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A Spot of Bother [Paperback]

Mark Haddon (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (197 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 7 Jun 2007

At fifty-seven, George is settling down to a comfortable retirement, building a shed in his garden, reading historical novels, listening to a bit of light jazz. Then Katie, his tempestuous daughter, announces that she is getting remarried, to Ray. Her family is not pleased - as her brother Jamie observes, Ray has 'strangler's hands'. Katie can't decide if she loves Ray, or loves the way he cares for her son Jacob, and her mother Jean is a bit put out by the way the wedding planning gets in the way of her affair with one of her husband's former colleagues. And the tidy and pleasant life Jamie has created crumbles when he fails to invite his lover, Tony, to the dreaded nuptials.

Unnoticed in the uproar, George discovers a sinister lesion on his hip, and quietly begins to lose his mind.

Frequently Bought Together

A Spot of Bother + The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time + The Red House
Price For All Three: £15.27

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Product details

  • Paperback: 512 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage; New Ed edition (7 Jun 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0099506920
  • ISBN-13: 978-0099506928
  • Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 3.3 x 19.9 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (197 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 6,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Mark Haddon
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Review

Brilliant...very funny (Sunday Telegraph )

A painful, funny, humane novel: beautifully written, addictively readable and so confident (The Times )

Wry, warm-hearted and entertaining (Charlotte Moore Telegraph )

Unforgettable (Daily Express )

A witty and subtle family drama (Independent on Sunday )

Book Description

A brilliantly funny, bestselling novel by the award-winning author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 39 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Touching and funny. 16 Feb 2007
By Hannah W
Format:Hardcover
The central character of 'A Spot Of Bother' is George Hall, a 57-year-old man from Peterborough, recently retired and a touch overwhelmed by his newly discovered wealth of free time. Other people we meet and follow are George's wife Jean, who is having an affair with one of George's ex-co-workers; their son Jamie, who is having relationship problems of his own; and their daughter Katie who is about to get married to Ray, a man none of the family are sure about and who Katie does not appear to be madly in love with. The book's narrative follows one character at a time, allowing the reader to see events from everyone's point of view.

Plot-wise, the book it pretty simple - Katie and Ray are to get married at George and Jean's home, and everything must be organised - Jamie has to patch things up with his boyfriend, Katie has to decide whether she really wants to get married ... and George catches Jean with her lover, fears he is dying of cancer and thus begins to go mad.

Haddon's genius is to occupy the minds of the different characters in an entirely believable (and readable) manner, from the doubts of Katie's impending marriage to Jamie's love for his partner to the madness of King George, the head of the family. It's a difficult book to put down once begun, and although a light read on some levels nonetheless satisfying - the stand-out sections being those eloquent yet terrifying descriptions of George's descent into madness.
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110 of 116 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars The Curiously Good Second Novel 11 Sep 2007
By Waterbaby
Format:Paperback
Mark Haddon, damn him, has written a second novel which is better than the first. It isn't LIKE the first one, the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, so ignore the reviewers below who seem to think that like a brand name, an author's name should guarantee an identical experience every time. This time Haddon approaches a superficially ordinary family, perhaps like yours or mine, and goes into the little crises and difficulties which make family life so hard to bear. Dad may be an alcoholic, may be a hypochondriac, may be going mad.... you make your own decision as you read his narrative of the family going through weddings, arrivals and departures, illnesses and just day to day coping. But the style is distinctively, freshly, hilariously Haddon and very recognisable as the work of the same hand.
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent follow-up 26 Oct 2006
By Eleanor Fitzsimons
Format:Hardcover
As one of many readers who admired The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time I was keen to read this book yet aprehensive that it would disappoint. Thankfully it did not and although the book seems initially to be completely different in theme and style both books share the authenticity of their characters, the realism of their domestic setting and the sympathetic yet humorous treatment of a medical condition, in this case depression. George Hall is politely going mad whilst trying not to inconvenience his family. His wife Jean has embarked on a reasonably satisfying affair with his old work colleague David, daughter Katie is about to marry unsuitable husband number two, Ray and they are all trying to deal sensitively with son Jamie who is having commitment issues with his long term boyfriend Tony. All this inevitably comes to a head on the day of the ill-fated wedding. This is a thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking book with George showing quiet heroism whilst coping with a very well mannered bout of mental illness. The plot is a little contrived, perhaps even slapstick at times yet despite this A Spot of Bother is ultimately very funny and confronts real issues and situations with which we can all empathise.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Ignore the negative reviews!
I almost never leave book reviews - generally speaking, the ones on here are either scathing and unhelpful or deeply pretentious. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Miss R. S. Goddard
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting!
I really didn't know what to expect when I read this book. I hadn't read any of Mark Haddon's books before (shocking, I know) but I quite enjoyed it. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Louise
4.0 out of 5 stars Very funny and strangely thought- provoking family comedy of manners
Having missed 'The Curious Incident...' and not really wanting to read it anyway, I was a bit sceptical when I was directed to this. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Peter D
4.0 out of 5 stars Light hearted fun
Very light hearted book but characters well observed. Almost slapstick comedy that was a complete antidote to the previous book we had read which was very gloomy. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Sladden
4.0 out of 5 stars A SPOT OF BOTHER BY MARK HADDON
Saw this when looking to replace another book by the same author.
Have not got round to reading it yet but I know it will be a good read.
Published 2 months ago by Shatel
4.0 out of 5 stars jolly good read
another great mark haddon book,comparable with previously published books by the same author,tackling difficult subjects in a sympathetic readable way
Published 2 months ago by Frerich Frerichs
2.0 out of 5 stars For me it was a bother .
I did not like the characters and found the story predictable and unpleasant .I read the book with my book club which made me read it to the end but I found it hard work. Read more
Published 2 months ago by A Fearfield
5.0 out of 5 stars so funny laughed out loud on train
I read this book quite a while ago now and having enjoyed his previous book i thought id give this a go. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Swiss
3.0 out of 5 stars A spot
An amusing account of one man trying to cope with all the problems that can occur in a family and family reacting to him
Published 3 months ago by Madelaine Kerr
5.0 out of 5 stars a great read!
I was so impressed by the laid back style of writing that I am keen to read the authors other books. Read more
Published 3 months ago by pati
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