I came across mil millington when he was writing a guardian column and I loved it then so when I found the book I snapped it up and it was embarassingly funny as I chuckled out loud on the tube - although it's their arguments it's endearing and loving.

I don't know how I found out about this book, except that it was through the wonders of Amazon. I was looking at one book, and it recommended me this one, or something of the sort. And this one looked good, and it was on the cheap, so I bought it.

Anyway, it's a very funny book. The website is just this guy writing down humorous stories about arguments he's had with his girlfriend, but the book is an actual novel with fictionalised versions of them. It reads like your typical wacky Brit comedy.

This was a slow starter and I actually put it down for several months and forgot about it, but once I picked it up again, it picked up as well and I was hooked. In typical wacky comedy fashion, the closer it got to the end, the more horrible things were happening all at once, and I didn't really want to put it down.

As a warning, those who don't like reading/watching people get embarrassed will want to stay away from this book, as that is pretty much The Point of much of the humor.

I do have one complaint, which is that Ursula, the girlfriend, is written in such a way that you (or I, at least) really can't understand what he sees in her at all. Pel is obnoxious sometimes, so some of her complaints you can sympathise with, but most of the time she's just completely bitchily insane.

I also didn't like the ending. I won't go into specifics as I don't want to be spoilery, but basically everything that's happened doesn't get resolved at all. Well, I guess I will go into specifics. The "point" of the ending is that he and Ursula realise all they need is each other, so it's okay if all the crazy stuff about the school comes out and Pel gets blamed for everything. But...yes, lovely point, but...it's not the resolution of the story you've been telling! It's the resolution of one part of it, but it's like those slash stories where once the romance is resolved, the rest of the plot gets forgotten about. Anyway, it was a bit irksome. Still, the whole thing was hilarious and I do recommend it. ( )

Hapless Pel makes his way through many arguments with his girlfriend, promotions (sort of), house-hunting and general chaos. The tone of the book is pretty frothy, so the gradual escalation of arguments is just funny, rather than being yucky.

There are several scenes in this book that were so similar to my own experience that I wondered how Mil Millington got into my head. But he only gets 4 stars for not being able to offer any advice. Just what do you do when you find out where the bodies are buried, as it were?

Note Bene, LC flunkies: Single fathers -- fiction? The book is clearly about Pel and his Girlfriend. i.e. he's NOT SINGLE. ( )

Maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m humourless. Maybe I don’t understand. Maybe I’m too daft to see the joke. Maybe this book sucks!

I’ve had it for quite a long time, bought it really curious more than 4 years ago and expecting a laugh out loud book, but somehow it got stuck in my huge To Be Read pile. Now I entered an “Unread Authors” challenge and decided it was the best of times to pick it up. I should never have waited 4 years because I should never have bought it!
I really hope that the author’s real life isn’t like that, that the book represents a stupid and horrific “make up”. In the book cover it said: "in this rupturing funny tale of love...", and I’m still thinking where to find in all the 300+ pages, the love and the fun. Pel and his girlfriend spend all the time fighting and insulting each other, nothing is ever well done or do they show some kind of affection for each other. In my opinion, that’s not a normal thing in a relationship, yeah, everybody fights once in a while, but come on, everyday, every time, for everything?! And funny? What, all the absurd situations Pel gets involved in, every day? He doesn’t know almost anything about his job and the work he’s supposed to do, and he doesn’t give a damn, he just chooses to pretend to be very good at it and, consequently, ends up always being involved in – have I said it already?? – very stupid situations.
Well, it must be me that doesn’t get the joke….

I only read the book till the end because I was really believing that it HAD to change at some point and compensate me for all the time wasted. It didn’t. ( )

The funniest thing I've read in a long time.

Kinda like David Lodge on crack? I don't know if I like that analogy, but he captures relationships well and academia (but this time the support staff side) well, as does Lodge.

But there's more to it. More slapstick. More crazy. I mean, Lodge's people/situations are all totally believable everyday observations.

Millington's world is crazy, and yet, you do believe it anyway. I mean, Lodge would never have his university pay Chinese mobsters to recruit Asian students.

Don't read it if you're a librarain who is easily offended, though. He hits them pretty hard. But, on the other hand, I've known several librarians like the one in his book.

see all my reviews at www.tushuguan.blogspot.com ( )

http://www.schlaikjer.net/reviews/117... ( )

http://dhamel.typepad.com/book_blog/2...
( )

I have long been a follower of Mr Millington's website and this book was hilarious. I'm talking, laugh out loud hilarious! ( )

Very dry, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, though a bit negative after awhile, what with all the main characters' fighting. The plot was fairly goofy but amusing. ( )

This was a funny book along the lines of Nick Hornby's sense of humor. ( )