Man and Wife (Hardcover)

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

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 More praise for Man and Boy: 'Parsons has written a sharp, witty and wise book straight from his heart. His characters are all nitty-gritty, bounce-off-the-page, real people; his dialogue is brilliant' Daily Mail 'A touching novel... full of quiet tenderness, and written from the heart' Independent More praise for One for my Baby: 'Parsons pays eloquent testimony to the dignity, courage and humour of the old and dying, and the way small acts of kindness can give birth to saving grace. He makes the reader care.' Independent on Sunday

The prolific Tony Parsons hit bestseller status with Man and Boy and this novel very much deserves to go the same way. Although it's billed as a sequel to that million-selling global success, it could just as easily be read and enjoyed on its own. Harry Silver is a man - it would be hard to see him as a hero as he's so weak and human - who's on his second marriage and hoping desperately that this will be the one, the real chance we all deserve for a bit of happiness in life. Yet even early on all is not well, and rueful cracks appear in the veneer of his new 'blended' family. As his second wife's career takes off, he's increasingly bored with his own media job, and one of his few remaining rays of light - the relationship he enjoys with his son, Pat - is soon to change irreparably. The subject matter is scarcely groundbreaking - the shifting, broken relationships and career and family problems so prevalent in modern life, the usual stuff that provides fodder for the countless workmanlike efforts which make up the bulk of this already overcrowded market. But Parsons's latest novel shouldn't be tarred with the same brush, as it effortlessly soars high above the majority of these, blending in themes such as truth and human weakness and the important things in life, whether the significance of music or the fit of a wedding ring. Some truly excellent writing sparkles throughout, from the tragic desperation of yet another Sunday afternoon at McDonalds with all the other 'weekend families', to the scenes where Harry and his mother share the spotlight. Some of these really are heartbreakingly brilliant, and mark this consummate piece of story-telling out as an essential read. (Kirkus UK)

Sequel to the English bestseller Man and Boy (2001) continues the saga of Harry Silver's woes as a confused husband, sentimental son, and obsessive father. London television producer Silver's career eggs are all in one basket with cocaine-addicted Irish comedian Eamon Fish's late-night talk show of lame homespun jokes and banter, Fish on Friday. But Harry still prefers his job to the quagmire of family. "It is easier to feel like you are some kind of successful human being at work," says our hero. "Whatever you do, don't try feeling like a successful human being at home." Poor Harry is not much past thirty yet already conflicted and suspicious in his second marriage to lovely Cyd of the never-ending legs and the burgeoning catering business. In addition, he has a bitter, remarried ex-wife, a seven-year-old son he adores but sees only on Sundays, and a sophisticated eight-year-old stepdaughter with a penchant for frosted flakes and the Lucy Doll, which comes in various incarnations such as Lucy Doll Ballerina, Lucy Doll Rock and Roll . . . you get the idea. Lucy Doll also has a boyfriend, Ibiza DJ Brucie Doll, and the two of them have a much better relationship than hapless Harry does with any of the females in his life except his beloved mother, recently widowed after a long and happy marriage that her son cannot stop idealizing even as he contemplates infidelity with Kazumi, the woman his ex-wife roomed with in Japan. In short, Harry Silver is a modern male mess, and the burning question is: Can he ever get himself and his life together? More specifically: Can he ever achieve family bliss, which he purports to long for and pine after, while behaving like a self-obsessed dolt in every situation except when it comes to Mum? A lot of whining, a lot of stock characters, some funny bits, and a sappy ending-just possibly a formula for success. (Kirkus Reviews)