The Book Depository A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon
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Price: £12.18
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Description: A Spot of Bother : Paperback : Vintage Publishing : 9780099506928 : : 07 Jun 2007 : At 57, George Hall is settling down to a retirement. Then Katie, his daughter, announces that she is getting remarried, to Ray. Her brother Jamie observes that Ray has 'strangler's hands'. This book features a portrait of a dignified man trying to go insane politely. It also talks about the people who fall apart and come together as a family. The Book Depository A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon - shop the best deal online on thebookbug.co.uk
Category: Books
Merchant: The Book Depository
Product ID: 9780099506928
MPN: 9780099506928
GTIN: 9780099506928
Author: Julian Williams
Rating: 5
Review: Halfway through - should I carry on? Three stars. High energy intro. References drawn from the rainbow of human emotion and happening. Switching, constantly switching. Never resting. Surely the energy that flows through the first 200 pages cannot be continued. It's kind of perversely invigorating. But I'm restless. Why am I hating this book? Is it because these dysfunctional middle-England go-nowhere moaners are taking over my life? Making it even more depressing? Do I really need to see into the mind of a Daily Mail reader? I'm halfway through. Should I continue? Worst still, I appear to be turning into "disgruntled" from Tunbridge Wells. Positively, I know Mark can write brilliantly, he's shown that skill to great effect pages 1 to 200. Yes, I'll continue. Because I feel uncomfortable - the characters make me feel uncomfortable. I don't hope for their salvation - I'm looking forward to their miserable decline. I hope the second half of the book meets my expectations and that they all die - horribly - and go away. If they don't, I'll be very, very disappointed. Book finished - And I wanted it to carry on! Five stars. Following up from the above halfway-through review I want to give the book, and especially author Mark Haddon an honestly deserved five stars. Yes, I still hate the central characters but don't, any longer, want them to die a horrible death. I just want them to go away, but amusingly they won't. After finishing the book I went on the usual Saturday shopping trip. In amongst the crowds I spotted Georges, Jeans, Jamies and Katies. And I just couldn't help wondering, if not inventing, their marital and mental states. It was great fun, as opposed to the shopping itself which wasn't. Full power to Mark who retained exceptional energy in the book, from start to finish. The energy is in the writing and superb characterisation, not, I hasten to add, in the characters themselves who are largley uncommunicative and therefore pretty much dysfunctional. A sublime contrast. It's a great laugh and a great read which pumps up the volume with a seamlessly fluid, modern, accessible yet intelligent writing style. Apologies for my initial, conservative (middle England?) three stars. Five stars now and nothing less!
Author: Pepperpot
Rating: 1
Review: Item described as ‘very good’ but page edges were heavily yellowed and dirty. I returned it as not as described but with postage costs being deducted from the return amount I was left out of pocket. Not happy and would not buy from here again