Mark Haddon - A Spot of Bother

Review by Babs Simpson on show 1st October 2009
Follow up to his bestselling 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time', which I haven't yet read.
This is an extremely interesting and satisfaying novel, full of very dark humour. George has just retired from business and is settling down to a comfortable retirement, building a shed in his garden, reading historical novels, listening to a bit of light jazz. Then his daughter, Katie, announces that she is getting married to Ray, a man who isn't quite what George and his wife Jean want for their daughter. Mind you, Katies first husband fitted the bill exactly and that marriage had ended in disaster although leaving them with a delightful grandson, Jacob, who Ray obviously loves. Katies brother Jamie, is gay, which is another thing that George and his wife find quite hard to cope with. And speaking of his wife, Jean is actually having a secret affair with a former work colleague of George's.
Things are lurching along quite peacefully, however, until one fateful day when George is buying a new suit for a funral and notices a lesion on his hip, immediately becoming convinced that it is cancer and begins quietly to go mad.
Although the subject matte of the story is serious, the clever writing, extremely well drawn and believable characters, each with a definite and identifiable personality, makes the reading of the novel quite compulsive. George's descent into insanity is beautifully written, wry and extremely witty. I found myself laughing out loud at the awful predicaments he gets himself into, at the same time feeling immense sympathy for his suffering which is all of his own making.
After and on-off stage, Katie finally decides to marry Ray and ignores her parents objections. Jamie who has been unable to make any commitment and driven his partner away, realises he has made a huge mistake and does something about it, again leaving his parents to make the best of it. Gorge discovers Valium as well as a psychiatrist whom he trusts and Jean finally decides that her lover is not for her, so there is a happy ending but not before Katie's wedding day turns into the biggest and funniest disaster of all.
As I said, I haven't read 'The Curious Case of the Dog...' but I'll certainly make a point of it now. Mark Haddon is a very clever author. His understanding of the human condition is absolutely brilliant and he writes with a lightness that is exhilarating to read.
So that's it - A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon. I can thoroughly recommend it.