To be fair, this book was a backup plan to begin with, as I got to my shift at the pub, realised I had left my book at home, and so bought this off the charity shelf there to occupy my time. It was the closest thing I could find to something I would typically read, and I am always happy to discover new authors to broaden my horizons. This novel, however, fell a little flat.
The main character, Frank, begins by admitting that his job as a regional newsreader is a trifle boring, his life is very ordinary and he tells unfunny jokes that he pays somebody to write for him (and man, are they bad!). He has a daughter who comes out with slightly clichéd children's comments (which, granted, are at times funny), a mother who is suffering from some form of depression, and a weird obsession with local residents who have recently died.
The book trundles along with no real plot line; the closest I can find to this is Frank's desire to find out who killed his television predecessor Phil, in a mysterious hit and run incident some months previously. This I could have gone with, if not for the problem that it was all wrapped up and solved within the last two chapters. This seemed to begin a theme, whereby the author also threw in a kind elderly gentleman to romance the suicidal mother, and a swift house move from the country to the city to entertain the daughter. It gave it the feel of a teenager with half an hour left in their English Literature exam in which to quickly tie up all the loose ends.
That's basically it in a nutshell, so apologies if I've ruined it for you. Personally, I think I've actually done you a favour, and saved you a few hours of your life that you can never get back. A little harsh, but I really wasn't a fan of this book!
The main character, Frank, begins by admitting that his job as a regional newsreader is a trifle boring, his life is very ordinary and he tells unfunny jokes that he pays somebody to write for him (and man, are they bad!). He has a daughter who comes out with slightly clichéd children's comments (which, granted, are at times funny), a mother who is suffering from some form of depression, and a weird obsession with local residents who have recently died.
That's basically it in a nutshell, so apologies if I've ruined it for you. Personally, I think I've actually done you a favour, and saved you a few hours of your life that you can never get back. A little harsh, but I really wasn't a fan of this book!
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