162 used & new from £0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
The Bad Mother's Handbook
 
See larger image
 

The Bad Mother's Handbook (Hardcover)

by Kate Long (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


10 new from £0.67 148 used from £0.01 4 collectible from £3.00

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Swallowing Grandma

Swallowing Grandma

by Kate Long
4.7 out of 5 stars (15)  £5.97
Queen Mum

Queen Mum

by Kate Long
4.5 out of 5 stars (8)  £5.49
Bad Mother's Handbook (Catherine Tate) [DVD] [2006]

Bad Mother's Handbook (Catherine Tate) [DVD] [2006]

DVD ~ Catherine Tate
4.5 out of 5 stars (34)  £4.78
Confessions of a Bad Mother: In the aisle by the chill cabinet no-one can hear you scream

Confessions of a Bad Mother: In the aisle by the chill cabinet no-one can hear you scream

by Stephanie Calman
3.8 out of 5 stars (16)  £4.74
The Daughter Game

The Daughter Game

by Kate Long
4.0 out of 5 stars (4)  £8.58
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Picador (5 Mar 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0330419323
  • ISBN-13: 978-0330419321
  • Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14 x 3.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 629,923 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

India Knight, Sunday Times

'A really cracking read' --This text refers to the Paperback edition.


Guardian

'Extremely enjoyable: funny, perceptive and cleverly told' --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
(3)
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?


 

Customer Reviews

36 Reviews
5 star:
 (24)
4 star:
 (8)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (36 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars At last a book for 'real' women!, 13 Jun 2004
I've waited a long time for a book like this. Kate Long tells it like it is. She understands the lives the 'real' women lead. There are no handsome barristers waiting to make their way into the pages of a woman's diary, no impossibly glossy homes, and designer clothes. These women live in a cramped council house, struggling to get along with each other, and manage their relationships outside the home.

This is a book full of warmth and honesty, some of it painfully so.

Nan, Karen and Charlotte (Charlie), three generations of the same family, live in uneasy and sometimes suffocating circumstances. Karen has to care for Nan, who is not as far off her rocker as Karen believes, and try to control her teenage daughter Charlie, whilst still trying to have a life of her own, which may or may not include a new relationship with the head of the school where she works as a classroom assistant. Told from the perspective of each woman, this book neatly, but without preaching, explains how misunderstandings happen within families, and how, at times, we can all feel the victim. As the mother of a teenager and having been one myself, I could relate to both Karen and Charlotte in equal measure (and if I'm honest, Nan's elderly dottiness strikes a bit close to home too!)

I hope that this is the first of many books by Kate Long.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A truly fantastic book, 18 Mar 2006
By A Customer
I bought this book in the airport when I was going on holiday, I'd forgotten to bring any and couldn't face a 5 hour flight with nothing to do. I skimmed the shelves of the book shop and decided to go with The Bad Mother's Handbook because I liked the cover. They say you should never judge a book by it's cover - how wrong where they?!

It's an amazing story that manages to portray so many of life's most terrible moments yet makes them enjoyable and funny. The story follows three ladies - Charlotte (who is pregnant at 17), her mother (who is outraged that her daughter should follow the same path that she did at 17), and Nan (whose incoherent ramblings actually make more sense than anyone would give her credit).

You follow the story of all three characters at the same time, each one trying to come to terms with their own private issues that tears them all apart, yet at the same time brings them closer together.

It was a few months ago when I went on holiday and read this, and I think I may have left the book on the beach. This is what brought me to this page - it was so good I'm buying it again!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I Couldn't Put It Down!, 7 Mar 2004
By Mel "Melinda" (Shropshire) - See all my reviews
I laughed and cried my way through this book.

Three generations of women living under the same roof. It's full of northern charm and honesty. Long writes with warmth and wisdom, her words flow naturally from the page. She has a unique style and this book is an original.

I read it over a couple of days - couldn't put it down. Nan, Karen and Charlotte are now etched in my memory, I lived in that house with them. Their pain was raw and yet this story is written with such humour - an extremely funny book.

The Bad Mother's Handbook is a must read for all ages.

I don't think this is the last we've heard of Kate Long!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book to read
I really enjoyed this book, its a sweet story dealing with realistic issues - teenage pregnancy, adoption etc. I really enjoyed the film and then decided to read the book. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Harryy

4.0 out of 5 stars a family we can all relate to !!!
this story about three generations of woman living together ( NAN, KAREN AND CHARLOTTE) is so true to life in this book you almost think they are your neigbours........ Read more
Published 21 months ago by magic

5.0 out of 5 stars So True to life
It made me feel a whole lot better about my own experiences. Well done Kate
Published 21 months ago by Russian Doll

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most amazing books I have ever read!!
This is a great book from start to finish!! It is funny, it is entertaining and it is such a well written story about three stong women based not too far from where I live... Read more
Published on by M. C. Batson

5.0 out of 5 stars bad mothers, great novel
I'm no fan of chicklit, and thought this book would just see me through a "proper" book-less couple of days. ButI ate my pompous words- I loved it. Read more
Published on 10 Jan 2007 by cowpatch

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't keep passing it over forever
The last time I counted I had sixteen books in a pile on my chest of drawers to get through. This was one of them. Read more
Published on 11 Aug 2006 by any

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic
i really enjoyed this book and found it very funny. i am 20 and have no children but still enjoyed this book and wanted to keep reading to find out what happened. Read more
Published on 18 April 2006 by S. Halford

4.0 out of 5 stars A Really pleasant read.
Someone recommended this book to me and someone else told me it was not that good. So I was interested to see what I would think. Read more
Published on 7 April 2006 by N. Williams

4.0 out of 5 stars Swallowing a handbook about bad grandmas ...
I'm going to review both of Kate Long's Novels here ..

Even if you only read two books this year I recommend these two .. Read more

Published on 6 April 2006 by Weremadog

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming book,
This book is the story of three generations of women living in the same house, gran, mother & daughter. It is witty and so true to life it could almost be a true life story. Read more
Published on 4 Feb 2006 by Mrs. T. A. Mayes

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject


Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.