{"product_id":"2026200006373-secondhand-me-the-old-man","title":"Me The Old Man","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good                          \u003cbr\u003eJacket: Chipped and worn with some minor damage\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good                  \u003cbr\u003eMarkings: No markings\u003cbr\u003eCondition remarks: Tear at back of jacket - still structural. Pages bright, binding tight. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA hauntingly experimental masterwork of Australian fiction, Me the Old Man is a striking exploration of human isolation, societal cruelty, and the fragility of innocence. Based on a chilling real-world incident from 1965, the novel centers on an elderly Belfast immigrant who becomes trapped deep within a Sydney parkland storm drain after a sudden flash flood. Discovered by a group of local children who callously choose to keep him a secret, the old man is left to survive on nothing more than a single biscuit and a trickle of water a day for three grueling weeks. As his body decays in the dark, his mind drifts away from the rats and rising waters, seeking refuge in fragmented memories of his Irish homeland. Authors Bill Reed and Edward Nugent brilliantly construct a fractured narrative voice, intertwining Nugent’s authentic, poignant prose with Reed's unflinching examination of random violence and modern apathy. Bold, psychological, and profoundly moving, this rare vintage piece offers a powerful snapshot of human resilience when pushed to the absolute edge of existence.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48820228096219,"sku":"2026200006373-SECONDHAND","price":15.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/792f5273-4277-4c41-83c1-48cf60ea0745.png?v=1780054743","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200006373-secondhand-me-the-old-man","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}