'The adventures of adolescence had taught Piet Barol that he was extremely attractive to most women and to many men. He was old enough to be pragmatic about this advantage...' It is 1907. The belle epoque is in full swing. Piet Barol has escaped the drabness of the provinces for the grandest mansion in Amsterdam. As tutor to the son of Europe's wealthiest hotelier, he learns the intimate secrets of this glittering family - and changes it forever. With nothing but his exquisite looks and wit to rely on, he is determined to make a fortune of his own. But in the heady exhilaration of this new world, amid delights and temptations he has only dreamed of, Piet discovers that some of the liaisons he has cultivated are dangerous indeed.
A hugely accomplished novel - the story of Piet Barol, a young, provincial Dutchman and the social and sexual adventures he embarks upon in belle epoque Amsterdam. THE INDEPENDENT 20110610 Richard Mason's new novel - elegant, upholstered and, for all the sex, well-behaved - is part of a trend... for historical novels that seem not only set but written in the past - modern tracings, skilfully done, of old tropes, old forms. -- Adam Lively THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT 20110617 a masterpiece. Like Henry James on Viagra. Not only gripping as hell, but brilliantly arranges that the imagined world of Maarten and Jacobina's household sits entirely within Amsterdam of the belle epoque. I thought Piet was wonderfully drawn - rogueish and yet wholly sympathetic. -- Alex Preston, Author Of This Bleeding City A sharply written story of love, money and erotic intrigue pulsing behind the staid canal fronts of nineteenth century Amsterdam. Mason's hero is amoral but irresistible. I was gripped till the very last page. Thank God there's a sequel -- Daisy Goodwin Mason tells his story with humour, charm, fine attention to detail and a healthy dose of eroticism. INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 20110515
Title: The History of a Pleasure Seeker
Subtitle:
Contributors:
By (author)
Richard Mason
ISBN 13: 9780753828427
ISBN 10: 0753828421
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
Imprint: Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
Publication Date: 12/06/2012
Place of Publication:
London,
United Kingdom
Edition:
BIC Subjects:
Modern fiction
NBS Classification: General & Literary Fiction
Dewey Classification:
823.92
(DC23)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Height: 200mm
Width: 131mm
Thickness: 22mm
Weight: 286g