Up on Cloud Nine

Did Stuart Terence Oliver (Stolly) jump from a top-floor window (for whatever reason) or did he merely fall from one? He now lies retaining consciousness in hospital, watched over by his best friend, Alan, who takes the opportunity to review their young lives and the circumstances which have led to their closeness. Described by himself as a 'fantasist', Stolly has a reputation as liar extraordinaire, and while many of the escapades which have earned him that reputation make for highly entertaining reading they are ultimately of less significance than what they have to say about Stolly himself and the real world of parents, school and friends in which he has to survive. This superbly original novel offers numerous telling and thoughtful insights into the kind of young male sensitivity where the promise of self-fulfilment and the threat of self-destruction are never far apart. Highly recommended.