Short & Satisfying Book Club: “Businessmen As Lovers” by Rosemary Tonks

Readers inclined toward brief, impactful literature convene at Bookstore1Sarasota to dissect Rosemary Tonks’s 1968 novel, Businessmen As Lovers (also published as The Bloater). The discussion centers on the book's sharp, satirical depiction of a bohemian woman in swinging London who finds herself fending off the advances of an overbearing, heavily breathing suitor she nicknames "The Bloater." The group examines Tonks's eccentric prose, her cynical take on romance, and the novel's recent critical revival after decades out of print. The meeting provides an analytical forum for unpacking mid-century British social comedies within an hour-long, focused conversation.