The Big Happy
by Scott Mebus
Pan, $105
Scott Mebus' The Big Happy may be lad lit, but it will probably be women who read the novel. Little different to chick lit - apart from the protagonist being male and weight gain low on the list of concerns - it replicates the formula that made Bridget Jones a household name and hopelessness a fanciable trait. The Big Happy tracks the life of twenty-something New Yorker David, who's in pursuit of everlasting joy. This, he believes, will come when his first novel sells and there's someone with whom he can enjoy his literary success. That someone might just be the girl he encounters at a wedding. After surrendering to spontaneous lust within seconds of meeting, they step back to allow everyone else to catch up. They do, and at speed. David's best friend, Annie, plans to marry 'Rat Boy' and disappear from his life. Also planning to settle down are his bachelor friends Dustin and Cameron. Mebus offers interesting, manly insights in The Big Happy. But like other genres given the 'lit' designation, you see why it's not deemed literature, spelled out in full.