Richard Roper

This book was both heartwarming and hilarious--a great combination! It tells the story of boyhood friends who have become estranged but then reunite with a plan to walk the Thames Trail in England. The story is told in alternating chapters from the point of view of each of the men and also goes back in time to explain what led to their estrangement. I very much enjoyed this format; it was very engaging, and the pace moved quickly. The characters were flawed but likeable, and although I wish show more the ending had been different, it did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. It reminded me of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry or The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, but with much younger protagonists. Highly recommend! show less

Something to Live For is on course to be one of the books of the year and it's definitely going to be on my books of the year list. It's absolutely superb in every way.

Andrew has a very unique job, one which I find fascinating and horrifying in equal measure. If somebody dies alone and doesn't appear to have any relatives or friends to take on the task of arranging a funeral and looking for next of kin, then the council have to step in to do all of this and that's where Andrew, and the team show more he works with, come in. He frequently has to attend a residence where somebody has died, go through their belongings, contact relatives and, although he doesn't have to, he attends the funeral. That's the kind of man Andrew is. It's not an easy job, especially when a person's passing has gone unnoticed for a while, but what I loved about him is that he showed respect at all times.

Andrew is also the kind of man who has a secret, one which he didn't intend to have but which has got bigger and bigger as the years have passed. When Peggy joins the team, for the first time in a long time Andrew starts to think he might want to make a different life for himself.

I loved Andrew and Peggy. Andrew is one of those self-effacing types, a man who is in the background causing no trouble at all. Peggy, on the other hand, is a more brash person who says what she thinks. Yet they hit it off as colleagues and friends quite quickly.

Richard Roper has cornered the market in glorious turns of phrase.

"As if to confirm his gloom, he knew the restaurant was a poor choice by the look the waiter gave him on arrival, as if he were a stray dog who'd wandered in looking for a place to die".

He has a way of describing things that really appeals to me.

"Ever since the disastrous dinner party he'd carried himself with the air of a well-meaning schoolteacher who'd let his students bring in a game on the last day of term only for them to spray silly string all over the place and write rude words on their desks".

His writing is sharp with a hint of sarcasm, witty and yet moving. This is a book that gave me all the emotions. I smiled and laughed A LOT and I also cried. I honestly don't know how he thinks up the analogies that he does but he is so talented to be able to do so.

I must mention the team from the council too. As supporting characters they are just fantastic. Cameron is Andrew's boss and is constantly trying to enforce team-building ideas upon everybody (nightmare!). Then there's Keith and Meredith. He's a bit of an oaf and I don't honestly know how to describe Meredith.

As stories go, I loved the unique feel to it and the quirkiness. Andrew is into model trains and Ella Fitzgerald and they are basically the mainstay of his life, along with his unusual job. Really, the whole thing is just an absolute joy from start to finish and even when it moved me it was still so uplifting and so wonderful.

If this is a debut then I can't wait to see what Richard Roper writes next. Something to Live For is a very special book indeed. show less

Forty-two-year-old Londoner Andrew Smith is a lost soul who narrates Richard Roper's "How Not to Die Alone." Andrew suffered a crippling trauma two decades earlier that left him mired in misery and loneliness. Considering his melancholy state of mind, he has an appropriately grim job—to inspect the properties of solitary men and women who died alone. Tragically, their bodies may remain undiscovered for days or weeks, until someone finally gets around to checking on them. Andrew enters each show more residence wearing a face mask (the smells are usually horrendous), rubber gloves, and protective clothing. He also brings garbage bags to collect rubbish, searches for cash to help pay for the funeral, and looks for documents that might reveal the existence of financial assets and/or the names of next-of-kin. As a kindness, Andrew attend the funerals; he and the vicar are often the only ones to do so.

This book—strangely enough, considering its subject matter—is frequently hilarious. Richard Roper skillfully incorporates a variety of elements: witty and sarcastic dialogue; an insightful examination of family relationships; the disagreements that drive people apart; and the crippling nature of never-ending grief. Andrew is a sympathetic (albeit immature and self-conscious) protagonist who is conscientious, good-hearted, and devoted to his work and his hobby—collecting and setting up model trains. He is also a rabid fan of Ella Fitzgerald, whose music he listens to obsessively. Unfortunately, when Andrew is interviewed for his position, he tells a whopper that could land him in hot water.

"How Not to Die Alone" is a cautionary tale about the importance of maintaining social contacts, especially as we age. Furthermore, the author stresses the wisdom of making peace with our loved ones while we can, dealing constructively with one's past, and sticking to the truth whenever possible. The prose and dialogue are polished, and the big reveal is poignant and heartbreaking (although admittedly far-fetched). The quirky cast of characters include Cameron, Andrew's exasperating boss, Peggy Green, a new hire to whom Andrew is attracted (too bad that she's already married), and Andrew's obnoxious and venal brother-in-law. The original and involving "How Not to Die Alone" explores the benefits of self-knowledge; life's unpredictability; the value of a support system; and the satisfaction we derive from reaching out to others. Dying alone is not a laughing matter, but Roper lessens the gloom with amusing and witty passages in his entertaining and wise novel about loss and healing. show less

Andrew is a loner working for the Council in the UK. He's a member of the Death Administration department dealing with deceased estates in the event a person dies without a next of kin. Andrew and his colleagues are responsible for searching the property for proof of family or friends and the funds to cover funeral expenses. If none can be found, the burden falls to the state.

Andrew is a model train hobbyist and his regular job and loner lifestyle made him instantly relatable and show more irresistibly likeable. Andrew's job is fascinating and the first thing that attracted me to this book, but after reading a few pages there was plenty to keep me engaged.

I loved Andrew's online interactions with his fellow model train enthusiasts and the general office banter and relationships also gave me cause to smile and nod along. I wasn't expecting to find much to laugh about, but Something to Live For often made me chuckle to myself, here's an example from Page 30:

"Consequently, his living space was looking not so much tired as absolutely knackered. There was the dark stain where the wall met the ceiling in the area that masqueraded as a kitchen; then there was the battered grey sofa, the threadbare carpet and the yellowy-brown wallpaper that was meant to suggest autumn but in fact suggested digestive biscuits."

I can see why parallels are being drawn between this and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman: both characters are loners and both have some socialisation issues - albeit to different degrees. But this is lighter, less dramatic and therefore seemingly more real.

The only reason Something to Live For by Richard Roper wasn't a 5 star read for me was that it had a touch of the 'cringe factor' for me. The cringe factor is hard to describe, but here it came in the form of a lie Andrew told his work mates that had managed to snowball in the ensuing years. This kind of situation makes me cringe and while it made perfect sense for the character and the plot arc, it nevertheless prevented this from becoming a 5 star read for me.

This book is being published with a different title overseas (How Not To Die Alone) but I think the Australian title strikes the better chord and is more in keeping with the overall message of the novel. A moving and uplifting read, highly recommended.

* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia * show less