1.This novel, by the author of Oscar and Lucinda, tells the story of a man who, recovering from death, is convinced that he is in hell. For the first time in his life, Harry Joy sees the world as it really is, and takes up a notebook to explore and note down the true nature of the Underworld. 2.Peter Carey's astonishing first novel is a fast-moving extravaganza, both funny and gripping, about a man who, recovering from death, is convinced that he is in hell. 'Carey is one of the great story-tellers of our time, the kind who make you take the phone off the hook, forget the television and ignore the doorbell.' Evening Standard