Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Rec. #27: A Spot of Bother


What: A Spot of Bother is Mark Haddon's follow-up novel to the hugely successful The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Haddon broadens his scope to examine the inner workings of an entire family. We meet: George, having a very polite mental breakdown; Jean, who is quite enjoying her affair, thank you; Katie, who is getting remarried; Ray, the fiance whom nobody likes; and Jamie, who neglects to invite his boyfriend to the wedding. The result is quietly and consistently hilarious.

Representative quote: "The secret of contentment, George felt, lay in ignoring many things completely."

Bonus representative quote: "How did Ray do it? One moment he was dominating a room the way a lorry would. Next minute he was down a hole and asking you for help. Why couldn't he suffer in a way they could all enjoy from a safe distance?"

You might not like it if: These people are quiet and British, and that annoys you.

How to get it: Pretty easy to find, and --- bonus! --- most editions have excellent cover art. Also, the French made a film (Une Petite Zone de Turbulences) based on the book, so you can give that a try.
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2 comments:

  1. Mrs. SerillaFebruary 13, 2011 at 3:34 PM

    Took your rec on this one. I'm on disc 7 of 10 in the audiobook. I spent all of Thursday morning's commute with my face pinched in an "eww gross" expression. I'm guessing you can figure out which part of the novel I was listening to.

    Kinda reminds me of The Corrections for several reasons, but especially because I'm enjoying it despite the fact that I actively dislike all of the characters.

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  2. KRCampbellArtFebruary 16, 2011 at 2:36 PM

    Okay, just finished Curious Incident...now on to Spot of Bother. So glad I read about this author here! Many thanks.

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