I read novels/books fairly regularly but it's the first
time I have decided to review one . I didn't choose it for its originality but
it was simply my last read.so here we go .... 'This thirty something life'
'A romantic comedy for anyone who is, has been or is ever
likely to be a grown up. Being a thirtysomething man isn't easy (especially
when you still yearn to be a twentysomething man). Meet Harry Spencer. History
teacher, lover of snack food and terrified of growing
up. However, when his wife Emily drops the P-Bomb, Harry is suddenly thrust
into the role of expectant father. When he's tempted by the greener grass of an
ex-girlfriend past, Harry has to make the most important decision of his life.'
that's how its being billed.
Now why did I read this? There were some funny parts, learned a lot
of British slang, which is kinda cool . But it was generally a waste of time.
Here is the main problem:
Characters aren't fleshed out enough. Here's what we know about the main character, Harry:
He's a History teacher but for vague reasons , he doesn't seem particularly interested in History or educating youth. Basically he's a lousy history teacher who is not interested in anything other than alcohol and sex. A man who wants to live the life of Peter Pan until being forced to grow up. The way he rationalizes irritated me beyond belief. And you don’t really get to know a lot about Emily, his wife even after reading the whole thing --she's fit and wants to be a mom that’s about it. Of course, most of the book involves Harry trying to avoid the temptation of cheating on his wife with an ex (who does not deviate from the sexually-unsatisfied-housewife stereotype).
Characters aren't fleshed out enough. Here's what we know about the main character, Harry:
He's a History teacher but for vague reasons , he doesn't seem particularly interested in History or educating youth. Basically he's a lousy history teacher who is not interested in anything other than alcohol and sex. A man who wants to live the life of Peter Pan until being forced to grow up. The way he rationalizes irritated me beyond belief. And you don’t really get to know a lot about Emily, his wife even after reading the whole thing --she's fit and wants to be a mom that’s about it. Of course, most of the book involves Harry trying to avoid the temptation of cheating on his wife with an ex (who does not deviate from the sexually-unsatisfied-housewife stereotype).
Having said that, Jon Rance does
somehow manage to convince me to turn the page. As it is written in the form of
a diary so it has short, punchy “chapters”. There is a great temptation to
think “I’ll just read one more before I put it down” .Jon Rance has a very
accessible writing style and his sense of humour is apparent through many parts
of the book. So if you manage to fight the temptation to slap the main character
for his utter stupidity/immaturity, you might actually enjoy the read. And it’s
definitely British humour, a bit mad, rather offensive at times but open and
light-hearted in the main.
One thing I appreciate about this
book is being able to have a peek on a guy's head, how they think, reason with
their own self- it's funny how all that goes..
Lastly , it wasn't very original. another chicklit in the book world. But easy to read .Perfect for long train rides.
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