- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Abacus; New edition edition (5 Oct 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0349113920
- ISBN-13: 978-0349113920
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.6 x 2.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 211,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Vic is a nearly-famous rock guitarist thinking about shacking up in south London with his foul-mouthed thirty-something girlfriend Tess; Vic's best friend Joe is a geeky, AIDS-researching biochemist who shares a son and a flash yuppie pad with the beautiful and slightly Irish Emma. On the day of Princess Diana's death Vic falls into bed with Em; a few months later Joe sort of does the same with Tess. If that were all there was to this book, it would hardly be worth bothering with: just another Hampstead (or rather, Herne Hill) adultery novel. What raises it up a considerable notch, quite apart from Baddiel's obvious gift for very good jokes, is his less expected gift for deadpan but dryly insightful prose, and his even more unexpected talent for fleshing out character. Every player in this touching, tragic tale: female as well as male, minor as much as major, villainous alongside virtuous, is eminently believable, and harrowingly feasible. Not quite so convincing is the Princess-Diana-death subplot that forms a background to the early chapters. Like the hysteria over the Queen of Hearts itself, the whole thing rather peters out, and provides little more than an excuse for the book's well-chosen title (it's a famous Prince Chuck quote apropos his then fiancée Diana). Taken as a whole, small misgivings aside, this is a fine and impressive novel: funny, sad, warm, dark, tender, wise and bleakly memorable. --Sean Thomas
Amazon.co.uk Review
Vic is a nearly-famous rock guitarist thinking about shacking up in south London with his foul-mouthed thirty-something girlfriend Tess; Vic's best friend Joe is a geeky, AIDS-researching biochemist who shares a son and a flash yuppie pad with the beautiful and slightly Irish Emma. On the day of Princess Diana's death Vic falls into bed with Em; a few months later Joe sort of does the same with Tess. If that were all there was to this book, it would hardly be worth bothering with: just another Hampstead (or rather, Herne Hill) adultery novel. What raises it up a considerable notch, quite apart from Baddiel's obvious gift for very good jokes, is his less expected gift for deadpan but dryly insightful prose, and his even more unexpected talent for fleshing out character. Every player in this touching, tragic tale: female as well as male, minor as much as major, villainous alongside virtuous, is eminently believable, and harrowingly feasible. Not quite so convincing is the Princess-Diana-death subplot that forms a background to the early chapters. Like the hysteria over the Queen of Hearts itself, the whole thing rather peters out, and provides little more than an excuse for the book's well-chosen title (it's a famous Prince Chuck quote apropos his then fiancée Diana). Taken as a whole, small misgivings aside, this is a fine and impressive novel: funny, sad, warm, dark, tender, wise, and bleakly memorable. --Sean Thomas
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dark but brilliant,
By
This review is from: Whatever Love Means (Paperback)
Don't believe the hype saying this is a funny book - it's anything but. I've just read this and thought it was a clever plot and well written - a moral tale? Not a fan of his comedy at all and was very surprised at the standard of the writing - highly recommended.Particularly liked the start as I could not stand the mass hysteria when Diana died!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply astounding,
This review is from: Whatever Love Means (Paperback)
Although a big fan of David since his Mary Whitehouse Expereince days, I had absolutely no idea that he had it in him to write such an incredibly gripping novel. The characters arew well thought out, and the many twists and turns of the plot left me unable to put this book down once I had started! The storey is cleverly planned out, and you become so involved with the characters that the end of each chapter leaves you desperate to know what happens next!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
...a stunning follow up...,
By A Customer
This review is from: Whatever Love Means (Paperback)
THis is a stunning follow up to the equally brilliant Time for Bed. Baddiel has the rare ability to convey male emotion and it is this which brings his well crafted stories alive. Not as much is lifted from his stand-up routine as in the 1st novel but the timing of gags when delivered succeeds in lightening a tacitly poignant book. I can't wait for his next effort
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