The Extra Man - Softcover

'Not since Harold and Maude has there been such a lovable odd couple as Louis Ives and Henry Harrison. In Henry Harrison, Jonathan Ames has created a truly memorable character' -- Jeffrey Eugenides author of The Virgin Suicides

'A Jeeves-like tale of high jinks and high living in Manhattan' -- The Times

'By updating the moral education of a young gentleman, Ames has written a Bildungsroman for the end of our century' -- Washington Post

'Ames has the one thing Fitzgerald lacked: a sense of humor...The Extra Man wins us over with its sheer energy and good will, its confidence in the ability of its own humor and intelligence to widen our ideas about the possibilities of love, and about the permissible range of inner and outer lives to which today's young gentleman may properly aspire' --New York Observer

'Has all the hallmarks Ames' fervent band of followers cherish - it's funny, intelligent and elegantly written, full of eccentric charm' -- Big Issue

'A miracle....This novel is not to be missed... A sort of Odd Couple for the next millenium' -- Booklist (starred review)

'The Louis and Henry show is honest, funny, and original, making the meaning of "human" deep and strange in the best way' -- The Village Voice

'Ames makes it clear that his protagonist's sexual tentativeness and anxiety are really just flimsy covers for his passion and warmth. That's what makes The Extra Man work so well' --New York Times

'Jonathan Ames has always been one of my favorite contemporary writers... This is one of the most charming and alarming books of recent years' -- Rick Moody author of Purple America

'A sure-footed exploration of sexual confusion and a loopily elegant, surprisingly moving urban comedy of manners' -- New York Times'I couldn't stop laughing' --Vincent's Bookcase (blog)

Meet Louis Ives : well-groomed, romantic, and as captivating as an F. Scott Fitzgerald hero. Only this hero has a penchant for ladies' clothes, and he's just lost his teaching job after an unfortunate incident involving a colleague's brassiere. Meet Henry Harrison : former actor, brilliant but failed playwright, and a well-seasoned escort for New York City's women of means. What can this ageless Don Quixote of the Upper East Side have to offer a young gentleman such as Louis ? What, indeed... The Extra Man is a story of friendship and frustration, of cocktails and cross-dressing, a hilarious tale for our times from America's most versatile wit.