- Hardcover: 357 pages
- Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd; 1st edition edition (17 Mar 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0434002852
- ISBN-13: 978-0434002856
- Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 16 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,168,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Gordon Hammond, 65 and a builder has a heart attack. Whilst recovering in hospital he falls in love with April, a young black nurse, and leaves Dorothy, his wife of 45 years to set up home with her. Dorothy is released like a loose cannon into the lives of her three daughters and chaos ensues.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Many of you probably know alot about Deborah Moggach's style of writing. But this novel is certainly one that stands out amongst her wide range of equally popular works. It includes warmth, passion and humour which all stand-out among the loveable characters and witty one-liners.
Close Relations is based around a close-knit family and the havoc that is caused when a shocking revelation is found. Gordon Hammond has had a heart attack and in hospital, he has fallen in love with his nurse, April. As their steamy affair begins, Gordon must face the consequences. They coming in the shape of a wife - to whom he has been married over fourty years - and three grown-up daughters. As his wife, Dorothy, is soon cast adrift by her husband, she is thrown into the hands of her three very different daughters. Louise - the family girl with a happy marriage and two children, Prudence - the career girl who wants to take a relationship with her married boss further and Maddy - the tomboy and rebel of the three who comes back from working in Africa. As the three sisters lives are turned upside down, they soon find their own personal relations at risk.
It sounds a very simple and ordinary story, but it is really different from any other novel or Moggach's work. It is quite raunchy in some places but very tasteful! There is sex involved but nothing to off-putting. I really enjoyed reading this novel and have enjoyed telling you all about it! Maddy is a very strong character while Prudence is the classic 'middle-child'. Louise is seemingly perfect and Dorothy is likeable. Maddy's relationship with another woman is compelling while Gordon's impact on the family is raucous. But all in all, very enjoyable!!
P.S. Deborah Moggach developed Close Relations into a five-part BBC serial (in 1998). It was hugely enjoyable and I also enjoyed watching and following it too! It starred Keith Barron as Gordon, Sheila Hancock as Dorothy, Alice Krige as Louise, Amanda Redman as Prudence and Kelly Hunter as Maddy (just to give the faces while reading!). Happy reading everybody!!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The book is the story of a family with three daughters, which are all grown up. The book deals in turn with the life of each of the members of the family.
It is very well written, like all books of Deborah Moggach. I didn't give it 5 stars, because the book tends sometimes to be a little fractional, that is, there is a little passage about this person, then a little passage about another, all mixed. Therefore it is sometimes more like a newspaper read than a novel. But always interesting and one never looses the thread.
What I like specially is the end. At the beginning we have a conventional familiy with three children. But the girls don't become conventional families of their own, but try out different and new ways of living together.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I found this book at a festival, (book crossing) I don't usually read much fiction especially not novels but I decided to break a habit and give it a go. This author has written 13 previous novels so must be doing something right.
The story follows the lives of a family; mother, father and three adult daughters and their various lovers and children. Though the style is light and straight forward making it readable, the characters were quite wooden, I thought this was deliberate at first but with each new arrival the caricatures never really filled out. The main characters have a lot of space, do a lot of things but remain pretty shallow.
The sisters' relationships are main theme of the book, a lot of getting together and splitting up, it all seemed unreal, much like a soap opera. Prudence the middle sister, who works in publishing seemed to be the closest to the authors own experience, her life was the most believable and her surroundings the most authentic.
This book is set in late 90's London and I was irritated by the constant name dropping of places and brands, yes I know London very well, but not because of this book. There seemed also to be a lot of errors with the details adding to the problem of believing in this story.
I read the whole book but found the last third a bit of a trudge and a bit predictable. After investing the time in the first two thirds I wanted to complete the book rather than caring what happened to the characters. There also was the possibility that the author might turn the tables and do something interesting, but no.
Crucially the spirit of those times was not captured, what a missed opportunity.
The story follows the lives of a family; mother, father and three adult daughters and their various lovers and children. Though the style is light and straight forward making it readable, the characters were quite wooden, I thought this was deliberate at first but with each new arrival the caricatures never really filled out. The main characters have a lot of space, do a lot of things but remain pretty shallow.
The sisters' relationships are main theme of the book, a lot of getting together and splitting up, it all seemed unreal, much like a soap opera. Prudence the middle sister, who works in publishing seemed to be the closest to the authors own experience, her life was the most believable and her surroundings the most authentic.
This book is set in late 90's London and I was irritated by the constant name dropping of places and brands, yes I know London very well, but not because of this book. There seemed also to be a lot of errors with the details adding to the problem of believing in this story.
I read the whole book but found the last third a bit of a trudge and a bit predictable. After investing the time in the first two thirds I wanted to complete the book rather than caring what happened to the characters. There also was the possibility that the author might turn the tables and do something interesting, but no.
Crucially the spirit of those times was not captured, what a missed opportunity.
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