How offensive was this piece of writing! I can hardly bring myself to call it a 'novel'. Overuse of foul language was unnecessary and detracted from the story. The author started with such great promise - a theme that is close to everyone's moral fibre but he dropped it and ran. If he was writing from experience, then I feel sorry for him that his family & friends present such a sorry collection from society. This piece of writing was not a true reflection of Australian society and does not do Australians justice. However, his empathy for older people is obvious and this was the only part of the "book" that was an enjoyable read. If his purpose was too shock and offend (after making money, of course) then he succeeded. But if he was hoping to create a "classic" then let's hope he gets a real job! If we could get a refund, we would ask for it!