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brassduke's review
3.0
I was hoping that the end would involve a cleverer kind of resolution. It was a little too easy to guess.
I also found it a little unclear the order of events at times, which took me away from simply enjoying the book.
I did think it was a fairly easy read and a fairly interesting observation of modern times.
I also found it a little unclear the order of events at times, which took me away from simply enjoying the book.
I did think it was a fairly easy read and a fairly interesting observation of modern times.
firedew's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Comma splices, comma splices, comma splices.
But other than that, this was a funny, wry, and engaging character study about an amnesiac who finds out his life and the people around him aren't what he has been told. Short chapters and a sense of humor make the story fly by. Read now.
*Terms and conditions apply.
But other than that, this was a funny, wry, and engaging character study about an amnesiac who finds out his life and the people around him aren't what he has been told. Short chapters and a sense of humor make the story fly by. Read now.
*Terms and conditions apply.
indigodreamer6's review
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
meredith_summers's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kate_can's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Waking up after a car accident with amnesia, Frank starts to piece together his memories only to recall that he doesn’t like his job, his wife (Alice), his brother (Oscar) or even himself very much. As a business lawyer who specialises in terms and conditions, he reminds us with wry humour that it’s always important to check the fine print in this enjoyable novel celebrating decency and standing up to the man.
The framework (chapters and their content) is written in the style of a legal contract, with plenty of footnotes to convey the difference between what the narrator voices and his private thoughts. For example, the final chapter has a subclause, “The terms and conditions of endings: More often than not, they’re badly disguised beginnings.” The novel is fast-paced, funny and engaging; the exact opposite of contractual terms and conditions.
Frank recalls the beginning of his relationship with Alice. He was a straight-A student at university who loved taking tests because they “made me feel as if I was accomplishing things”, whereas she was a free spirit; daring, compulsive and everything he thought he wasn’t. Frank takes tests that Alice sets for him – sample tests which she puts into a book making him seem like a loser. The book is called Executive X and is a psychometric book about how to hire the right person for the job, by proving who the wrong person for the job is: Frank. “It was in that period of the late nineties, before the crash, when there was money everywhere. A time when no one was sure why it was working or who was responsible – until, that is, management consultants were credited with the world’s runaway success.”
When Frank notices how far he and Lisa have drifted apart and how much she is humiliating him, he believes he may be partially to blame. Guilt has power and is a force that “will hold together the most opposing forces of the universe”, such as him and his wife. When he considers his options, one of them is revenge killing, “But I’m British. So shooting people wasn’t an option. I wouldn’t know where to get a gun if my life depended on it. As for allowing my rage to trigger a crime passionnel, well, let’s be honest, that’s far too hot and European for my cold Anglo blood.”
Frank is depressed and feels lonely, but he does have some people on his side – a wonderful older woman called Molly, his younger brother, Malcolm, who sends cryptic messages from wherever he happens to be, and an old colleague and friend of his father’s, Doug. Fittingly, Frank is saved by the prenuptial agreement his father insisted that he and Alice sign. He isn’t necessarily happy at the end of the novel, but he is vindicated as he is rescued by the terms and conditions that he creates and, over time, ingeniously adds to contracts, knowing that no one reads them but that they are legally binding.
This is a fun and fast-paced novel which doesn’t take itself too seriously, and has a satisfying ending for the likeable characters, and a suitable come-uppance for the others.
halfpotato_halfcheese's review
4.0
A tale of amnesia with a difference, moral of the story; good guys come last. This novel plays out the story of Frank, the T&Cs lawyer who has a car crash and forgets everything. You're introduced to different characters before and after the crash and learn that his new life isn't all it's cracked up to be. Written in an unusual format for a book of fiction, this novel will have you filled with anger one minute and laughing the next. A well written drama, a good easy read.
mazza57's review against another edition
4.0
A very cleverly written book which follows Frank as he tries to recover his memory after a brain injury. Written almost like a contract with many notations that form part of the story, or tell you Frank's inner thoughts. The author uses many descriptive phrases and lots of similie
"desks migrating like tectonic continents"
it goes back to the time pre accident and interweaves it seamlessly with today
"desks migrating like tectonic continents"
it goes back to the time pre accident and interweaves it seamlessly with today
austra_pro's review against another edition
3.0
Pilnīgi neplānoti manā lasāmsarakstā nokļuva stāsts par Frenku, kurš atmostas slimnīcas gultā pēc autoavārijas un, protams, neko neatceras. It kā ļoti nodrāzts motīvs, bet patika autora izvēlētais risinājums - tā kā Frenks ir jurists, kas specializējas līgumu rakstīšanā, tad visu grāmatas nodaļu nosaukumi ir ieturēti Noteikumu un nosacījumu stilā, pievienojot arī daudzas, vēl grūtāk salasāmas zemsvītras piezīmes, jo tāds jau ir mazā fonta mērķis - nogurdināt līguma lasītāju, lai tas vienkārši nospiestu "Piekrītu" un atdotu savu dvēseli nelabajam.
Ar laiku Frenka atmiņa sāk atgriezties, un viņš saprot, ka ir lietas, ko labāk būtu atstājis aizmirstībā. Brīžiem likās, ka stāsts tiek mālēts drusku par daudz melns/balts stilā, jo parasti jau dzīvē viss nav tik viennozīmīgi. Bet varbūt reizēm ir. Daudz pārdomu par dzīves jēgu, to, kā izniekojam sevi, savu laiku, savus sapņus, un to, kā pieaugam un kļūstam sveši viens otram. Citātiņus pārdomām te var izrakstīt, cik uziet. Visumā patika, turklāt ļoti ātri lasījās, kas vienmēr ir pluss.
"You once told me that life's a gift. It's an accurate saying. Accurate in the sense that gifts are usually discarded the moment they're opened."
Ar laiku Frenka atmiņa sāk atgriezties, un viņš saprot, ka ir lietas, ko labāk būtu atstājis aizmirstībā. Brīžiem likās, ka stāsts tiek mālēts drusku par daudz melns/balts stilā, jo parasti jau dzīvē viss nav tik viennozīmīgi. Bet varbūt reizēm ir. Daudz pārdomu par dzīves jēgu, to, kā izniekojam sevi, savu laiku, savus sapņus, un to, kā pieaugam un kļūstam sveši viens otram. Citātiņus pārdomām te var izrakstīt, cik uziet. Visumā patika, turklāt ļoti ātri lasījās, kas vienmēr ir pluss.
"You once told me that life's a gift. It's an accurate saying. Accurate in the sense that gifts are usually discarded the moment they're opened."