Fortunately, the headline’s not a typo. It’s a snippet of dialogue from the first pages of A Fraction of the Whole, Steve Toltz’s sprawling, hilarious debut novel from Speigel & Grau, that sent me into a string of audible laughter. The book has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, as announced early last week, which comes as no surprise. This book had the “big splash” feel from the get-go, its combination of wit and ambition making it perfect for literary awards like the Booker. Read an excerpt here on The Guardian’s website.