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ladydewinter's review against another edition
4.0
Mark Haddon paints a very realistic picture of an ordinarily dysfunctional family here. It was almost a bit unnerving to read - the family really is like every other, and like every other family they're facing some problem or other. It's the ordinariness that affected me most, the realization that really everybody, or almost everybody, is facing smaller and bigger problems in their life, and while some can be solved, in the end nobody's perfect.
Erm. In any case, this was a great read, and while there were some gross bits, it's really worth reading.
Erm. In any case, this was a great read, and while there were some gross bits, it's really worth reading.
doctoraction's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars may be slightly over the top but this book of family minutae and anxiety delivered *exactly* what I wanted from it. The balance of dread and dark humour was expertly held. I guess I should read his famous one now.
luke1972's review against another edition
4.0
Whilst you could roughly see where the story was heading for most of the book it was engaging & well written. I enjoyed it.
mattybuk's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-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
3.25
alandel55's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
wordsbetweenlines's review against another edition
I’ve tried twice and just cannot get into it. Not the book for me.
edenali's review against another edition
3.0
Not quite as quirkily interesting as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, but definitely a good read, with the benefit of making my quarter-life crisis seem remarkably small.
emmalawn's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book seems part soap opera, part gentle sit-com and above all - very very British. With mundane scenarios and emotionally stunted family members struggling to communicate with one another properly, all wrapped around George's health anxiety that he may have cancer, though this is more about his need for attention or something interesting to happen in his life.
Overall this book is quite mundane but there are moments to make you smile and little glimmers of hope amongst the quiet judgement, narcissistic tendencies, selfish behaviour and repressed emotions of this dysfunctional family.