Welcome to South London, to one of the nicest streets in one of London's vilest boroughs, a determined middle-class oasis of skips and bay trees, where Volvos sniff each others' bumpers and men called Giles live with women called Samantha. This is a satellite-dish-free zone of tall houses, standing shoulder to shoulder with big front doors, five floors apiece. Come inside, shut the door and smell the coffee: you could almost be in Kensington. This is where the actors, writers and media types live, where small children wearing smart uniforms and shoes in the shape of lightbulbs get ferried every day to schools that are not local. Some people are luckier than others; fortune smiles on some and gobs on the rest. Jo Metcalf (no. 95) smokes and spies on the smug Cunninghams down the street as they play their bile-inducing game of happy families. Why is the grass greener on the other side of the fence? But happiness is a fragile thing and hairline cracks in a perfect world can become craters of misery. Each story is full of comic insight and realistic observation of contemporary British life and focuses on the very different lives of a set of characters living in the same street.
Camberwell Beauty
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This comedienne has always been a novelist-in-waiting . . . Eclair's modern cautionary tale has the same bittersweet wit that shapes her stand-up set, but there's nothing remotely funny about its dark conclusion (GUARDIAN)
Irreverant observations are thrown down gauntlet-like as [Éclair] rages on to the next gag. (THE TIMES)
Viciously funny and very well written. (DAILY MAIL)
A novel about relationships, parenthood and class that detonates every middle-class chick-lit cliché. (THE TIMES)
Irreverant observations are thrown down gauntlet-like as [Éclair] rages on to the next gag. (THE TIMES)
Viciously funny and very well written. (DAILY MAIL)
A novel about relationships, parenthood and class that detonates every middle-class chick-lit cliché. (THE TIMES)
Book Description
* Bittersweet mellow comedy of observation from 'the wildest and wickedest comedian in Britain' (Daily Mirror)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By amyandrea
Format:Paperback
This book is brilliantly written, it's engaging and witty and the characters are so well created you feel that you know them personally. I actually felt sad when I read the last page, I was desperate to read the next chapter!! Jenny Eclair is a fantastic writer and I would absolutely recommend this to anyone wanting to escape reality for a while, her next book is equally as addictive and I only wish she'd write more!
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By Scattycat
Format:Paperback
I bought this book when it was originally published but only got round to reading it last week - how I wish I'd read it before!
This is a fantastic read from start to finish. Centered around 2 families, I couldn't wait to turn each page to find out what happened next - it was funny (very - had me laughing out loud!)and so realistic. Yes, the ending was not the happy turned-out-well-in-the-end one I'd have expected but hey,
that's life. I can't wait for Jenny's next book to be published.
My only disappointment - it ended too soon!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By P. Driver
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Very funny ... Very crude (a lot of swearing and very graphic descriptions of sex) .... Very well-written.... And very, very dark.
Karma, just desserts, call it what you will; that's basically the central theme of this excellent book. I have read Jenny Eclair's later novels and they are not as hard-hitting as this; I found the first few chapters a bit shocking, which I think was intentional. Nevertheless, highly recommended - the quality of the writing and structure are superb.
Karma, just desserts, call it what you will; that's basically the central theme of this excellent book. I have read Jenny Eclair's later novels and they are not as hard-hitting as this; I found the first few chapters a bit shocking, which I think was intentional. Nevertheless, highly recommended - the quality of the writing and structure are superb.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well what would you expect from Jenny Eclair ????
This like all of Jenny's other books is a good read, this is the third I have read and all seem to have the same vein running though them. Read more
Published 26 days ago by ChristineC
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fab
I bought this because I saw Jenny Eclair live. Fabulous
A fabulous read as well Jenny has obviously studied life
A fabulous read as well Jenny has obviously studied life
Published 2 months ago by Pat
3.0 out of 5 stars
A bit harsh
I read this because I adored Jenny's latest book Life Death & Vanilla Slices but found this to be fairly harsh and unnecessarily nasty in some places. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Beth
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good.read
I really enjoyed this book which was well written. 2 mothers Anna and jo who are "friends" and their families' entwined lives are the main focus of the story which is at times... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Lindsay
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unsettling at times, but briliant
A strange one this. Not at all what you would expect from a comedienne. The story is fairly dark and involving, but the characters are very well observed and written. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. Karen Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars
CAMBERWELL BEAUTY
This book is laugh out loud funny!! So easy to read - order it today ,read it , enjoy it and above all laugh your head off!!
Published 6 months ago by LOULOU
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dark as Can Be but Funnier than Funny
Jenny has written a hilarious parody of people's lives. She has a knack for revealing the horrible core which people often harbour and which they relentlessly try to hide. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Highly-Strung
2.0 out of 5 stars
Shocking Ending To A Sad Tale
Picked this up as I like Jenny. Started off well and there were a few snort out loud moments at the language and situations. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Nikki Cook
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well worth a read!
Although there are mixed reviews on this book,i thought i would give it a go anyway. I wasnt at all dissappointed, in fact i have gone on and purchased 'Jenny Eclair's - Having a... Read more
Published 13 months ago by sara jordan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
This is a really funny laugh outloud story, but it is also quite dark. Somehow everyone you know is in this book. Brilliant.
Published 22 months ago by Grahame
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