- FRATIRE
n. A newly popular genre of paperback literautre mixing elements of memoir and fiction, generally featuring college humour, cheap beer and softcore recreational sex. Sometimes called dick lit, it’s chick lit for men.
Source: Wired magazine - August 2006
A new piece of jargon I learnt from Wired magazine, which is quite timely as I had just finished reading Iain Hollingshead’s debut novel Twenty Something, a prefect example of Fratire.
A thirty-something female friend called it ‘lad lit’ (more English, I guess) without even reading through the first few pages, but you certainly don’t have to be a lad to enjoy it. Hollingshead’s satire and wittiness really made me laugh (out loud) throughout the book. His persona, Jack Lancaster’s city experience was equally as messed up as his (very) brief adventure in politics.
It is witty, funny and easy to read. The only criticism I have is the slightly cheesy ending; surely it wasn’t because we believe that good things happen in the New Year, in particualr to someone who had a tough year playing Jerry Maguire in the office, running around naked at a Polo game and ruining the reputation of the Conservative party single-handedly with a rude letter.