Mr. Commitment

Straight from the bestseller lists in the UK comes a novel "full of belly laughs and painfully acute observations" (The Independent on Sunday), an excursion into the world of a modern male that "delivers its punch lines directly to the heart" (Birmingham Evening Mail). Like Helen Fielding's smash success Bridget Jones and Nick Hornby's classic High Fidelity, Mr. Commitment promises to make a big splash this side of the Atlantic as well. Benjamin Duffy is a stand-up comic/temp who, like many men in their late twenties, is forced to face the eternal question: "To commit or not to commit?" After four years of biding her time, Benjamin's girlfriend has proposed, issuing an ultimatum that sets Benjamin's head spinning. He knows that Mel's the one for him, but should he swap his stellar record collection and fridge full of beer for dinner parties and trips to IKEA? Maybe if Benjamin could swap "till death do us part" with "renewable on a four-year basis" he'd be happy, but the choice-as far as Mel sees it-is all or nothing. Now or never. Mel or no Mel. So after a lifetime as Mr. Irresponsible, does Benjamin have what it takes to become Mr. Commitment? From the Hardcover edition.