt Thorne

Matt Thorne

About the Author

Matt Thorne’s longlisting came four years after he founded the 'New Puritans', a group of writers determined to make stylistic and narrative simplicity the foundation of their fiction.
More about Matt Thorne