Reviews

‘Andrew Humphreys has created a group of extremely well-drawn characters. He moves his story along at a cracking pace. Martin Westley Takes a Walk is a satisfying read, but its best asset is its surprisingly generous heart.’
Venero Armanno, The Australian

“Humphreys choreographed this ending with teh finesse that has twice earned him a place as one of The Sydney Morning Herald’s best young Australian novelists. No doubt, this new novel, which is intelligent as well as funny, will cement his reputation.”
Dorothy Johnston, The Sydney Morning Herald

“Humphreys is a young Australian writer with a lovely sense of humour and a great deal of heart. His story about a middle-aged man who gets hit in the head by a kite, loses his memory, and is forced to confront the person he has become is a sweet and funny parable about the way we live. Humphreys is kind with his characters and draws them beautifully. They may behave badly, and the author gets much comic mileage out of this, but there is always empathy and snappy dialogue. Martin's journey, however, is key. Through him, Humphreys explores themes of forgiveness, materialism, charity, patience, and inherent goodness. He also explores the concept of midlife crisis, that time of life when you confront just how far you are from where you thought you would be, what ideals have been lost along the way, what dreams have been broken. This gives the book a sharp undertone, but humour and redemption are on hand to soften the edges, and to show the reader what really matters in life.”
Lucy Clark, The Sunday Mail

“A quirky, modern tale.”
Elli Housden, The Courier-Mail

“This had me hooked from the first page.”
West Australian Weekend Magazine

“This absurd and charming tale is like a breath of fresh air”
Herald Sun

“There’s a genuine pleasure in accompanying Martin on his journey.”
Diane Stubbings, The Canberra Times

“Humphreys has written an engaging, thoughtful book about starting afresh in life and the pitfalls of trying to help others. MARTIN WESTLEY TAKES A WALK produces laughs while also exploring the human condition.”
Patrick Allington, The Advertiser

“In this often amusing, sometimes touching story, it is Greg, the hippie angel, who is the moral compass. An almost mysterious figure who appears and vanishes at key points in Martin’s return to life, Greg has the moral certainty that allows him to see what is right and what is wrong in Martin’s worl. With the fallible but likeable Martin, he makes for a delightful yarn.”
Notebook, Pick of the Month

“A satirical look at families, suburbia, regrets and the possibility of change. Thought-provoking.”
Townsville Bulletin

‘ ... funny, kind-hearted and very easy to read.’
Laurie Steed, AB + P

'The Dignity of Labour' (short story in Griffith REVIEW), Andrew Humphreys' sharp and hilarious depiction of the trials of a dog washer."
Australian Bookseller + Publisher

The characters are flawed but lovable and you truly wish the best for each member of this dysfunctional family.
It reminds me of UP A TREE AT NIGHT WITH A HEDGEHOG and also ‘SPOT OF BOTHER - with the bonus of being set in Sydney.
Janine Nelson

“I finished MWTAW last night and just wanted to say again how much I loved it. The characters were superb. My loyalty kept changing from one to the other – in terms of who I loved the most – because they are all so unique, flawed, innocent, forgiving and funny. I loved Martin’s journey of self discovery and the way he won himself and his family over again. Alex was an absolute classic – I hope that there’s a little bit of her in me somewhere. What a cool woman. But I think I had the biggest soft spot for Greg, the Big Chief. If only we could all have a fake Indian in our lives.
I haven’t had as much fun reading a book in ages. Laughed out loud countless times.”
Lizzie Webster

I finished this last night. I tried to slow the reading pace with the last few chapters because I just didn’t want it to end. There’s so much to admire about all the unique characters but my favourite character would have to be Alex – she reminded me of Liz Beare (Judy Morris) from the Aussie TV sitcom Mother and Son.
Di DiPietro

Praise for THE WEIGHT OF THE SUN

“Beautifully written, poignant and unsettling, and deeply, darkly, shamefully funny.”
John Birmingham

“Mystery abounds, as does an edgy humour: the result is a novel of surprising and satisfying depth.”
The Courier-Mail

“Humphreys has a ringing ear for darkly comic dialogue, dry to the point of wickedness, but the book finally keeps a moral heart.”
The Daily Telegraph

Praise for WONDERFUL

“A serious comic talent, comfortably fulfilling his promise as one of the Sydney Morning Herald's anointed Best Young Australian novelists."
The Age

“It’s like reading Evelyn Waugh’s Black Mischief intercut with his great American satire The Loved One.”
The Age

“As a novel, WONDERFUL clearly lives up to its title. While the plot is secondary to its larger than life characters and thematic considerations, Humphreys’ prose is as elegant as it is vivid, ensuring it remains nothing less than a page turner.”
The West Australian

“There’s comedy, tragedy, glitter and tarnish galore, in this splashy, gorgeous, heartfelt novel by a talented Australian writer.”
Australian Women’s Weekly

“Andrew Humphreys’ WONDERFUL is an assured work of literature, and there is something deeply satisfying about being in the hands of a confident, creative writer.”
The Courier-Mail

“I’ve never read anything quite like this book. It’s unpretentious, funny, unusual, delightfully imaginative and (dare I say it), ‘wonderful’.”
Good Reading

“Humphreys has a gifted ear: his dialogue riffs down the page like a jazz solo, never hitting a wrong note or missing a beat.”
The Bulletin

Reviews for Martin Westley include these highlights:

'If grace consists in the ability to make light of your troubles, even if you can't get a belly laugh out of them, then Martin Westley achieves his own kind of grace, a compound of confusion and goodwill...Humphreys choreographs [his] ending with the finesse that has twice earned him a place as one of the Sydney Morning Herald's best young Australian novelists. No doubt this new novel, which is intelligent as well as funny, will cement his reputation.' - Sydney Morning Herald

'Seriously funny...deceptively simple but surprisingly thoughtful.' - Sunday Tasmanian

'In Martin Westley Takes a Walk, Humphreys displays an impressive faculty for combining perfectly timed comedy with credible emotion. The narrative turns never seem overdone and the novel's many funny scenes are skilfully written so they avoid spilling over into farce. The characters are delightful and lively...for all of the novel's shrewd insight and bang-on cynicism, a playful optimism sets its tone...an uplifting and entertaining work of fiction.' - The Sun-Herald

'This had me hooked from the first page.' - The West Australian

'This warmly humorous depiction of a burned-out man being given a second chance at life is sympathetic, intriguing and strangely motivational. Maybe an old panel van, acting as a standover man and having your foot run over by a teenager's Volvo is the path to redemption after all.' - Readings

'Humphreys is a young Australian writer with a lovely sense of humour and a great deal of heart. His story about a middle-aged man who gets hit in the head by a kite loses his memory and is forced to confront the person he has become is a sweet and funny parable about the way we live.' - Sunday Mail

'An engaging, thoughtful book about starting afresh and about the complications that arise when you try to help people, including yourself.' - Adelaide Advertiser

'This absurd a