A Spot of Bother (Vintage) (original 2006; edition 2007)

Middle aged man finds spot on abdomen, is sure it is a fatal tumor. Unreliable narrator takes us through what looks to be a comical family saga, but turns into something nearly tragic. Problem with tone nearly makes the book go off track, but I love the way Mark Haddon writes, with empathy for everyone. ( )

I was expecting something original like [book:The Curious Incident about the Dog in Nighttime] which I devoured, but this one has none of the captivating writing-style. It was rather ordinary in that sense.

Once I got over my initial disappointment, I started to connect with the characters, but by disc 3 of 5 I was ready for the book to end.

The 'spots of bother' just kept happening over and over to the point it was annoying. Yes, it's a comical and perhaps realistic portrayal of a family that appears to be typical but is actually dysfunctional. By the time the wedding happens, the story starts to really drag and I wished it would just wrap up. Of course all the loose ends/problems are amicably resolved in the end and everyone's happy -- also annoying.

This one is worth passing over. ( )

A decent follow-on to the delightful The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Concerns a family dealing with a grown daughter's second wedding while the patriarch battles mental illness, mom has an affair, & brother gets dumped by his lover. Haddon manages the differing points of view of the various family members with aplomb. Engaging story-line with a somewhat unsatisfying ending. ( )

This is a somewhat interesting and relevant read for any generation today. The main character is a father panicking over retirement and his wife's affair to the point of being a complete hypochrondriac, abusing prescription drugs and alcohol, and having serious delusions. All the while, what he's always struggled with is accepting the lives of his children (now grownups), especially his son who is gay. In many ways, this book will probably at some point serve as a document for how far we've come in terms of acceptance and at the same time how far we still have to go. Yet, most of the actual narrative delves into the father's psyche of paranoia over his illness. It's fairly well written but one can't help feeling sorry for the father at the same time as one wishes he could be more loving and accepting.


As a side exploration, this book also explores the ideas behind relationships and why they work or don't work in terms of both the son's relationships with other men and the daughter's relationship with her ex-husband and current fiance.
( )

Occasionally amusing potboiler filled with lame stereotypes that aims for territory somewhere between a Michael Frayn farce and Four Weddings & a Funeral. As I read it I found myself periodically asking the question, why did he bother to write it? ( )