What’s it about?
William Walker just got married to Isabel, who he loves and adores. Married life is perfect, couldn’t be better. And then the honeymoon ends. Isabel’s best friend, Alex, starts interfering. William’s ex-lover, Saskia, starts interfering. Their mad next door neighbour, Primrose, starts interfering. Everyone wants a piece of their marriage. William quickly realises that marriage is a lot harder than he first thought, and that the first year itch isn’t necessarily just an old wives tale.
What’s right with it?
The story is told from William’s perspective in the form of a year long diary, which makes it incredibly easy to read in one sitting. There are cute little illustrations at the start of a new month and insightful quotes, which give you a taste of what each particular chapter will entail. It’s incredibly witty and very funny in places, and it covers everything you think it might from sex, to babies, to crazy friends. Considering this is Rudd’s debut novel, it’s very impressive and definitely makes way for plenty of spin-offs.
What’s wrong with it?
Some of the characters are a bit far fetched and could only be found in a stupid romantic comedy – if they were toned down a bit then you could relate to them more. The same can be said for some of the various predicaments William gets himself into – they would never happen in real life and towards the end of the book it begins to read like a ridiculous slapstick comedy routine. William’s wife, Isabel, isn’t given enough page time for you to really warm to her which is unfortunate considering that she plays a pivotal role. When the book was first published it was considered the “male Bridget Jones” which, quite frankly, it isn’t and never will be. Sorry gentlemen, but your woes just aren’t as funny as ours! Maybe males would read it differently…?
Verdict
Although it was very short and didn’t take long to read, it was good to read between longer books. It’s not meant to be a work of genius and it’s not out there to win awards – it is what it is. But don’t expect to be blown away or feel enlightened by the end of it. Read it, have fun, and then move on to something else.
Rating
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Next time I’ll be reviewing Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan.
What’s it about?
Set in Stalinist Russia during the 1950s, this book is a fast paced thriller with more twists and turns than my grandma’s perm. It follows Leo, a member of the Soviet secret police (or the MGB), as he tries to find the man responsible for murdering innocent children. In the Soviet Union crime, especially murders, isn’t meant to exist – why should it when everybody is equal, and the state provides for everyone? So when Leo tries to tell people that there is a murderer on the lose he is soon denounced as a traitor, and goes on the run with his wife, Raisa. Slowly he uncovers more clues as to who the murderer is and why they could possibly be doing such awful things, but there are plenty of people who want to stop him in his tracks. Will he uncover the murderer? Will he convince people that there is a murderer amongst them? And will he finally realise that the state he lives in isn’t very equal at all?
What’s right with it?
This book is excellent from start to finish – you instantly warm to the characters, and there is enough back story to keep you involved throughout. It’s reads very well, and the chapters are short enough to allow you to read several in one sitting – although I will warn you that most of them end on cliffhangers so you will want to read more and more.
I must admit that the idea of reading a book solely based in Russia put me off – I’ve tried to read several Soviet-based books before and I’ve never been able to relate. This one is different – you don’t need to be an expert in the Stalinist field to understand it, and you can relate to the characters regardless of where they come from.
The author recalls watching an episode of 24 before writing it, and said that this is where he got his inspiration from and you can tell. It’s fast paced but not so much that you can’t follow the plot, and it slows down just enough so you can catch up. You’re also given enough information about each character so you can develop feelings for them, whether they be feelings of anger or warmth.
What’s wrong with it?
A couple of chapters are uncomfortable to read, and although they are over fairly quickly they still play on your mind a little. One chapter describes, in fairly graphic detail, how a cat is murdered. And another, which I found the most disturbing to read, describes how a child is killed. I still don’t know if this was entirely necessary in the grand scheme of things because up until that point only the bodies had been described and that was enough for you to get the idea. Whether you needed to know how a child was actually caught and brutally murdered remains to be seen. I could have done without it but perhaps it was just a way for the author to allow the reader to get emotionally involved.
Verdict
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I tend to read in bed, and I looked forward to hitting the pit each night just so I could read another couple of chapters – I know I must be reading something good, when I want to read it at every possible moment. I loved the character of Leo, and can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel to find out what he’s been up to since. However, if you’re looking for a light hearted read, I’d suggest you save this one for another time.
Rating
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