Scan barcode
ultimatekate's review
4.0
I really enjoyed "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time," so I was excited to read Mark Haddon's latest book. It took me a little while to get into, but once that happened, I couldn't put it down.
One of my favorite parts of this book is that it was told from multiple points of view, which, if done well, is always interesting. Another aspect I appreciated ("liked" isn't exactly the right word) is that the main character reminded me of my dad: in his 50s, recently retired, etc. The book made me scared for my dad, but I thought it was a really good portrayal of what a man like that is going through. (For those of you who have read the book: I think my dad's a lot better than George.)
One of my favorite parts of this book is that it was told from multiple points of view, which, if done well, is always interesting. Another aspect I appreciated ("liked" isn't exactly the right word) is that the main character reminded me of my dad: in his 50s, recently retired, etc. The book made me scared for my dad, but I thought it was a really good portrayal of what a man like that is going through. (For those of you who have read the book: I think my dad's a lot better than George.)
lugl's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
abbywebb's review
3.0
I'm not sure what the connection is yet, but I seem to be reading books lately about severely dysfunctional families. Is it maybe so that I don't feel that my family is quite so dysfunctional? Still figuring this conundrum out...
And now, to the true review. [a:Mark Haddon|1050|Mark Haddon|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1190997598p2/1050.jpg], the author of the laugh-out-loud novel about a boy on the Autism Spectrum (see [b:The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time|1618|The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time |Mark Haddon|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255690510s/1618.jpg|4259809]), delivers another humorous novel for readers to indulge themselves in. [b:A Spot of Bother|4701|A Spot of Bother|Mark Haddon|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165448360s/4701.jpg|2201178] centers around a British family: dad George, mom Jean, daughter Katie, Katie's fiance Ray, and son Jamie. The story begins when George discovers a mysterious "rash" on his left hip. After the doctor confirms that it is simply eczema, George disregards the diagnosis, and begins to suspect he is dying of cancer. A rather brash conclusion, but that is just George.
The rest of the family is equally dysfunctional from Jean who is cheating on her husband with his former co-worker; Katie and Ray with their on-again off-again engagement; and finally Jamie who is self-centered to the point that he would rather remain in the closet than introduce his partner to his extended family.
[b:A Spot of Bother|4701|A Spot of Bother|Mark Haddon|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165448360s/4701.jpg|2201178] offers a spot of laughs, but honestly I almost put it down with no intention of ever returning to it. Although glad I had the patience to finish it, it was a far cry from his previous novel.
Oh and side note: that whole hip scene in the bathroom completely grossed me out! I will never be able to pick up a pair of scissors again without remembering the details of that scene...
And now, to the true review. [a:Mark Haddon|1050|Mark Haddon|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1190997598p2/1050.jpg], the author of the laugh-out-loud novel about a boy on the Autism Spectrum (see [b:The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time|1618|The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time |Mark Haddon|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255690510s/1618.jpg|4259809]), delivers another humorous novel for readers to indulge themselves in. [b:A Spot of Bother|4701|A Spot of Bother|Mark Haddon|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165448360s/4701.jpg|2201178] centers around a British family: dad George, mom Jean, daughter Katie, Katie's fiance Ray, and son Jamie. The story begins when George discovers a mysterious "rash" on his left hip. After the doctor confirms that it is simply eczema, George disregards the diagnosis, and begins to suspect he is dying of cancer. A rather brash conclusion, but that is just George.
The rest of the family is equally dysfunctional from Jean who is cheating on her husband with his former co-worker; Katie and Ray with their on-again off-again engagement; and finally Jamie who is self-centered to the point that he would rather remain in the closet than introduce his partner to his extended family.
[b:A Spot of Bother|4701|A Spot of Bother|Mark Haddon|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165448360s/4701.jpg|2201178] offers a spot of laughs, but honestly I almost put it down with no intention of ever returning to it. Although glad I had the patience to finish it, it was a far cry from his previous novel.
Oh and side note: that whole hip scene in the bathroom completely grossed me out! I will never be able to pick up a pair of scissors again without remembering the details of that scene...
deanna_rigney's review
3.0
Dysfunctional British family goes through upheaval and realizations in this amusing and witty book. It starts a bit slow and dry, but it does get better. It wraps up a little too nice and neatly, but is pretty good overall. Haddon hasn’t wowed me yet, but much like Nick Hornby, I really like his wit and voice.
chelseaviolet's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I read this because I liked his other work but it felt like a worse version of The Curious Incident. The characters simply didn't ring true and were hard to relate to. I wanted to like this, I really did. I didn’t hate it, but after 500 pages about some fairly awful people and a very meh ending, I wouldn’t recommend it either.
kkonda's review
3.0
Very different from "A Curious Incident..." I suppose to let Haddon flex his writerly skills, but personally I thought a few of the characters fell flat. George, the father of the family, goes crazy but Haddon neither makes it relatable, like his autistic character in the aforesaid book, nor highly entertaining. However, I loved the characters of the grown children. It was very plot-driven and while not hard to put down, I definitely read more than I intended to before bedtime. A decent read, not so great that if you're pressed for time I'd recommend, but a solid time-filler for bookworms.
ilegnealle's review
3.0
3,5 stars, I think?
At first, this book made me sad, and not in a good way. But over time, some of the characters really grew on me and I actually found it funny eventually. There were some kind of uncomfortable moments, but in general, I found myself really wanting to finish this book. I do think that it's kind of too long, though.
At first, this book made me sad, and not in a good way. But over time, some of the characters really grew on me and I actually found it funny eventually. There were some kind of uncomfortable moments, but in general, I found myself really wanting to finish this book. I do think that it's kind of too long, though.