Mr Commitment

by Mike Gayle

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Duffy is engaged. He accepted Mel's proposal. But the trips to Ikea, dinner parties for couples and talk of babies are giving him itchy feet and now he's not sure if he can say goodbye to his extended adolescence and can face up to that final walk down the aisle. How does he know if she's The One? Can he cope with responsibility? Does he have what it takes to become Mr Commitment? Because if he doesn't, he may just find that he's lost Mel - forever...

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9 reviews
Mike Gayle's book put me in a fighting mood, I don't know why. The cover quote is right: the book is full of acute observations and I enjoy the self deprecating humour, but I just don't get the whole "truly loves her but is a commitment phobic thing so suddenly there's a major personality change" and start to believe it's entirely made up plot device for romance novels. It was entertaining, but not as funny and less as some of the others I read.
Petit bouquin sans prétention et bien sympatoche, une comédie romantique londonienne dans toute sa splendeur, je verrais bien Hugh Grant jouant Duffy et Meg Ryan jouant Mel. L'histoire est simple : Mel et Duffy approchent de la trentaine, ils sont ensemble depuis 4 ans, Mel ne voyant rien venir décide de faire sa DEM (demande en mariage) mais Duffy n'a pas réellement envie de se marier. Classique et efficace, le seul point qui diffère par rapport aux diverses et multiples Bridget Jones existantes, c'est que Bridget est un homme et oui, ce sont les pérégrinations mentales de Duffy que nous suivons.
Idéal pour un week-end tranquille.
Tried this author again but just can't get into it. Another story of a guy feeling sorry for himself the whole time. 'My Legendary Girlfriend' was about a guy that couldn't get over his ex for most of the book so he was sad and sorry for himself the whole time. "Mr. Commitment" was about a guy who is scared of commitment so when he refuses his partners proposal she breaks up with him so he feels sad and sorry for himself for much of the book... I was planning on reading "Turning Thirty" next by this author but I can already tell that it will be about a guy that turns thirty, feels like he hasn't achieved much with his life so he makes some toast and feels sad and sorry for himself for much of the book.

Time for me to move onto something show more a little different I think. show less
Tried this author again but just can't get into it. Another story of a guy feeling sorry for himself the whole time. 'My Legendary Girlfriend' was about a guy that couldn't get over his ex for most of the book so he was sad and sorry for himself the whole time. "Mr. Commitment" was about a guy who is scared of commitment so when he refuses his partners proposal she breaks up with him so he feels sad and sorry for himself for much of the book... I was planning on reading "Turning Thirty" next by this author but I can already tell that it will be about a guy that turns thirty, feels like he hasn't achieved much with his life so he makes some toast and feels sad and sorry for himself for much of the book.

Time for me to move onto something show more a little different I think. show less
Dulfy lleva 28 años huyendo de toda responsabilidad, pero ahora parece que ya no tiene salida. Su feliz estado de adolescencia prolongada se acerca a su fin: un día su espejo le muestra unas incipientes entradas; poco después le hacen fijo en el trabajo... Pero lo peor de todo es el cambio de actitud de su novia Mel: ¡quiere que se casen!
Si acepta, ¿qué le espera en el futuro? ¿Sábados en IKEA? ¿Cenas en las casas de otras parejas, donde hablarán de sus niños? Solo de pensarlo se le encoje el estómago... No, es más: siente terror.
Mel es, y siempre ha sido, su chica, pero ¿qué gana casándose con ella? ¿A qué tendrá que renunciar? Tendrá que compartir el mando de la tele, las cervezas de la nevera... ¿Realmente está show more preparado para eso?
Y ella le exige una respuesta: o todo o nada.
¿Dejará de ser soltero y sin compromiso?
show less
Duffy es el típico soltero de 28 años, inmaduro y sin ganas de crecer. Tiene un trabajo temporal, vive con su mejor amigo (Dan) y su verdadero sueño es convertirse algún día en un cómico de éxito. Lleva cuatro años saliendo con una chica estupenda, Mel, y todo le va bien así. Pero un día Mel decide que la relación tiene que progresar y que no se conforma simplemente con que vivan juntos: quiere casarse. Con la cabeza hecha un lío tendrá que tomar una decisión fundamental: ¿se atreve a aceptar el matrimonio y convertirse de verdad en un adulto o pierde a la mujer de su vida pero recupera su independencia?
Vermakelijk 'tussendoortje'. Verteld vanuit het perspectief van een man (is weer eens wat anders ...) Toch herkenbaar (situaties, dialogen).
½

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24+ Works 3,850 Members
Mike Gayle is a freelance journalist and a former advice columnist who has written for Ms., The Sunday Times Style Magazine, Seventeen, The Express, and other U.K. publications. His first novel, My Legendary Girlfriend, sold 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom. He lives in London, England. (Bowker Author Biography)

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Common Knowledge

Canonical title
Mr Commitment
Alternate titles*
Bindingsangst
Original publication date
1999
People/Characters
Benjamin Duffy; Mel
Epigraph
Do you knkow the difference between involvement and commitment? Think of eggs and bacon. The chicken was involved. The pig was committed. ~Martina Navratilova
Dedication
For Mum and Dad
First words
Her: [Pause] Do you love me?
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)She's a Duffy, isn't she? So she's bound to be a star.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, General Fiction, Romance
DDC/MDS
823.914Literature & rhetoricEnglish & Old English literaturesEnglish fiction1900-1901-19991945-1999
LCC
PR6057 .A976 .M7Language and LiteratureEnglishEnglish Literature1961-2000
BISAC

Statistics

Members
409
Popularity
75,703
Reviews
8
Rating
(3.10)
Languages
9 — Catalan, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Media
Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
26
ASINs
2