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zofie's review against another edition
Boek is vlot leesbaar en in een stijl dat ik wel graag lees, maar het onderwerp familie(drama) ligt me niet zo. Ik ben tot hoofdstuk 18 geraakt en nu geeft ik het op. Ik word niet in het verhaal meegezogen en met mijn concentratievermogen heb ik dat wel nodig. :)
tulstig's review against another edition
5.0
A convoluted story of family mishaps that had me laughing out loud. Great story, that even has some messages in the occasional passages.
alyssa_kysm's review against another edition
2.0
An easy and enjoyable read, but a bit shallow and annoying.
blissfulthinking's review against another edition
3.0
Some great phrases in this book. Very clever writing.
ljbj's review against another edition
4.0
I finished listening to this book on unabridged audio cd. I love the language, especially, and Haddon seems to have quite a flair for this. However, I did not like this book as much as I liked Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It was good and I wanted to know how it all ended (rather upbeat, which I was happy about), but it wasn't as "unusual", so to speak, as I might have liked.
pinelakechic's review against another edition
4.0
George Hall is sixty-one and has recently started his retirement project of building a studio in his backyard where he plans to devote his time to painting. Meanwhile, his wife of thirty-five years, Jean, started a couple of part-time jobs after being a homemaker for all those years. They both have something to occupy their time, their grown children appear to be settled in their own lives and all seems well. That is until George discovers a malignant lesion on his hip, which is something he is unprepared and unwilling to share with his family. To make matters worse, Katie, their self-centered and stubborn daughter, announces out of nowhere that she is marrying Ray. Yes, he is a good boyfriend and has done a great job helping Katie raise her son from her previous marriage, but as far as George and Jean are concerned, he is just not husband material, at least not for their daughter.
As the drama around Katie’s wedding preparations unfolds, George becomes more and more obsessed with the lesion on his hip. This is a story of a mild-mannered and dignified man’s attempt to lose his mind and go insane politely without bothering those around him.
The talent of Mark Haddon as a storyteller shines through again with this wonderful, and sometimes bittersweet, tale of a family torn apart and coming back together in the midst turmoil. Just as he did in the bestseller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, he has created unforgettable characters: ordinary people being caught in awkward circumstances. At times, it was like watching a train wreck, but Haddon managed to make it hilarious at the same time. If you are ready for some dry, British humor, A Spot of Bother is the book for you.
As the drama around Katie’s wedding preparations unfolds, George becomes more and more obsessed with the lesion on his hip. This is a story of a mild-mannered and dignified man’s attempt to lose his mind and go insane politely without bothering those around him.
The talent of Mark Haddon as a storyteller shines through again with this wonderful, and sometimes bittersweet, tale of a family torn apart and coming back together in the midst turmoil. Just as he did in the bestseller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, he has created unforgettable characters: ordinary people being caught in awkward circumstances. At times, it was like watching a train wreck, but Haddon managed to make it hilarious at the same time. If you are ready for some dry, British humor, A Spot of Bother is the book for you.
kimberly_coles's review against another edition
3.0
A Spot of Bother is a pleasant enough plane or beach read. It captures a family and some moments of a variety of crumbling relationships that are realistic in some ways and very British in other ways. However, the brilliance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is not recaptured here.
emmacrawleyy's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Suicidal thoughts
jayro329's review against another edition
4.0
I quite like Mark Haddon's narrative style. His ability to weave tragedy together in perfect balance with wit, humor and tenderness draws you in and keeps you hooked right up to the end. He creates characters who are whole, real and exceedingly human and wraps you up in the tragicomedy and melodrama that is life, as it happens. A spectacular second adult novel from a wonderfully skilled and beautifully articulate craftsman.