{"product_id":"mr-pollys-bonfire-party-9781035870165","title":"Mr Polly's Bonfire Party","description":"Augustus John Polly is a restless academic, uncomfortable in the colonial environment of 1950s Hong Kong. Prompted by sexual fantasies, he is drawn into a conspiracy that unfolds disastrously. \"Amidst the decline of empire, a restless colonialist in Hong Kong debates the meaning of history. By turns funny and philosophical, this story of one man's whimsy - but also courage - in taking a side challenges our own complacencies with political notions of right and wrong, as well as the inequalities of our own time.\" - Cyril Wong, poet and fictionalist. \"Mr. Polly's world is a rich tapestry. The reader is transported to a world already gone, but not forgotten. It's a cornucopia of themes, impressions, and moods. Like preparing a magical potion in a sorcerer's cauldron, Malcolm Jack's prose effectively uses a number of fascinating ingredients: The blend is sensuous, lascivious, delicious, funny, witty, ironic, intellectual, philosophical, political, historical, and human - a true cornucopia of life.\" - João Mendonça, translator and author. \"Malcolm Jack's latest is a page-turner, a taut political thriller that never loses its momentum. The text has a cinematic quality, the protagonist a quiet Briton who contemplates the end of history and the fragility of empire. Hong Kong is lovingly and nostalgically depicted in glorious Technicolour as a city on the brink of change, at once beguiling and inscrutable.\" - Kennie Ting, historian and curator.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Austin Macauley\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/25\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781035870165\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 158\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.51lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.21h x 6.14w x 0.34d","brand":"Malcolm Jack","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45418921328821,"sku":"9781035870165","price":11.01,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_576c62a0-c775-4272-b4c9-cda0eaaf03fa.jpg?v=1748390325","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/mr-pollys-bonfire-party-9781035870165","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}