This tells the story of Harry Dwight, resident of a fictional town named Rollingdale, set somewhere in the Australian countryside, but close to a large city.
Harry makes his living by selling water in a time of extended drought, helped by his close friend, Leo the Lump. One of his customers is Mayor Zwoke, prominent local politician and owner of a pie factory. He requires a regular supply of water, but when it is revealed that he is cheating Harry, Harry takes steps to disrupt the mayors garden party by hiring a bunch of porcupines to undercut the lawn where the party is held. The resulting disaster is a huge embarrassment for the mayor who is in quest for higher office.
When he finds out that Dwight caused the mess, he instigates a virtual feud between the two. As the feud develops Harry decides to run for council in order to combat the mayor politically. Much of the book then details the manoeuvrings of the various sides, the campaigns they run and how the mayor humiliates Harry, only finally to be defeated when Harry wins a seat on council.
I am not sure where it could be placed generically. It is certainly not a political thriller. Rather, it depicts slapstick comedy within the development of a series of political themes.
Про автора
Greg Bailey is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Program in
Asian Studies, La Trobe University, Melbourne. He has
published translations and studies of the Ga?esa Pura?a,
Bhart?hari’s Satakatraya and books on the god Brahma, early
Buddhism, contemporary Australia, and many articles on
Sanskrit literature. At present he is working on the relationship
between early Buddhism and the Mahabharata.