Catherine Alliott is brilliant about writing comedies about rather stupid women and also brilliant at writing stories that really make you feel for the characters. But I’ve read three of her books now and all her characters seem fairly similar. The stupid heroine is in love with one man but then she meets another man who’s really horrible to her, then she starts having feelings for him instead. Actually, it’s the plot of pretty much any Mills & Boon although Alliott’s writing is a million times better than most Mills & Boon writers. So it is possible to read a number of books with exactly the same plot without getting fed up with it. But with this book, I found myself wishing for a bit of variation.
It’s not as though Alliott can’t do character. In this book especially, she has some great secondary characters. Annie, the central character, and her fiancé David might lack originality but David has a wonderfully mad and vague but terrifying and formidable aunt called Gertrude. Annie’s older sister Claire is always busy, bossy and competitive, just the sort of person I’d usually find really annoying but Alliott gives her a surprising vulnerability. The publisher who is interested in Annie’s book doesn’t appear in person but he’s a great character too. Then there are various friends and neighbours who are fascinating and amusing and Alliott takes the story off on endless twists and turns. And even when you know just where the story is going, she often throws in a surprise.
I also liked Annie’s ex-husband Adam. He does have a bit of a maturity problem (not to mention a fidelity problem) and you can’t blame Annie at all for leaving him - you actually kind of wonder why she didn’t do it sooner. But I did kind of feel he had some good qualities and I really wanted him to learn from his mistakes and end up happy, although maybe not with Annie. He was the first character in the book I really cared for and wanted to know more about. Some of the other major characters at that point seemed like lost causes and Adam didn’t… although I think Annie would argue with that.
Other characters however don’t quite work. Annie’s daughter Flora is a strange mixture of a stroppy teenager, a very young child and an adult. In some ways, this is completely realistic as everyone has different sides to their personality and there are times when you feel young and times when you feel old (not that I’ve ever felt old). But the different parts of Flora don’t quite form a coherent whole.
Annie, David, and Matt (Annie’s Other Man) don’t quite work for me either. The problem is that Annie is a bit unhinged. There’s nothing wrong with being a bit unhinged but I found it slightly worrying that she was getting married. She hardly seems to know David, she has little or no interest in the wedding (although she has somehow managed to convince herself she can’t wait) and seems to have no idea what she’s getting into. I felt as though I was older than her (she’s in her thirties so she’s much older than me) and that freaked me out a bit. I’m not used to going around feeling older than people. It always worries me to find someone, even in a book, who is considered a capable and responsible adult (unlike me) yet is obviously in need of someone to take care of them, be it temporarily or permanently. I really wanted to find Annie, look after her a bit and sort her head out. (Annie is probably now feeling very glad she doesn’t exist.)
This book also includes something I really hate to find in books. No, I don’t mean vomit although there is some and it wasn’t very nice but it could have been worse. What I also really hate is when one (or more) of the characters in the book is a writer and you have to read their work. Alliott makes us read some of Annie’s book. It is so cringe-makingly awful, it should probably be quite funny but the fact a publisher is interested in the book kind of spoils the effect. And there’s definitely a bit too much of it. But it is very cleverly done and there is a reason why Alliott makes you read it so I suppose she gets away with it.
David seemed like a perfectly lovely man but I didn’t really know what he was doing hanging around with this madwoman, let alone planning to marry her. He’s a doctor so I thought he must be setting himself up as her carer or something. Alliott does address this so she gets away with that too but it’s a good thing the book isn’t any longer. Towards the end of the book, you understand why Alliott has done certain things that just don’t make sense at first but until I found out why, I found these parts of the book very annoying.
As for Matt, he seems a little bit creepy. I can’t blame him for sneaking into Annie’s holiday home in the middle of the night, he did honestly think it was his holiday home. But shouting at Annie, getting her name wrong on purpose in insulting ways and trying to force her and her teenage daughter to leave the house immediately and go to an expensive hotel seems a bit much. Annie forgives him (she’s way too nice, she lets people walk all over her) but I still haven’t.
Alliott writes so well though, it was impossible not to become emotionally involved in the story, even though it took me a while and I might have given up on it if a) I didn’t have a blog or b) I didn’t know from experience that Alliott is such an emotionally involving writer. I wasn’t happy at all with the ending, it actually seemed completely wrong, if not dangerous and I really think Annie is in serious trouble. But if you ignore the last couple of chapters, the book would have a really exciting and interesting ending. The way Annie gets to know the characters in ways she hasn’t been able to before, the way she finds out about and comes face to face with their innermost secrets, the way she really does seem to learn from the experience and grow up a bit, made this book a (mostly) really moving and satisfying read.
Showing posts with label Catherine Alliott. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catherine Alliott. Show all posts
Monday, 18 October 2010
Sunday, 15 March 2009
A Married Man (Catherine Alliott)****
I’ve been out with married men. It’s definitely something to be avoided in theory but marriage just isn’t something men tend to mention on the first date. By the time they do mention it, I’m usually fed up with them anyway, so it’s a good reason for getting rid of them (and a much kinder one than ‘you’re boring me to death and I’d rather die than sleep with you’). But what if you actually like the married guy? Giving up someone you like isn’t the easiest thing in the world. Carole Matthews, in Let’s Meet on Platform 8, didn’t quite manage to keep my sympathies with all corners of her love triangle. Catherine Alliott has the same trouble. But it’s not every book that can alternate effectively between hysterical humour and devastating tragedy. A Married Man somehow manages it.
The ‘affair’ begins as a quite worrying case of stalking, but it’s easy to see how it started out. Lucy (yes another Lucy) is still grieving the loss of her husband Ned after four years, and really wants to move on - unfortunately there’s a very prevalent attitude in the world that you can’t be happy unless you’re in a relationship. This view is not only completely wrong, it’s potentially very damaging both for people who aren’t in relationships and for people who would rather be treated disgustingly by a boy/girlfriend than be single. But people get sucked into it all the same.
So perhaps it’s not very surprising when Lucy starts to feel a bit desperate, and develops a crush on a guy called Charlie whom she sees at the shops. But within a few pages, it’s become very worrying: she’s following him into shops; asking people about him under the pretence of being a friend of his; even accepting her dreaded mother-in-law Rose’s offer to go and live with her because she doesn’t live far from Charlie.
The comedy lapses a bit at that point. Lucy’s infatuation isn’t funny at all. It’s almost a relief when it turns out Charlie likes her too – at least that means he’s less likely to take out a restraining order. But another problem with the book is that I don’t know what Lucy sees in Charlie. He’s a bit creepy. So are lots of the men in this book. Out of all of them, I wanted Lucy to end up with Ned’s womanising cousin Jack as he seems by far the least dodgy (apart from the lovely gay couple, Theo and Ray, but you couldn’t split them up!).
The women, by contrast, are extremely well-characterised. Rose is terrifying, even in comparison with other mother-in-laws. Then there’s Charlie’s daughter Ellen, who might just grow up to be just like Rose; Lucy’s wonderful friends, Teresa, Jess and Rozanna (the latter one of the most remarkable creations in chick lit fiction – ‘tart with a heart’ doesn’t cover it) and her scarily competent new friend Mimsy. Poor Lucy goes from one scrape to another, and the more clichéd the situations are, the funnier Alliott somehow manages to make them.
Yet the book has a very serious side as well. It deals with bereavement for a start, not to mention obsessive behaviour. After the frivolity of much of the book, these sections are very powerful and moving. Alliott switches from one to the other with great effectiveness – actually, ‘switch’ is the wrong word because the changes are far more subtle than that. Just when you were rolling on the floor with laughter – BAM. And it works every time.
A Married Man might be frothy in places, but it’s a much more cleverly constructed book than it seems. It’s a book to make you think – not something you’d usually say about chick lit at all – and well worth a read, even if Catherine Alliott isn’t usually your kind of thing. I loved Alliott’s A Crowded Marriage, but whilst the two books have their similarities, this is on a completely different level.
The ‘affair’ begins as a quite worrying case of stalking, but it’s easy to see how it started out. Lucy (yes another Lucy) is still grieving the loss of her husband Ned after four years, and really wants to move on - unfortunately there’s a very prevalent attitude in the world that you can’t be happy unless you’re in a relationship. This view is not only completely wrong, it’s potentially very damaging both for people who aren’t in relationships and for people who would rather be treated disgustingly by a boy/girlfriend than be single. But people get sucked into it all the same.
So perhaps it’s not very surprising when Lucy starts to feel a bit desperate, and develops a crush on a guy called Charlie whom she sees at the shops. But within a few pages, it’s become very worrying: she’s following him into shops; asking people about him under the pretence of being a friend of his; even accepting her dreaded mother-in-law Rose’s offer to go and live with her because she doesn’t live far from Charlie.
The comedy lapses a bit at that point. Lucy’s infatuation isn’t funny at all. It’s almost a relief when it turns out Charlie likes her too – at least that means he’s less likely to take out a restraining order. But another problem with the book is that I don’t know what Lucy sees in Charlie. He’s a bit creepy. So are lots of the men in this book. Out of all of them, I wanted Lucy to end up with Ned’s womanising cousin Jack as he seems by far the least dodgy (apart from the lovely gay couple, Theo and Ray, but you couldn’t split them up!).
The women, by contrast, are extremely well-characterised. Rose is terrifying, even in comparison with other mother-in-laws. Then there’s Charlie’s daughter Ellen, who might just grow up to be just like Rose; Lucy’s wonderful friends, Teresa, Jess and Rozanna (the latter one of the most remarkable creations in chick lit fiction – ‘tart with a heart’ doesn’t cover it) and her scarily competent new friend Mimsy. Poor Lucy goes from one scrape to another, and the more clichéd the situations are, the funnier Alliott somehow manages to make them.
Yet the book has a very serious side as well. It deals with bereavement for a start, not to mention obsessive behaviour. After the frivolity of much of the book, these sections are very powerful and moving. Alliott switches from one to the other with great effectiveness – actually, ‘switch’ is the wrong word because the changes are far more subtle than that. Just when you were rolling on the floor with laughter – BAM. And it works every time.
A Married Man might be frothy in places, but it’s a much more cleverly constructed book than it seems. It’s a book to make you think – not something you’d usually say about chick lit at all – and well worth a read, even if Catherine Alliott isn’t usually your kind of thing. I loved Alliott’s A Crowded Marriage, but whilst the two books have their similarities, this is on a completely different level.
Friday, 11 April 2008
A Crowded Marriage (Catherine Alliott)****
A Crowded Marriage is about another stupid girl. The only thing Imogen does well is getting herself into ridiculous situations, and then ensuring half the neighbourhood gets to hear about it. Anyone can accidentally end up in a bedroom with the guy you thought had only platonic feelings towards you. Probably a lot of people have got into a bit of a panic when apparently faced with the imminent death of someone else’s animal which you were supposed to be looking after.
But have you ever removed your knickers in the middle of a posh party? Okay, maybe some of you have, but I don’t mean for that reason. I mean for a totally innocent reason that makes perfect sense at the time, but looks extremely dodgy when the cute guy you’re not married to shows up.
In some ways, A Crowded Marriage is very similar to Lucy in the Sky and Holly’s Inbox. One difference is that the wanker is called Alex instead of James - which probably explains why I spent the entire book thinking Alex was not the right name for him. The other main difference is that it's a much better book.
Imogen’s fears about Alex’s infidelity probably aren’t as insane as they seem. After all, he has just moved them into a cottage on his beautiful ex-girlfriend’s property. And, not only is she a beautiful ex-girlfriend, she was the reason Alex’s first marriage broke up. But Imogen is so insane and obsessed and neurotic, you can’t help feeling she’s probably not the best judge of, well, anything.
But, to some extent, I didn’t care whether Alex was sleeping with the disgustingly perfect and irritatingly nice Eleanor or not. Alex is a total wanker who is very nasty to Imogen and very impatient with her stupidity, which he surely must have noticed before they got married considering she used to be his secretary. I really wanted her to ditch Alex and find someone better. And there do seem to be cute men all over the place in this novel.
Like Lucy in the Sky, there is the slight problem in that Imogen hasn’t been totally faithful herself. While she does claim to love Alex, there’s no denying that the local vet and her son’s headmaster make her very flustered. There’s nothing wrong with fancying other men when you’re married, but Imogen’s methods of showing friendliness are worryingly easy to misinterpret. I spent a lot of the book cringing for Imogen, and wanting to drag her away before she makes it worse. And I’m usually the person who’s being dragged away.
So why does A Crowded Marriage have four stars? Because it’s funny. You never know what mess Imogen is going to get herself into next, and even when you can see a twist coming a mile of, Catherine Alliott ensures it’s still great fun to read about, and usually throws something extra into the story to surprise you.
Imogen can be a shock till you’ve got used to her, but she’s a lovely and well-intentioned girl whose only fault is that she’s on the dim side even for a chick lit heroine. Give it 3-4 chapters, and she’ll start being adorable. You’ll even forgive her for being a beautiful snob – she’s so delightfully incompetent about it. She makes me feel rational and capable and socially competent. I love her.
But have you ever removed your knickers in the middle of a posh party? Okay, maybe some of you have, but I don’t mean for that reason. I mean for a totally innocent reason that makes perfect sense at the time, but looks extremely dodgy when the cute guy you’re not married to shows up.
In some ways, A Crowded Marriage is very similar to Lucy in the Sky and Holly’s Inbox. One difference is that the wanker is called Alex instead of James - which probably explains why I spent the entire book thinking Alex was not the right name for him. The other main difference is that it's a much better book.
Imogen’s fears about Alex’s infidelity probably aren’t as insane as they seem. After all, he has just moved them into a cottage on his beautiful ex-girlfriend’s property. And, not only is she a beautiful ex-girlfriend, she was the reason Alex’s first marriage broke up. But Imogen is so insane and obsessed and neurotic, you can’t help feeling she’s probably not the best judge of, well, anything.
But, to some extent, I didn’t care whether Alex was sleeping with the disgustingly perfect and irritatingly nice Eleanor or not. Alex is a total wanker who is very nasty to Imogen and very impatient with her stupidity, which he surely must have noticed before they got married considering she used to be his secretary. I really wanted her to ditch Alex and find someone better. And there do seem to be cute men all over the place in this novel.
Like Lucy in the Sky, there is the slight problem in that Imogen hasn’t been totally faithful herself. While she does claim to love Alex, there’s no denying that the local vet and her son’s headmaster make her very flustered. There’s nothing wrong with fancying other men when you’re married, but Imogen’s methods of showing friendliness are worryingly easy to misinterpret. I spent a lot of the book cringing for Imogen, and wanting to drag her away before she makes it worse. And I’m usually the person who’s being dragged away.
So why does A Crowded Marriage have four stars? Because it’s funny. You never know what mess Imogen is going to get herself into next, and even when you can see a twist coming a mile of, Catherine Alliott ensures it’s still great fun to read about, and usually throws something extra into the story to surprise you.
Imogen can be a shock till you’ve got used to her, but she’s a lovely and well-intentioned girl whose only fault is that she’s on the dim side even for a chick lit heroine. Give it 3-4 chapters, and she’ll start being adorable. You’ll even forgive her for being a beautiful snob – she’s so delightfully incompetent about it. She makes me feel rational and capable and socially competent. I love her.
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