The Bloater

Author: Rosemary Tonks

Format: Paperback

The brilliantly original rediscovered classic comedy of manners

With a New Introduction by Stewart Lee

'Should The Bloater be republished? Oh God, absolutely, it's fantastic' — Stewart Lee

Min works at the BBC as an audio engineer, where she is struggling to replicate the sound of a heartbeat. At home, other matters of the heart are making a mockery of life as Min knows it.

Min has found herself the object of her lodger's affection. An internationally renowned opera singer she's nicknamed 'The Bloater', Min is disgusted and attracted to him in equal measure. But with a husband so invisible that she accidentally turns the lights off on him even when he's still in the room, Min can't quite bring herself to silence The Bloater's overtures.

Vain, materialistic, yet surprisingly tender, The Bloater is a sparklingly ironic comedy of manners for all flirtatious gossips who love to hate and hate to love.

Praise for the Bloater

'A wonderfully unromantic romantic comedy' — Daily Telegraph

'Uncommonly good' — Guardian

'It is the perfect aperitif, makes you feel warm and careless and much, much happier' — The Times

About the Author

Rosemary Tonks (1928-2014) was a colourful figure in the London literary scene during the 1960s. She published two poetry collections, Notes on Cafés and Bedrooms and Iliad of Broken Sentences, and six novels, from Opium Fogs to The Halt During the Chase. Tonks wrote for the Observer, The Times, New York Review of Books, Listener, New Statesman and Encounter, and presented poetry programmes for the BBC.

For custom orders and quotes: shop@schoolspace.co.za

© 2026 Schoolspace. This product description is the exclusive intellectual property of the publisher, protected under copyright law. Unauthorized use, adaption, or copying is strictly prohibited.