- Paperback: 408 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; New edition edition (6 May 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007158750
- ISBN-13: 978-0007158751
- Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 11.1 x 2.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,166,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Man and Wife
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Man and Wife, Tony Parsons' third novel, is the sequel to his bestselling debut Man and Boy. Like its predecessor, it traces the marital and parental misadventures of Harry Silver, a mawkish North London television producer--whose life bares a passing resemblance to Parsons' own.
Harry has remarried. Second wife, Cyd, and her feisty daughter, Peggy; provide him and his Phantom Menace obsessed son, Pat, with a family. Harry’s luck couldn’t be better. His television show, "Fish on Friday", is a hit and Cyd's posh catering company, "Food Glorious Food", is thriving. However, Harry is not the only one starting again. His ex-wife Gina has also remarried. Her partner Richard (who must be the only thirtysomething male on the planet who hates Star Wars) is Pat's "new father". When the couple announce they are moving to America--taking Pat with them--Harry reacts, in time-honoured fashion, by attacking Richard.
Separated from his son by the Atlantic and struggling as Peggy's stepfather, Harry begins to yearn for a good old-fashioned "normal, family life"--the kind his lovely old mum and dear departed dad enjoyed. Rather surprisingly, he decides that Kazumi, an attractive Japanese photographer friend of Gina's, could be the answer to his prayers.
Male frailty and the perils of modern parenting are Parsons forte but this book, although occasionally touching, is overburdened by plot twists, unlikely conceits and whiffs of reactionary sentimentality. Parsons' fans are unlikely to be disappointed but, to indulge in a vaguely pertinent comparison, this follow up is definitely more Attack of the Clones than The Empire Strikes Back.--Travis Elborough --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
Praise for Man and Boy:
‘Wistful, touching and funny, it looks back at the glory days of the family without losing hope for the future. In the end, it is a deeply touching book: a love letter to a son from his father, and to a father from his son’
Mail on Sunday
‘One of the finest books published this year… Hilarious and tear-jerking in turns’ Express
Praise for One For My Baby:
‘One For My Baby… covers almost the entire spectrum of human emotion with the same combination of self-deprecating humour and well-intentioned bafflement that endeared Man and Boy to millions of readers’ Observer
‘One For My Baby is stylish, polished, complex and it really gets its teeth into the big issues of sex, love, family and friendship’ Mirror
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I can't believe I got through this book. It was like a Craig Brown parody of a Tony Parsons book. "Becase that was her. My wife. The woman I loved. Wife. My wife. who loved me." etc. The whole thing is like being cornered by some godawful self-obsessed drunk at a party, mumbling about how he's just an old romantic and if only women understood that he just wants to be loved- meanwhile the women who tried are left abandoned because they're not thrilling enough for Our Hero. To read this, you'd think the author knows nothing about children (did a child in the universe ever speak like the appalling Peggy? Did one ever radiate as much joyful sunlight as His Pat?) and nothing about women. Kazumi is nothing but a puerile male fantasy (ooh, gorgeous Oriental creative with her 'curtain of black hair' and her 'childlike innocence..') Frankly, the whole cynical misogynist rehash of every 'sensitive' lad-lit book ever written made me want to vomit. All over Harry's family. Family. His. Who he loves. Who love him. Good- because nobody else will.
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
What a disappointment. Anyone expecting the sequel to Man and Boy to be anywhere as entertaining and readable will be sorely let down.
‘Man and Wife’ continues the story of Harry and his adorable son, his new wife, ex wife and potential new lovers. Unfortunately, where Man and Boy was genuinely moving, funny and believable, Tony Parsons has turned this into a collection of clichés, unlikely plot twists and sugary emotion ready to turn you diabetic.
There is much in the book that made me laugh aloud – but for all the wrong reasons. I just do not believe people talk like they talk in this book and I just couldn’t believe the coincidences that help the help the formulaic story along.
You can’t help thinking Tony wants to throw a bit of everything into the story. Harry was unfaithful in the first book…that worked well so lets do it again in this one. Dad died of lung cancer…… lets give mum breast cancer and so on. It just doesn’t work second time round.
The signs were there with ‘And One for My Baby’. That wasn’t anywhere near as good as ‘Man and Boy’. This is not much good either. Come on Tony, we expect better of you!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Tony Parsons has been adopting the Chick lit approach of writing novels & passing them off as "blokish" as its from the mouth of a chap. Its just a repackaged Sophie Kinsella/Marion Keynes/Jill Mansell under a guy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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"Bad and Worse" is how i think of "Man and Boy" and "Man and Wife". the former was passable, if simplistic and fairly amateurish. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Biffer Spice
It just could have been better...
Page 162 of.... 297. Half way through Tony Parson's 'Man and Wife' I found myself looking up from the book, looking out of the train window at the scenery rushing past and with a... Read more
Published 8 months ago by JJ
OLD COUPLE
DO AUTHOR,S THINK OF THIER BOOKS AS OBJECTS THAT GIVE EMENSE PLEASURE. TONY PARSONS HAS A HABIT OF BECOMING A FRIEND, ONE LONGS TO MEET. Read more
Published 24 months ago by John Standoloft
depressingly real
Does this writer know about infidelity? if he's guessing then he's very close to the mark. Unfaithful to his first wife and then to his second and his poor first wife is cheated on... Read more
Published on 21 July 2009 by Mrs. Anita Mcskimming
Make this man stop all this drivel
Yes, Parsons knows how to string simple (creative writing course) sentences together - ad nausiam. I truly hate this novel, which is entirely steeped in self pity and self worship-... Read more
Published on 18 Aug 2007 by Billy Ray Cyrus
Well i thought it was pretty good!!
I must admit i haven't read much over the last few years due to having no time with two young children but....i thouroughly enjoyed this book. Read more
Published on 16 Oct 2006 by poncho1queen
Thoroughly Dissapointing
"Man and Boy" has the quirky, delightful charm of a relationship between adorable son and... Read more
Published on 6 Oct 2006 by N. Evans
Less good than "Man and Boy"
Tony Parsons made his name with "Man and Boy" depicting a modern British bloke with feelings and paternal affection. Read more
Published on 13 Feb 2006 by 100wordreviewer
For God's sake - somebody ask him to stop!!!
Another self-indulgent media-lovey dog-egg.
Published on 11 Nov 2005 by Speaker To Animals
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