The Opposite of Success

‘The Opposite of Success is full of the riches of life: joy, hilarity, intelligence, stupidity and bad behaviour. I loved it.’ * Sophie Cunningham *
‘Like a brilliant conversation, The Opposite of Success is witty, honest and full of natural charisma.’ * Jessica Au *
‘A funny and warm novel about motherhood and friendship.’ * James Bennett *
‘Raucously funny and gloriously, painfully real. Think Fleabag as an Australian mum. It’s utterly endearing—I never wanted it to end!’ * Emily Bitto *
‘From motherhood and marital affairs to female friendships and fighting climate change, this book captures the messiness and absurdness of life to illustrate that failing is a necessary part of it. The Opposite of Success sits between the popular ‘sad girl’ books and commercial women’s fiction and has elements of Monica Heisey’s Really Good, Actually, Claire Christian’s It’s Been A Pleasure, Noni Blake and Liane Moriarty’s novels.’ * Books+Publishing *
‘Enjoyable and fun…Perfectly encapsulates the anxieties of modern motherhood…Definitely a page turner.’ * Ramona Magazine *
‘I was on page two of Eleanor Elliott Thomas’s debut novel The Opposite of Success when I laughed out loud for the first time. By page five, I was reading paragraphs aloud to my partner. I found this story about motherhood, love, friendship, and middle-management desperately relatable, and by the end of the first chapter I had a new favourite Australian author…The Opposite of Success is a firecracker of a book that crackles with quick-fire dialogue, gorgeously rendered details, and is liberally peppered throughout with precise and enjoyably unexpected similes.’ * Readings Monthly *
‘An intelligent, funny and warm debut.’ * Herald Sun *
‘An excellent romp, funny, chaotic and acutely observant.’ * Michael Williams *
‘Genuinely hilarious. I highly, highly recommend The Opposite of Success.’ * Katherine Collette, First Time Podcast *
‘A zany comedy with broad appeal…Laugh-out-loud funny.’ * Age *
‘An intensely relatable debut, filled with moments of comedy and charm. Though relatability is by no means a prerequisite of an enjoyable, well-crafted novel, in this case the humour and wit are enhanced by the likelihood that readers will see themselves in Lorrie and/or her best friend, Alex.’ * ArtsHub *
‘If you’re after a funny read, but also something that will strike into the heart, this is a ripper.’ * Brian Nankervis, ABC Melbourne *
‘Laugh-out-loud…Thomas writes with compassion, humour and understanding about coming to terms with middle age, the highs (and lows) of parenting small children, office politics, ambition – and learning to appreciate what you have rather than constantly striving for more.’ * Nicole Abadee, Age *
‘Anyone who has worked in middle management and has asked themselves what they’re doing with their lives should read it.’ * Gourmet Traveller *
‘[A] witty debut…Well worth seeking out if you’re searching for a gift for someone who loves a comedic read—or is grappling with parenting, friendship, middle-management and the meaning of life.’ * West Australian *

Eleanor Elliott Thomas worked for many years as a lawyer before devoting herself to writing full-time. She lives in Melbourne with her partner and two daughters. The Opposite of Success is her first novel.

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