David Bowie’s fateful influence on girls

Paul is a rather unusual member of a rather unusual family – a funny, affectionate, and delightfully dysfunctional household consisting of himself and two eccentric mothers, the biological one of whom absolutely detests heterosexuals. Paul has never met his father. However, his highly liberal upbringing means he has no trouble dropping out of school at sixteen to earn a living as a bar pianist. He moves in a world of homosexuals, transsexuals, and other marginalised groups, yet despite his androgynous appearance, he is exclusively attracted to women – which paradoxically causes him problems in the environment he inhabits. On the other hand, mainstream society refuses to accept him as he is because of his looks and background. Every day, Paul undergoes a life initiation – and readers walk with him step by step through a school of love, friendship, desire, death, and suffering. Despite everything, Paul remains an incorrigible optimist, just like Michel in the author's most famous novel. < br> < br>