What do you think?
Rate this book
Lizzie Vogel #1
效械谢芯胁械泻 褍 褉褍谢褟
袩芯褋谢械 褉邪蟹胁芯写邪 褉芯写懈褌械谢械泄 袥懈蟹蟹懈, 械械 褋褌邪褉褕邪褟 褋械褋褌褉邪, 屑谢邪写褕懈泄 斜褉邪褌, 谢邪斜褉邪写芯褉 袥械斜斜懈 懈 锌邪褉邪 锌芯薪懈 胁褘薪褍卸写械薪褘 斜褘谢懈 锌械褉械斜褉邪褌褜褋褟 懈蟹 褉芯褋泻芯褕薪芯谐芯 谢芯薪写芯薪褋泻芯谐芯 芯褋芯斜薪褟泻邪 胁 泻褉懈胁械薪褜泻懈泄 写械褉械胁械薪褋泻懈泄 写芯屑懈泻. 袙芯泻褉褍谐 谢褍谐邪, 锌褉芯褋褌芯褉褘 懈 泻褉邪褋芯褌邪, 胁芯褌 褌芯谢褜泻芯 褋芯褋械写懈 屑褉邪褔薪芯 泻芯褋褟褌褋褟, 械写褍 薪懈泻褌芯 薪械 谐芯褌芯胁懈褌, 褋褌懈褉邪谢褜薪邪褟 屑邪褕懈薪邪 芯斜褗褟胁懈谢邪 斜褍薪褌, 邪 屑邪屑邪 斜械蟹 锌褉芯写褘褏褍 锌懈褕械褌 锌褜械褋褍. 袥懈蟹蟹懈 懈 械械 褋械褋褌褉邪, 芯斜械褋锌芯泻芯械薪薪褘械, 褔褌芯 褉邪薪芯 懈谢懈 锌芯蟹写薪芯 懈褏 芯锌褉械写械谢褟褌 胁 写械褌褋泻懈泄 写芯屑, 邪 屑邪屑褍 芯褋褌邪胁褟褌 薪邪械写懈薪械 褋 械械 锌褜械褋芯泄, 褉械褕邪褞褌 胁蟹褟褌褜 蟹邪斜芯褌褍 芯 斜褍写褍褖械屑 胁 褋胁芯械屑 褉褍泻懈. 袠 锌褉械卸写械 胁褋械谐芯, 薪褍卸薪芯 芯锌褉械写械谢懈褌褜褋褟 褋 "褔械谢芯胁械泻芯屑 褍 褉褍谢褟", 邪 锌芯锌褉芯褋褌褍 褋 屑褍卸褔懈薪芯泄 胁 写芯屑械. 袙 薪邪褔邪谢械 1970-褏 屑邪褌褜-芯写懈薪芯褔泻褍, 锌褍褋褌褜 懈 懈蟹 邪褉懈褋褌芯泻褉邪褌懈褔械褋泻芯谐芯 褉芯写邪, 胁 谐褉芯褕 薪械 褋褌邪胁褟褌, 懈 锌芯泻邪 胁 写芯屑械 薪械 蟹邪胁械写械褌褋褟 "褔械谢芯胁械泻 褍 褉褍谢褟", 卸懈蟹薪褜 薪械 薪邪谢邪写懈褌褋褟. 孝邪泻 薪邪褔懈薪邪械褌褋褟 谐褉邪薪写懈芯蟹薪邪褟 泻邪屑锌邪薪懈褟 锌芯 芯褌斜芯褉褍 锌芯写褏芯写褟褖懈褏 泻邪薪写懈写邪褌芯胁. 袨褋褌褉芯褍屑薪褘泄, 斜械蟹褍写械褉卸薪芯 褋屑械褕薪芯泄 褉芯屑邪薪, 泻芯褌芯褉褘泄 薪邪锌芯屑懈薪邪械褌 褋褉邪蟹褍 懈 "袛薪械胁薪懈泻懈 袗写褉懈邪薪邪 袦芯褍谢邪" 小褜褞 孝邪褍薪褋械薪写 懈 "袛卸懈胁蟹邪 懈 袙褍褋褌械褉邪" 袩.袚 袙褍写褏邪褍蟹邪.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published August 28, 2014
305 people are currently reading
5,543 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 734 reviews
February 20, 2025
I cannot believe I read this 10 years ago! Wow. Well here is my original review.
When I read the blurb for this book I was super excited to read it, I really thought I was on to a winner with this book. I was expecting to be laughing out loud and smiling all the way through it. Instead I was groaning with boredom and wanting it all to end quickly and painlessly. Needless to say I felt this book was a real letdown.
Not long after her parents' separation, heralded by an awkward scene involving a wet Daily Telegraph and a pan of cold eggs, nine-year-old Lizzie Vogel, her sister and little brother and their now divorc茅e mother are packed off to a small, slightly hostile village in the English countryside. Their mother is all alone, only thirty-one years of age, with three young children and a Labrador. It is no wonder, when you put it like that, that she becomes a menace and a drunk. And a playwright.
So little Lizzie and her siblings move to a small village, you know the ones, where everyone knows your business? Their mother gains a reputation simply by being divorced (shock horror) but also because she is a bit, ahem, well....friendly to many local chaps, come in for a cup of coffee and stay the night type of thing.
The book is told purely from Lizzie's perspective, I found this got very boring after a while. The characters have no opportunity to shine either, I found them all very flat and one dimensional. This book should have been amazing, but it just wasn't.
The two sisters take it upon themselves to write a list of potential new suitors for the role of "Man at the Helm" or in other words, a man for their mother to help the family claw back some reputation and make their mother happy. They also take it upon themselves to set up some meetings between their mother and the suitors, which does have some lightly funny moments amongst it on the way.
There are some nice moments, even a few slightly funny moments in the book, but not enough to salvage it. By the middle of the book it was just dragging on with a load of waffle and minor events that I was nearly asleep reading it. I don't think I would have missed much.
Their mother is useless, she drinks (alcohol) from early in the day, says she is "not suited to household duties" so therefore their house is pigsty and the girls have to pick up the slack and also help with their younger brother who hardly speaks at all. It's not really explained why either. The girls worry about social services finding out and them being taken away, hence their passion to find a man to sort things out for them with their mother.
It's got some sad tones underneath really, things like the girls traveling to London on trains on their own (aged nine and twelve) to get their mother's pills from the only doctor in the country that will prescribe them. It's not stated what the pills are but good hints indicate they are something like Valium. Tragedy for these girls, playing the parental role almost in role reversal.
It just doesn't have anything spectacular going on, it's paced quite slow and that does not alter at all and after a while it's a bit like the same story on repeat. It's certainly not as funny as indicated it might be, which is a shame as I was looking forward to that. Overall it was a very average and "okay" read in my opinion. It has some moments that are great but the majority is as bland as watered down custard.
Love this one, or dislike this one, that's up to you now. It did not float my boat or ring my bell. I think I could have skipped to the end chapter and missing NOTHING in the middle.
I received an ARC of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
::~~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~~::
Thanks so much for reading my review!
I hope you enjoyed it, if you did I鈥檇 be delighted if you leave me a 鈥渓ike鈥� and I love to read your comments. If you鈥檇 like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request.
You can also find me on Amazon U.K. where I am a Top 500 Reviewer.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you鈥檇 like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
When I read the blurb for this book I was super excited to read it, I really thought I was on to a winner with this book. I was expecting to be laughing out loud and smiling all the way through it. Instead I was groaning with boredom and wanting it all to end quickly and painlessly. Needless to say I felt this book was a real letdown.
Not long after her parents' separation, heralded by an awkward scene involving a wet Daily Telegraph and a pan of cold eggs, nine-year-old Lizzie Vogel, her sister and little brother and their now divorc茅e mother are packed off to a small, slightly hostile village in the English countryside. Their mother is all alone, only thirty-one years of age, with three young children and a Labrador. It is no wonder, when you put it like that, that she becomes a menace and a drunk. And a playwright.
So little Lizzie and her siblings move to a small village, you know the ones, where everyone knows your business? Their mother gains a reputation simply by being divorced (shock horror) but also because she is a bit, ahem, well....friendly to many local chaps, come in for a cup of coffee and stay the night type of thing.
The book is told purely from Lizzie's perspective, I found this got very boring after a while. The characters have no opportunity to shine either, I found them all very flat and one dimensional. This book should have been amazing, but it just wasn't.
The two sisters take it upon themselves to write a list of potential new suitors for the role of "Man at the Helm" or in other words, a man for their mother to help the family claw back some reputation and make their mother happy. They also take it upon themselves to set up some meetings between their mother and the suitors, which does have some lightly funny moments amongst it on the way.
There are some nice moments, even a few slightly funny moments in the book, but not enough to salvage it. By the middle of the book it was just dragging on with a load of waffle and minor events that I was nearly asleep reading it. I don't think I would have missed much.
Their mother is useless, she drinks (alcohol) from early in the day, says she is "not suited to household duties" so therefore their house is pigsty and the girls have to pick up the slack and also help with their younger brother who hardly speaks at all. It's not really explained why either. The girls worry about social services finding out and them being taken away, hence their passion to find a man to sort things out for them with their mother.
It's got some sad tones underneath really, things like the girls traveling to London on trains on their own (aged nine and twelve) to get their mother's pills from the only doctor in the country that will prescribe them. It's not stated what the pills are but good hints indicate they are something like Valium. Tragedy for these girls, playing the parental role almost in role reversal.
It just doesn't have anything spectacular going on, it's paced quite slow and that does not alter at all and after a while it's a bit like the same story on repeat. It's certainly not as funny as indicated it might be, which is a shame as I was looking forward to that. Overall it was a very average and "okay" read in my opinion. It has some moments that are great but the majority is as bland as watered down custard.
Love this one, or dislike this one, that's up to you now. It did not float my boat or ring my bell. I think I could have skipped to the end chapter and missing NOTHING in the middle.
I received an ARC of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
::~~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~~::
Thanks so much for reading my review!
I hope you enjoyed it, if you did I鈥檇 be delighted if you leave me a 鈥渓ike鈥� and I love to read your comments. If you鈥檇 like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request.
You can also find me on Amazon U.K. where I am a Top 500 Reviewer.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you鈥檇 like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
November 27, 2019
I adore this book. Apparently I'm drawn to stories of hapless, overwhelmed mothers. I don't want to examine why!
I also have a soft spot for precocious-kid narrators, and Nina Stibbe excels at this voice, having been a wise-ass kid herself. Man is Stibbe's fictionalized account of her mother and siblings' post-divorce move to a small village where the locals routinely snub (and occasionally exploit) them.
This may not sound like promising ground for comedy, but Stibbe beautifully mines the irony of how much better equipped the kids are for dealing with the upheaval and even the rejection than their mother. A nifty and loving snapshot of earliest-1970s culture, class-consciousness, and women's issues, with one very good dog thrown in for good measure.
My go-to book to reread when I need to laugh.
I also have a soft spot for precocious-kid narrators, and Nina Stibbe excels at this voice, having been a wise-ass kid herself. Man is Stibbe's fictionalized account of her mother and siblings' post-divorce move to a small village where the locals routinely snub (and occasionally exploit) them.
This may not sound like promising ground for comedy, but Stibbe beautifully mines the irony of how much better equipped the kids are for dealing with the upheaval and even the rejection than their mother. A nifty and loving snapshot of earliest-1970s culture, class-consciousness, and women's issues, with one very good dog thrown in for good measure.
My go-to book to reread when I need to laugh.
October 12, 2022
Nina Stibbe is one of the rare authors who can talk about the sad, tragic, painfully shameful in such a way that it is impossible not to laugh. The unique talent and gold standard of the author of humorous prose, her books largely have an autobiographical basis. This is a mature gift that has managed to wait for its time. Imagine. that her first novel "With Love, Nina" (Love, Nina) was based on the impressions of thirty years ago from working in 1982-1984 as a nanny in the house of Mary K. Wilmers, editor-in-chief of the London Book Review.
Letters to my sister. written in those two years, formed the basis of the debut book, which was released in 2013 and was adapted by Netflix with Faye Marcy and Helena Bonham-Carter. And a year later, the autobiographical "The Man at the Helm" appeared. And right now, Phantom Press has released "Paradise", (Paradise Lodge, and I decided to read the backstory before reading it. And I'm charmed.
It's laughter through pain and instead of tears. A story of understanding and forgiveness instead of accusations and hatred, of which there are so many in today's life.
小邪屑 褋械斜械 褌褘 褉褍谢械胁芯泄
袧芯 写械谢芯 胁 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 薪懈泻褌芯 薪械 屑芯卸械褌 褋锌褉邪胁懈褌褜褋褟 褋 卸懈蟹薪褜褞 芯写懈薪, 鈥� 械褋谢懈 芯薪 锌芯-薪邪褋褌芯褟褖械屑褍 芯写懈薪.
袗薪谐谢懈褟, 薪邪褔邪谢芯 褋械屑懈写械褋褟褌褘褏, 褋械屑褜褟 懈蟹 胁械褉褏褍褕泻懈 褋褉械写薪械谐芯 泻谢邪褋褋邪. 啸芯褉芯褕懈泄 谢芯薪写芯薪褋泻懈泄 写芯屑 褋 泻褍褏邪褉泻芯泄 懈 褝泻芯薪芯屑泻芯泄, 谢懈褔薪褘泄 胁芯写懈褌械谢褜 懈 泻褉邪褏屑邪谢褜薪褘械 褋泻邪褌械褉褌懈 褋芯 褋褌芯谢芯胁褘屑 褋械褉械斜褉芯屑. 孝褉芯械 写械褌械泄: 写械胁芯褔泻懈 芯写懈薪薪邪写褑邪褌懈 懈 写械胁褟褌懈 谢械褌, 屑谢邪写褕懈泄 屑邪谢褜褔懈泻. 袣褉邪褋邪胁懈褑邪 屑邪屑邪, 锌邪锌邪 褍锌褉邪胁谢褟械褌 薪邪褋谢械写薪芯泄 褎懈褉屑芯泄 懈 写芯屑邪 斜褘胁邪械褌 褉械写泻芯, 邪 泻芯谐写邪 斜褘胁邪械褌, 谐谢邪胁薪芯械 胁薪懈屑邪薪懈械 褍写械谢褟械褌 屑邪薪械褉邪屑 写械褌械泄. 袙褋械 褋泻褍褔薪芯 懈 褉械褋锌械泻褌邪斜械谢褜薪芯. 袛芯 褌械褏 锌芯褉, 锌芯泻邪 薪械 胁褘褟褋薪褟械褌褋褟, 褔褌芯 褍 锌邪锌褘 褉芯屑邪薪 褋 褋芯褌褉褍写薪懈泻芯屑.
袛褍屑邪械褌械 斜褍写械褌 锌褉芯 锌芯胁械褋褌芯褔泻褍? 袧械 褍谐邪写邪谢懈. 袩芯褋谢械 褉邪蟹胁芯写邪, 泻芯褌芯褉褘泄 锌褉芯懈褋褏芯写懈褌 泻邪泻-褌芯 薪械锌褉懈谢懈褔薪芯 斜褘褋褌褉芯, 锌邪锌邪 械褖械 斜芯谢械械 褋褌褉械屑懈褌械谢褜薪芯 卸械薪懈褌褋褟 薪邪 屑芯谢芯写芯泄 泻褉邪褋芯褌泻械, 懈 芯薪懈 锌褉懈薪懈屑邪褞褌褋褟 锌谢芯写懈褌褜褋褟 懈 褉邪蟹屑薪芯卸邪褌褜褋褟. 袦邪屑械 懈 写械褌褟屑 泻褍锌谢械薪 写芯屑 胁 写械褉械胁薪械. 袟邪屑械褔邪褌械谢褜薪芯 泻褉邪褋懈胁褘泄 写芯屑 胁 泻褉邪泄薪械 薪械写褉褍卸械谢褞斜薪芯泄 写械褉械胁薪械. 袛械谢芯 写邪卸械 薪械 胁 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 屑械卸写褍 邪斜芯褉懈谐械薪邪屑懈 懈 薪芯胁褘屑懈 褋械谢褜褋泻懈屑懈 卸懈褌械谢褟屑懈 泻谢邪褋褋芯胁邪褟 锌褉芯锌邪褋褌褜. 袛械谢芯 胁 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 屑邪屑邪 芯写懈薪芯泻邪褟 褉邪蟹胁械写械薪泻邪, 邪 胁 薪邪褔邪谢械 褋械屑懈写械褋褟褌褘褏 卸械薪褖懈薪邪 褋 写械褌褜屑懈, 薪芯 薪械 胁 斜褉邪泻械 - 褝褌芯 锌芯褔褌懈 薪械锌褉懈谢懈褔薪褘泄 褋褌邪褌褍褋. 袧械 谐芯胁芯褉褟 芯 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 泻褉邪褋懈胁邪褟 芯写懈薪芯泻邪褟 卸械薪褖懈薪邪 屑芯卸械褌 锌褉械写褋褌邪胁谢褟褌褜 褍谐褉芯蟹褍 褋褌邪斜懈谢褜薪芯褋褌懈.
袦械褋褌薪芯械 芯斜褖械褋褌胁芯 芯褌褌芯褉谐邪械褌 懈褏, 胁褘泻谢褞褔械薪薪褘械 懈蟹 锌褉械卸薪械泄 卸懈蟹薪懈, 薪械 胁泻谢褞褔械薪薪褘械 胁 薪芯胁褍褞, 芯薪懈 泻邪泻 屑械卸写褍 薪械斜芯屑 懈 蟹械屑谢械泄. 袦邪屑邪 胁 写械锌褉械褋褋懈懈, 泻芯褌芯褉褍褞 谐谢褍褕懈褌 褋薪邪褔邪谢邪 邪谢泻芯谐芯谢械屑, 锌芯蟹卸械 写芯斜邪胁谢褟褞褌褋褟 褍褋锌芯泻芯懈褌械谢褜薪褘械, 懈 褟 褋懈谢褜薪芯 褋芯屑薪械胁邪褞褋褜, 褔褌芯 褝褌芯 锌褉械锌邪褉邪褌褘 谢懈褌懈褟, 胁 褋械屑懈写械褋褟褌褘械 胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯 胁 泻邪褔械褋褌胁械 邪薪褌懈写械锌褉械褋褋邪薪褌芯胁 械褖械 薪邪蟹薪邪褔邪谢懈褋褜 锌褉芯懈蟹胁芯写薪褘械 谢懈蟹械褉谐懈薪芯胁芯泄 泻懈褋谢芯褌褘. 孝邪泻 懈谢懈 懈薪邪褔械, 懈褏 斜芯谐邪褌褘泄 写芯屑 薪械褍褞褌械薪, 写械褌懈 胁褘谐谢褟写褟褌 蟹邪锌褍褖械薪薪褘屑懈, 邪 褍谐褉芯蟹邪 锌芯锌邪褋褌褜 胁 芯褉谐邪薪褘 芯锌械泻懈 - 胁褋械 斜芯谢械械 褉械邪谢褜薪芯泄.
小褉芯褔薪芯 薪褍卸械薪 效械谢芯胁械泻, 泻芯褌芯褉褘泄 胁褋褌邪薪械褌 褍 褉褍谢褟, 薪邪胁械写械褌 锌芯褉褟写芯泻 胁 褝褌芯泄 薪械褉邪蟹斜械褉懈褏械, 胁械褉薪械褌 屑邪屑械 锌芯泻芯泄 懈 褋邪屑芯褍胁邪卸械薪懈械. 邪 褋械屑褜械 褉械褋锌械泻褌邪斜械谢褜薪褘泄 褋褌邪褌褍褋. 袛械胁芯褔泻懈 锌褉懈薪懈屑邪褞褌褋褟 懈褋泻邪褌褜 褌邪泻芯谐芯. 小芯胁械褉褕械薪薪芯 褔械褌泻邪褟 谢芯谐懈泻邪. 袨薪懈 锌褘褌邪褞褌褋褟 褍褋褌褉芯懈褌褜 屑邪屑懈薪褍 卸懈蟹薪褜 薪械 懈蟹 褋褌褉邪薪薪芯谐芯 褋褌褉械屑谢械薪懈褟 懈屑械褌褜 芯褌褔懈屑邪, 邪 锌芯褌芯屑褍 褔褌芯 褍卸械 褌褉邪胁屑懈褉芯胁邪薪褘 卸懈蟹薪械薪薪褘屑 泻褉褍褕械薪懈械屑 懈 斜芯褟褌褋褟 薪械 锌械褉械卸懈褌褜 褋谢械写褍褞褖械谐芯. 效械褉械写邪 谐褉褍褋褌薪褘褏 写谢褟 褍褔邪褋褌薪懈泻芯胁 懈 褍屑芯褉懈褌械谢褜薪芯 褋屑械褕薪褘褏 写谢褟 褔懈褌邪褌械谢褟 褋芯斜褘褌懈泄 锌褉芯懈褋褌械泻邪械褌 芯褌褌褍写邪, 懈蟹 胁械褔薪芯谐芯 写械褌褋泻芯谐芯 褍卸邪褋邪 \锌械褉械写 褋懈褉芯褌褋褌胁芯屑 懈 斜械蟹写芯屑薪芯褋褌褜褞.
袧懈薪邪 小褌懈斜斜械 懈蟹 褉械写泻懈褏 邪胁褌芯褉芯胁, 泻芯褌芯褉褘械 屑芯谐褍褌 褉邪褋褋泻邪蟹褘胁邪褌褜 芯 锌械褔邪谢褜薪芯屑, 褌褉邪谐懈褔薪芯屑, 斜芯谢械蟹薪械薪薪芯-褋褌褘写薪芯屑 褌邪泻, 褔褌芯 薪械胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯 薪械 褋屑械褟褌褜褋褟. 校薪懈泻邪谢褜薪褘泄 褌邪谢邪薪褌 懈 蟹芯谢芯褌芯泄 褋褌邪薪写邪褉褌 邪胁褌芯褉邪 褞屑芯褉懈褋褌懈褔械褋泻芯泄 锌褉芯蟹褘, 械械 泻薪懈谐懈 胁芯 屑薪芯谐芯屑 懈屑械褞褌 邪胁褌芯斜懈芯谐褉邪褎懈褔械褋泻褍褞 芯褋薪芯胁褍. 协褌芯 蟹褉械谢褘泄 写邪褉, 褋褍屑械胁褕懈泄 写芯卸写邪褌褜褋褟 褋胁芯械谐芯 胁褉械屑械薪懈. 袩褉械写褋褌邪胁褜褌械. 褔褌芯 胁 芯褋薪芯胁褍 锌械褉胁芯谐芯 械械 褉芯屑邪薪邪 "小 谢褞斜芯胁褜褞, 袧懈薪邪" (Love, Nina) 谢械谐谢懈 胁锌械褔邪褌谢械薪懈褟 褌褉懈写褑邪褌懈谢械褌薪械泄 写邪胁薪芯褋褌懈 芯褌 褉邪斜芯褌褘 胁 1982-1984 薪褟薪械泄 胁 写芯屑械 袦褝褉懈-袣械泄 校懈谢屑械褉褋, 谐谢邪胁薪芯谐芯 褉械写邪泻褌芯褉邪 袥芯薪写芯薪褋泻芯谐芯 泻薪懈卸薪芯谐芯 芯斜芯蟹褉械薪懈褟.
袩懈褋褜屑邪 泻 褋械褋褌褉械. 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪薪褘械 胁 褌械 写胁邪 谐芯写邪, 谢械谐谢懈 胁 芯褋薪芯胁褍 写械斜褞褌薪芯泄 泻薪懈谐懈, 泻芯褌芯褉邪褟 胁褘褕谢邪 胁 2013 懈 斜褘谢邪 褝泻褉邪薪懈蟹懈褉芯胁邪薪邪 Netflix c 肖褝泄 袦邪褉褋懈 懈 啸械谢械薪芯泄 袘芯薪械屑-袣邪褉褌械褉. 袗 械褖械 褔械褉械蟹 谐芯写 褟胁懈谢褋褟 邪胁褌芯斜懈芯谐褉邪褎懈褔械褋泻懈泄 "效械谢芯胁械泻 褍 褉褍谢褟" . 袠 胁芯褌 锌褉褟屑芯 褋械泄褔邪褋 肖邪薪褌芯屑 袩褉械褋褋 胁褘锌褍褋褌懈谢 "袪邪泄褋泻懈泄 褍谐芯谢芯泻", (Paradise Lodge, 懈 褟 褉械褕懈谢邪 锌褉芯褔械褋褌褜 锌褉械写褘褋褌芯褉懈褞 锌褉械卸写械, 褔械屑 褔懈褌邪褌褜 械谐芯. 袠 褟 芯褔邪褉芯胁邪薪邪.
协褌芯 褋屑械褏 褋泻胁芯蟹褜 斜芯谢褜 懈 胁屑械褋褌芯 褋谢械蟹. 袠褋褌芯褉懈褟 锌芯薪懈屑邪薪懈褟 懈 锌褉芯褖械薪懈褟 胁蟹邪屑械薪 芯斜胁懈薪械薪懈泄 懈 薪械薪邪胁懈褋褌懈, 泻芯褌芯褉褘褏 褌邪泻 屑薪芯谐芯 胁 褋械谐芯写薪褟褕薪械泄 卸懈蟹薪懈.
Letters to my sister. written in those two years, formed the basis of the debut book, which was released in 2013 and was adapted by Netflix with Faye Marcy and Helena Bonham-Carter. And a year later, the autobiographical "The Man at the Helm" appeared. And right now, Phantom Press has released "Paradise", (Paradise Lodge, and I decided to read the backstory before reading it. And I'm charmed.
It's laughter through pain and instead of tears. A story of understanding and forgiveness instead of accusations and hatred, of which there are so many in today's life.
小邪屑 褋械斜械 褌褘 褉褍谢械胁芯泄
袧芯 写械谢芯 胁 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 薪懈泻褌芯 薪械 屑芯卸械褌 褋锌褉邪胁懈褌褜褋褟 褋 卸懈蟹薪褜褞 芯写懈薪, 鈥� 械褋谢懈 芯薪 锌芯-薪邪褋褌芯褟褖械屑褍 芯写懈薪.
袗薪谐谢懈褟, 薪邪褔邪谢芯 褋械屑懈写械褋褟褌褘褏, 褋械屑褜褟 懈蟹 胁械褉褏褍褕泻懈 褋褉械写薪械谐芯 泻谢邪褋褋邪. 啸芯褉芯褕懈泄 谢芯薪写芯薪褋泻懈泄 写芯屑 褋 泻褍褏邪褉泻芯泄 懈 褝泻芯薪芯屑泻芯泄, 谢懈褔薪褘泄 胁芯写懈褌械谢褜 懈 泻褉邪褏屑邪谢褜薪褘械 褋泻邪褌械褉褌懈 褋芯 褋褌芯谢芯胁褘屑 褋械褉械斜褉芯屑. 孝褉芯械 写械褌械泄: 写械胁芯褔泻懈 芯写懈薪薪邪写褑邪褌懈 懈 写械胁褟褌懈 谢械褌, 屑谢邪写褕懈泄 屑邪谢褜褔懈泻. 袣褉邪褋邪胁懈褑邪 屑邪屑邪, 锌邪锌邪 褍锌褉邪胁谢褟械褌 薪邪褋谢械写薪芯泄 褎懈褉屑芯泄 懈 写芯屑邪 斜褘胁邪械褌 褉械写泻芯, 邪 泻芯谐写邪 斜褘胁邪械褌, 谐谢邪胁薪芯械 胁薪懈屑邪薪懈械 褍写械谢褟械褌 屑邪薪械褉邪屑 写械褌械泄. 袙褋械 褋泻褍褔薪芯 懈 褉械褋锌械泻褌邪斜械谢褜薪芯. 袛芯 褌械褏 锌芯褉, 锌芯泻邪 薪械 胁褘褟褋薪褟械褌褋褟, 褔褌芯 褍 锌邪锌褘 褉芯屑邪薪 褋 褋芯褌褉褍写薪懈泻芯屑.
袛褍屑邪械褌械 斜褍写械褌 锌褉芯 锌芯胁械褋褌芯褔泻褍? 袧械 褍谐邪写邪谢懈. 袩芯褋谢械 褉邪蟹胁芯写邪, 泻芯褌芯褉褘泄 锌褉芯懈褋褏芯写懈褌 泻邪泻-褌芯 薪械锌褉懈谢懈褔薪芯 斜褘褋褌褉芯, 锌邪锌邪 械褖械 斜芯谢械械 褋褌褉械屑懈褌械谢褜薪芯 卸械薪懈褌褋褟 薪邪 屑芯谢芯写芯泄 泻褉邪褋芯褌泻械, 懈 芯薪懈 锌褉懈薪懈屑邪褞褌褋褟 锌谢芯写懈褌褜褋褟 懈 褉邪蟹屑薪芯卸邪褌褜褋褟. 袦邪屑械 懈 写械褌褟屑 泻褍锌谢械薪 写芯屑 胁 写械褉械胁薪械. 袟邪屑械褔邪褌械谢褜薪芯 泻褉邪褋懈胁褘泄 写芯屑 胁 泻褉邪泄薪械 薪械写褉褍卸械谢褞斜薪芯泄 写械褉械胁薪械. 袛械谢芯 写邪卸械 薪械 胁 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 屑械卸写褍 邪斜芯褉懈谐械薪邪屑懈 懈 薪芯胁褘屑懈 褋械谢褜褋泻懈屑懈 卸懈褌械谢褟屑懈 泻谢邪褋褋芯胁邪褟 锌褉芯锌邪褋褌褜. 袛械谢芯 胁 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 屑邪屑邪 芯写懈薪芯泻邪褟 褉邪蟹胁械写械薪泻邪, 邪 胁 薪邪褔邪谢械 褋械屑懈写械褋褟褌褘褏 卸械薪褖懈薪邪 褋 写械褌褜屑懈, 薪芯 薪械 胁 斜褉邪泻械 - 褝褌芯 锌芯褔褌懈 薪械锌褉懈谢懈褔薪褘泄 褋褌邪褌褍褋. 袧械 谐芯胁芯褉褟 芯 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 泻褉邪褋懈胁邪褟 芯写懈薪芯泻邪褟 卸械薪褖懈薪邪 屑芯卸械褌 锌褉械写褋褌邪胁谢褟褌褜 褍谐褉芯蟹褍 褋褌邪斜懈谢褜薪芯褋褌懈.
袦械褋褌薪芯械 芯斜褖械褋褌胁芯 芯褌褌芯褉谐邪械褌 懈褏, 胁褘泻谢褞褔械薪薪褘械 懈蟹 锌褉械卸薪械泄 卸懈蟹薪懈, 薪械 胁泻谢褞褔械薪薪褘械 胁 薪芯胁褍褞, 芯薪懈 泻邪泻 屑械卸写褍 薪械斜芯屑 懈 蟹械屑谢械泄. 袦邪屑邪 胁 写械锌褉械褋褋懈懈, 泻芯褌芯褉褍褞 谐谢褍褕懈褌 褋薪邪褔邪谢邪 邪谢泻芯谐芯谢械屑, 锌芯蟹卸械 写芯斜邪胁谢褟褞褌褋褟 褍褋锌芯泻芯懈褌械谢褜薪褘械, 懈 褟 褋懈谢褜薪芯 褋芯屑薪械胁邪褞褋褜, 褔褌芯 褝褌芯 锌褉械锌邪褉邪褌褘 谢懈褌懈褟, 胁 褋械屑懈写械褋褟褌褘械 胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯 胁 泻邪褔械褋褌胁械 邪薪褌懈写械锌褉械褋褋邪薪褌芯胁 械褖械 薪邪蟹薪邪褔邪谢懈褋褜 锌褉芯懈蟹胁芯写薪褘械 谢懈蟹械褉谐懈薪芯胁芯泄 泻懈褋谢芯褌褘. 孝邪泻 懈谢懈 懈薪邪褔械, 懈褏 斜芯谐邪褌褘泄 写芯屑 薪械褍褞褌械薪, 写械褌懈 胁褘谐谢褟写褟褌 蟹邪锌褍褖械薪薪褘屑懈, 邪 褍谐褉芯蟹邪 锌芯锌邪褋褌褜 胁 芯褉谐邪薪褘 芯锌械泻懈 - 胁褋械 斜芯谢械械 褉械邪谢褜薪芯泄.
小褉芯褔薪芯 薪褍卸械薪 效械谢芯胁械泻, 泻芯褌芯褉褘泄 胁褋褌邪薪械褌 褍 褉褍谢褟, 薪邪胁械写械褌 锌芯褉褟写芯泻 胁 褝褌芯泄 薪械褉邪蟹斜械褉懈褏械, 胁械褉薪械褌 屑邪屑械 锌芯泻芯泄 懈 褋邪屑芯褍胁邪卸械薪懈械. 邪 褋械屑褜械 褉械褋锌械泻褌邪斜械谢褜薪褘泄 褋褌邪褌褍褋. 袛械胁芯褔泻懈 锌褉懈薪懈屑邪褞褌褋褟 懈褋泻邪褌褜 褌邪泻芯谐芯. 小芯胁械褉褕械薪薪芯 褔械褌泻邪褟 谢芯谐懈泻邪. 袨薪懈 锌褘褌邪褞褌褋褟 褍褋褌褉芯懈褌褜 屑邪屑懈薪褍 卸懈蟹薪褜 薪械 懈蟹 褋褌褉邪薪薪芯谐芯 褋褌褉械屑谢械薪懈褟 懈屑械褌褜 芯褌褔懈屑邪, 邪 锌芯褌芯屑褍 褔褌芯 褍卸械 褌褉邪胁屑懈褉芯胁邪薪褘 卸懈蟹薪械薪薪褘屑 泻褉褍褕械薪懈械屑 懈 斜芯褟褌褋褟 薪械 锌械褉械卸懈褌褜 褋谢械写褍褞褖械谐芯. 效械褉械写邪 谐褉褍褋褌薪褘褏 写谢褟 褍褔邪褋褌薪懈泻芯胁 懈 褍屑芯褉懈褌械谢褜薪芯 褋屑械褕薪褘褏 写谢褟 褔懈褌邪褌械谢褟 褋芯斜褘褌懈泄 锌褉芯懈褋褌械泻邪械褌 芯褌褌褍写邪, 懈蟹 胁械褔薪芯谐芯 写械褌褋泻芯谐芯 褍卸邪褋邪 \锌械褉械写 褋懈褉芯褌褋褌胁芯屑 懈 斜械蟹写芯屑薪芯褋褌褜褞.
袧懈薪邪 小褌懈斜斜械 懈蟹 褉械写泻懈褏 邪胁褌芯褉芯胁, 泻芯褌芯褉褘械 屑芯谐褍褌 褉邪褋褋泻邪蟹褘胁邪褌褜 芯 锌械褔邪谢褜薪芯屑, 褌褉邪谐懈褔薪芯屑, 斜芯谢械蟹薪械薪薪芯-褋褌褘写薪芯屑 褌邪泻, 褔褌芯 薪械胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯 薪械 褋屑械褟褌褜褋褟. 校薪懈泻邪谢褜薪褘泄 褌邪谢邪薪褌 懈 蟹芯谢芯褌芯泄 褋褌邪薪写邪褉褌 邪胁褌芯褉邪 褞屑芯褉懈褋褌懈褔械褋泻芯泄 锌褉芯蟹褘, 械械 泻薪懈谐懈 胁芯 屑薪芯谐芯屑 懈屑械褞褌 邪胁褌芯斜懈芯谐褉邪褎懈褔械褋泻褍褞 芯褋薪芯胁褍. 协褌芯 蟹褉械谢褘泄 写邪褉, 褋褍屑械胁褕懈泄 写芯卸写邪褌褜褋褟 褋胁芯械谐芯 胁褉械屑械薪懈. 袩褉械写褋褌邪胁褜褌械. 褔褌芯 胁 芯褋薪芯胁褍 锌械褉胁芯谐芯 械械 褉芯屑邪薪邪 "小 谢褞斜芯胁褜褞, 袧懈薪邪" (Love, Nina) 谢械谐谢懈 胁锌械褔邪褌谢械薪懈褟 褌褉懈写褑邪褌懈谢械褌薪械泄 写邪胁薪芯褋褌懈 芯褌 褉邪斜芯褌褘 胁 1982-1984 薪褟薪械泄 胁 写芯屑械 袦褝褉懈-袣械泄 校懈谢屑械褉褋, 谐谢邪胁薪芯谐芯 褉械写邪泻褌芯褉邪 袥芯薪写芯薪褋泻芯谐芯 泻薪懈卸薪芯谐芯 芯斜芯蟹褉械薪懈褟.
袩懈褋褜屑邪 泻 褋械褋褌褉械. 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪薪褘械 胁 褌械 写胁邪 谐芯写邪, 谢械谐谢懈 胁 芯褋薪芯胁褍 写械斜褞褌薪芯泄 泻薪懈谐懈, 泻芯褌芯褉邪褟 胁褘褕谢邪 胁 2013 懈 斜褘谢邪 褝泻褉邪薪懈蟹懈褉芯胁邪薪邪 Netflix c 肖褝泄 袦邪褉褋懈 懈 啸械谢械薪芯泄 袘芯薪械屑-袣邪褉褌械褉. 袗 械褖械 褔械褉械蟹 谐芯写 褟胁懈谢褋褟 邪胁褌芯斜懈芯谐褉邪褎懈褔械褋泻懈泄 "效械谢芯胁械泻 褍 褉褍谢褟" . 袠 胁芯褌 锌褉褟屑芯 褋械泄褔邪褋 肖邪薪褌芯屑 袩褉械褋褋 胁褘锌褍褋褌懈谢 "袪邪泄褋泻懈泄 褍谐芯谢芯泻", (Paradise Lodge, 懈 褟 褉械褕懈谢邪 锌褉芯褔械褋褌褜 锌褉械写褘褋褌芯褉懈褞 锌褉械卸写械, 褔械屑 褔懈褌邪褌褜 械谐芯. 袠 褟 芯褔邪褉芯胁邪薪邪.
协褌芯 褋屑械褏 褋泻胁芯蟹褜 斜芯谢褜 懈 胁屑械褋褌芯 褋谢械蟹. 袠褋褌芯褉懈褟 锌芯薪懈屑邪薪懈褟 懈 锌褉芯褖械薪懈褟 胁蟹邪屑械薪 芯斜胁懈薪械薪懈泄 懈 薪械薪邪胁懈褋褌懈, 泻芯褌芯褉褘褏 褌邪泻 屑薪芯谐芯 胁 褋械谐芯写薪褟褕薪械泄 卸懈蟹薪懈.
November 22, 2014
This book doesn't fit into a category easily. I found it to be very funny, but I felt uneasy and anxious pretty much the whole time I was reading it. The young narrator is compelling and the whole family is believable but odd. And endearing. Somehow they either laugh or accept with a shrug every crazy thing that happens to them, so I tried to, but I just kept feeling like things could spiral out of control at any moment. The kids articulate this feeling in their worry that they'll get sent away to a home because their mother isn't doing a good job of taking care of them. So I guess I took on their anxiety, and it was combined with my own outrage at the mother's inability to parent, but then I also took on their desire to take care of her. An odd set of feelings, but I guess that means that the writing took me on that journey. And again, moment to moment, a lot of it is very funny (albeit with a British sensibility, and there were times I thought I might not be getting some of the humor as it was referring to things I didn't know about).
Confused? I guess I am, but I do recommend it.
Copies of this book were provided to my book club by Little, Brown.
Confused? I guess I am, but I do recommend it.
Copies of this book were provided to my book club by Little, Brown.
December 6, 2018
I was planning on giving this book a solid four stars. It is funny. And clever. It has this perfect balance between darkness and humor; pain and hitting your funnybone. But then I decided I had to give it five stars because dear Lord look at all these people that have given it 2 stars or a DNF. And look at its overall rating. It certainly deserves higher than a 3.54.
It's a sad sort of a bedraggled funny which is just my cup of tea.
People complained because the characters were not developed fully. But people, look at who the narrator is. It's a little girl. She's giving this whole thing from her point of view. She is not going to develop characters. But if you want a developed character look at Maxwell the pony. You can't develop a pony more than that pony is developed.
It's a sad sort of a bedraggled funny which is just my cup of tea.
People complained because the characters were not developed fully. But people, look at who the narrator is. It's a little girl. She's giving this whole thing from her point of view. She is not going to develop characters. But if you want a developed character look at Maxwell the pony. You can't develop a pony more than that pony is developed.
July 28, 2014
Before I even start the review ..Go out and buy this book immediately !
The story begins when a young wife overhears a phone conversation that she should not have heard between her husband and I assumed his lover.This will alter her entire life.
The story is told by her daughter Lizzie , she is a comical little girl of 9 and is the middle child. She has an older sister and a younger brother called little Jack. All their lives are altered when they leave their dad and move with their mother to a little English Village . Their mother is really struggling being alone , she really needs a man in her life so her children take it upon themselves to find her a man which causes many comical moments throughout the book. The book is not all funny as there is more serious and tender parts that really make you think and feel sorry for the characters . My favourite character is Lizzie, she is an optimist and has great spirit and motivation. If you enjoy a book with great female lead characters that will also leave you feeling happy then this is the book for you.
I received this book from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk.
This book is going to be published in August 2014 and you will be able to buy it from Lovereading.co.uk and all other good bookstores then.
The story begins when a young wife overhears a phone conversation that she should not have heard between her husband and I assumed his lover.This will alter her entire life.
The story is told by her daughter Lizzie , she is a comical little girl of 9 and is the middle child. She has an older sister and a younger brother called little Jack. All their lives are altered when they leave their dad and move with their mother to a little English Village . Their mother is really struggling being alone , she really needs a man in her life so her children take it upon themselves to find her a man which causes many comical moments throughout the book. The book is not all funny as there is more serious and tender parts that really make you think and feel sorry for the characters . My favourite character is Lizzie, she is an optimist and has great spirit and motivation. If you enjoy a book with great female lead characters that will also leave you feeling happy then this is the book for you.
I received this book from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk.
This book is going to be published in August 2014 and you will be able to buy it from Lovereading.co.uk and all other good bookstores then.
March 17, 2018
I enjoyed this book, in fact it made me laugh aloud in a few places. It is based in the early 1970s and took me back to when being a child of divorced parents was rare and unusual. The story centres around 3 children and their Mum and is told from Lizzie's point of view, who is the middle child. Lizzie and her sister decide that they need a "man at the helm" of their family. They embark on a crusade to find a suitable man, and the book is based on that. However, we learn a lot about a dysfunctional family and impact of others behaviour on the family. I love the way Nina Stibbe writes and adored "Love, Nina", this doesn't match that book but it's an enjoyable and light read with a lot of laughs thrown in.
November 1, 2015
Let me tell you how delicious this book is: Jane-Austen delicious. The particular pleasures of a Jane Austen book are wit and dignity in the face of impending financial doom. The doom is caused by crazy relatives and simply being a dependent female in a male-centric world, and the only cure is to find a good man.
Man at the Helm manages to take this antiquated, politically dicey formula and make it work in 1970's England with a nine-year-old narrator, her wise 11-year-old sister, and their sweet stammering little brother. Like Lizzie Bennet, Lizzie Vogel has to find a man, but not for herself. "If a lone female is left," says Lizzie's sister, "especially if divorced, without a man at the helm, all the friends and family and acquaintances run away.'" So the sisters begin a list of potential helmsmen, and on that list goes practically every man in the hostile village they've been exiled to after their father has an affair with a man named Phil and then re-marries, starting a new, cuter family.
Crazy Relative #1 is not their father, though. It's their beautiful, shell-shocked, socially-awkward mother, who takes to drink and begins to consume a disturbing number of anti-depressants. This would be tragic except for the tone and point-of-view: the girls' innocence allows them to see more of their mother's endearing traits than her self-destructive ones, and their mother actually is endearing. Her peak life experience was winning a playwriting contest in high school, so she manically, pathetically filters tragedy through farce. At every desperate moment, Mrs. Vogel writes snippets of unfinished scenes that show the droll side of her absurd predicament, and Lizzie constantly finds bits of dialogue like:
Adele: I see you've remarried.
Roderick: Yes, a more accomplished woman with a nice tinkling laugh.
Adele: But plumper?
Roderick: Well, not a boyish stick like you.
Adele: But you like boyish sticks.
Roderick: Not any more. I now prefer accomplished pears.
The rich, painful comedy that ensues as the girls take the train by themselves to London to procure side orders of pills for their mother, write letters to men in their mother's voice, and take over the housekeeping kept me happily knees-up in bed for hours, and that trickiest of all novel parts--the ending--is better than pie, better even than Victorian sponge-cake with hot tea.
Man at the Helm manages to take this antiquated, politically dicey formula and make it work in 1970's England with a nine-year-old narrator, her wise 11-year-old sister, and their sweet stammering little brother. Like Lizzie Bennet, Lizzie Vogel has to find a man, but not for herself. "If a lone female is left," says Lizzie's sister, "especially if divorced, without a man at the helm, all the friends and family and acquaintances run away.'" So the sisters begin a list of potential helmsmen, and on that list goes practically every man in the hostile village they've been exiled to after their father has an affair with a man named Phil and then re-marries, starting a new, cuter family.
Crazy Relative #1 is not their father, though. It's their beautiful, shell-shocked, socially-awkward mother, who takes to drink and begins to consume a disturbing number of anti-depressants. This would be tragic except for the tone and point-of-view: the girls' innocence allows them to see more of their mother's endearing traits than her self-destructive ones, and their mother actually is endearing. Her peak life experience was winning a playwriting contest in high school, so she manically, pathetically filters tragedy through farce. At every desperate moment, Mrs. Vogel writes snippets of unfinished scenes that show the droll side of her absurd predicament, and Lizzie constantly finds bits of dialogue like:
Adele: I see you've remarried.
Roderick: Yes, a more accomplished woman with a nice tinkling laugh.
Adele: But plumper?
Roderick: Well, not a boyish stick like you.
Adele: But you like boyish sticks.
Roderick: Not any more. I now prefer accomplished pears.
The rich, painful comedy that ensues as the girls take the train by themselves to London to procure side orders of pills for their mother, write letters to men in their mother's voice, and take over the housekeeping kept me happily knees-up in bed for hours, and that trickiest of all novel parts--the ending--is better than pie, better even than Victorian sponge-cake with hot tea.
September 23, 2014
Oh how I really wanted to love this book with all of its quirky charm and precocious narrator. I鈥檓 not sure what happened for me with Man at the Helm, but I just had so much trouble getting invested in it. Looking at other reviews, it seems as if I鈥檓 in the minority!
I think one of the biggest issues for me was the way the book was written. I felt as if Lizzie was just talking at me the whole time and that there was no depth at all to any of the character interactions or indeed the scenery and setting in the book. The village didn鈥檛 鈥榗ome alive鈥� for me and I couldn鈥檛 really picture in my head any of the conversations the characters were having. That's always a red flag for me.
Man at the Helm is very dry鈥攕o maybe that鈥檚 just not my thing. I鈥檝e seen it described as 鈥榟ilarious鈥� and 鈥榣augh out loud funny鈥� but I didn鈥檛 get that from it at all. Sure there were some scenes that were humorous, but I didn鈥檛 laugh out loud at any point.
Stibbe's novel wasn't horrible, and again, I really wanted to like this book but it just didn鈥檛 do it for me.
I think one of the biggest issues for me was the way the book was written. I felt as if Lizzie was just talking at me the whole time and that there was no depth at all to any of the character interactions or indeed the scenery and setting in the book. The village didn鈥檛 鈥榗ome alive鈥� for me and I couldn鈥檛 really picture in my head any of the conversations the characters were having. That's always a red flag for me.
Man at the Helm is very dry鈥攕o maybe that鈥檚 just not my thing. I鈥檝e seen it described as 鈥榟ilarious鈥� and 鈥榣augh out loud funny鈥� but I didn鈥檛 get that from it at all. Sure there were some scenes that were humorous, but I didn鈥檛 laugh out loud at any point.
Stibbe's novel wasn't horrible, and again, I really wanted to like this book but it just didn鈥檛 do it for me.
September 14, 2014
If a book can make you laugh out loud one moment and cry tears of sadness the next I think it's pretty brilliant. I'm sure this won't be for everyone - it's sometimes silly and over the top but completely entertaining. I just closed the cover and I'm already missing the company of 9 year old Lizzie and her family.
Shelved as 'dnf'
June 12, 2015Received this via 欧宝娱乐 FirstReads in exchange for an honest review.
---
I tried, Lovely concept but couldn't get into it... case of "it's not the book it's me" I suppose. I got another of hers in the same volume as this so I'll read that one at some point.
---
I tried, Lovely concept but couldn't get into it... case of "it's not the book it's me" I suppose. I got another of hers in the same volume as this so I'll read that one at some point.
July 29, 2014
If you liked 'Love, Nina' (and if you didn't, stop reading my review, we're clearly not going to get on), you will love this too.
In 'Love, Nina', random things seemed to happen and then were never referred to again such as the incident where Nina struggled to write in her life-writing class to reproduce the incident where they led a horse upstairs. Well, if you ever wanted to find out what happened (to the horse and to the attempt to write it), you'll find out here.
In 1970s Leicestershire, Lizzie Vogel is nine when her father decides that 鈥榟e was now in love with Phil from the factory鈥�. His three children and soon-to-be ex-wife are sent away to live in a house he buys for them in a distant village (fifteen miles away being immeasurably far away back then).
Without a 鈥榤an at the helm鈥�, the family finds themselves ostracized by the community and the novel follows what happens in the quest to find a new man to steer the Vogel ship.
Although narrated by the adult Lizzie, the voice is still that of a nine-year-old and there gives emotional tug and pull between what a child sees and feels and what the wisdom and hindsight of adulthood give.
But mainly, it鈥檚 funny, very funny, a novel that reads like a memoir and probably is a partial chronicle of the writer鈥檚 life before the events of 鈥楲ove, Nina鈥�.
In 'Love, Nina', random things seemed to happen and then were never referred to again such as the incident where Nina struggled to write in her life-writing class to reproduce the incident where they led a horse upstairs. Well, if you ever wanted to find out what happened (to the horse and to the attempt to write it), you'll find out here.
In 1970s Leicestershire, Lizzie Vogel is nine when her father decides that 鈥榟e was now in love with Phil from the factory鈥�. His three children and soon-to-be ex-wife are sent away to live in a house he buys for them in a distant village (fifteen miles away being immeasurably far away back then).
Without a 鈥榤an at the helm鈥�, the family finds themselves ostracized by the community and the novel follows what happens in the quest to find a new man to steer the Vogel ship.
Although narrated by the adult Lizzie, the voice is still that of a nine-year-old and there gives emotional tug and pull between what a child sees and feels and what the wisdom and hindsight of adulthood give.
But mainly, it鈥檚 funny, very funny, a novel that reads like a memoir and probably is a partial chronicle of the writer鈥檚 life before the events of 鈥楲ove, Nina鈥�.
February 7, 2015
I really loved this book. It's a very difficult thing to have your narrator be a young person and not have them come across as all ridiculous and precocious, I'm looking at you Flavia de Luce.
Lizzie, this narrator, does not come across that way. There is a reality and a feeling of being anchored in life that are so strong in her that you can't help but cheer her on.
Also, there is that one scene that catches you unaware while riding the bus to work on a Friday morning and you burst into tears. Brilliant.
Lizzie, this narrator, does not come across that way. There is a reality and a feeling of being anchored in life that are so strong in her that you can't help but cheer her on.
Also, there is that one scene that catches you unaware while riding the bus to work on a Friday morning and you burst into tears. Brilliant.
November 5, 2014
My first thoughts reading this book were critical of the flippant nature Nina Stibbe dealt with a serious situation following the fall-out of a marriage break-up. Then, after a little more pondering, I realised that the story was told through the eyes of 10 year old Lizzie who did not have the insight or understanding of the situation but merely coped with it in the best way she could. What we were getting from this author was a light hearted surface and an invitation to look beyond this into the reality of life for the depressed mother and her three children.
The view of the world through the middle child's eyes was beautifully portrayed. Sometimes laugh aloud funny, sometimes tragic but always with purpose and plan. The resilience of children was well drawn as was their need to make things better and right. Recommended.
The view of the world through the middle child's eyes was beautifully portrayed. Sometimes laugh aloud funny, sometimes tragic but always with purpose and plan. The resilience of children was well drawn as was their need to make things better and right. Recommended.
May 4, 2018
The Man At The Helm is an irresistible debut novel by Nina Stibbe. It is a laugh out loud and very funny!
After Lizzie's mother had listened to her husband's phone call, the following morning she took a pan of eggs and flung it over her husband. He screamed like a girl expecting it to be hot and fell of his chair.
Lizzie's mother tried to break the news to her three children that mummy and daddy have decided to split up and get a divorce.
Their father bought them all a house in a village fifteen miles away from the city.
With their mother's unhappiness the children agreed that their main aim in life would be to find their mother a new husband.
With this bright idea finding their mum a new husband they decided to contact, by letter, the suitable men in their new area and invite them to have a drink with their mother and hope that it would lead to marriage.
After Lizzie's mother had listened to her husband's phone call, the following morning she took a pan of eggs and flung it over her husband. He screamed like a girl expecting it to be hot and fell of his chair.
Lizzie's mother tried to break the news to her three children that mummy and daddy have decided to split up and get a divorce.
Their father bought them all a house in a village fifteen miles away from the city.
With their mother's unhappiness the children agreed that their main aim in life would be to find their mother a new husband.
With this bright idea finding their mum a new husband they decided to contact, by letter, the suitable men in their new area and invite them to have a drink with their mother and hope that it would lead to marriage.
December 3, 2014
I was in equal measures horrified and amused by this story of parental neglect and children fending for themselves. It's a wonderful recreation of a period in recent history - the 1970s - yet it has a much older feel to it, an innocence perhaps better suited to the 1950s. As for the children, their wit and self-sufficiency, their curious mix of worldliness and naivety, reminded me of The Treasure Seekers or The Railway Children.
There are plenty of hilarious incidents and misunderstandings (as well as some rather darker ones which manage to avoid sentimentalism), but the book does feel a little episodic. More of a patchwork of delectable set pieces but not a clear overall pattern or purpose.
There are plenty of hilarious incidents and misunderstandings (as well as some rather darker ones which manage to avoid sentimentalism), but the book does feel a little episodic. More of a patchwork of delectable set pieces but not a clear overall pattern or purpose.
May 3, 2017
I very much enjoyed Stibbe's Love, Nina when I read it last year, but ultimately found Man at the Helm rather disappointing. In it, Stibbe covers many of the same themes as in Love, Nina, and whilst it was lighthearted and funny, it lacked any real depth. I do like Stibbe's writing style, but the same ground was covered again and again, to the extent that it became almost horribly repetitive. It did not hold my interest past the 70-page mark, and never really picked up again. A shame.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
January 3, 2017I really loved how this novel started and it showed great promise in humor and story. Not long after the first few chapters it started dragging pretty badly, lots of repetition, nothing new introduced except minor variations of the same. I was starting new books and not caring about going back to it. Just in case I read another chapter, and decided I was not willing to read the final 2/3.
July 25, 2014
A nice quirky tale of a family who lose the man in their life resulting in the children thinking that they will have to help their mum find a new one! This is the first real novel from the pen of Nina Stibbe, although she has already had "Love, Nina" published - a series of letters written between her and her sister whilst working as a nanny in London. Ms Stibbe clearly has a way with words with a style all of her own. This novel, as with her previous work, is easy to read and explores numerous characters, mainly through the eyes of the children of the piece, which gives it a simplistic quality but not to the detriment of either the story or the style in which it is written, nor does it treat the reader as "simplistic", quite the opposite in fact. A book that is hard to put down - I always reached a point where I thought that will do for now, but ended up reading a bit more anyway. I particularly like that there is plenty of humour in here. I would definitely look out for Ms Stibbe's next literary venture!
July 10, 2015
I am a sucker for smart, precocious narrators, but it took me a while to click with 9 year-old Lizzie. Her world, via the author's dark humor, borders on the absurd. But once I accepted Lizzie's reality, filled with ponies, an absentee father,a drunk & drugged mother, casual observations of sex and worry over a selectively deaf little brother, I enjoyed this novel.
I love it's observations of relationships. Whether it's the big vs little sister dynamic, or the brutal disappointment of love gone wrong, Stibble does a great job of writing honestly and with a lot of humor. I struggled with Lizzie 's mom and her status as helpless victim -- but there's a payoff that probably wouldn't have worked any other way.
Quick and enjoyable. Easy to recommend for readers who can laugh at the dark side of life.
Read alike
I love it's observations of relationships. Whether it's the big vs little sister dynamic, or the brutal disappointment of love gone wrong, Stibble does a great job of writing honestly and with a lot of humor. I struggled with Lizzie 's mom and her status as helpless victim -- but there's a payoff that probably wouldn't have worked any other way.
Quick and enjoyable. Easy to recommend for readers who can laugh at the dark side of life.
Read alike
April 6, 2016
A rather strange throwback of a novel. A cross between I Captured the Castle and Just William stories with a dash of P.G.Wodehouse thrown in. It's set in the early 1970s but could just as easily be the 1920s or 30s with its family living on inherited family business income and employing housekeepers and chauffeurs (at the start of the book). Narrated in the first person by the younger daughter, I found it funny and verbally dazzling for the first hundred pages or so but then the situations (the children's' search for the titular 'Man at the Helm' - a new partner for their mother) and the 'Just William' type escapades become repetitious. It's parade of rather stereotypical men also seem from a different, long gone era (e.g. The conman spiv).
Nevertheless, a generally light entertaining read - especially on a long journey.
Nevertheless, a generally light entertaining read - especially on a long journey.
April 27, 2015
I thought this book would be edgy and funny. Instead, I found it sad and disturbing, as the tween daughters set their mother up with any random male, married or not, to replace their father as the "man at the helm", often overhearing the sexual encounters that resulted, and enduring their mother's moods when the married men scurried off home.
The thing I found most disturbing was the casual cruelty of the characters, and the neglect shown the children by both parents for the majority of the book. The mother finally gets her act together at the end, but it is a long and tortuous road getting there.
The thing I found most disturbing was the casual cruelty of the characters, and the neglect shown the children by both parents for the majority of the book. The mother finally gets her act together at the end, but it is a long and tortuous road getting there.
January 16, 2018
Absolutely LOVED this book. It made me smile, chuckle, laugh out loud, and even cry. The writing is fab, every character brilliantly brought to life. Can't put into words how much I enjoyed reading it, but I would give it 10 out of 5 if I could. Ps I liked 'Love, Nina,' too, but this one's even better.
October 10, 2024
This book was such a droll and unexpected delight! It was witty and charming even when touching on decidedly un-charming events. I found it while browsing the shelves at the library after picking up another book I鈥檇 put on hold.
I love when the universe sends a good book to you out of the blue. I found one of my favorite books, by Tom Miller, the same way. 馃摎 馃 馃摉
I love when the universe sends a good book to you out of the blue. I found one of my favorite books, by Tom Miller, the same way. 馃摎 馃 馃摉
October 8, 2022
Despite taking me forever to read I did enjoy this book. It鈥檚 sad, funny, warm but definitely not a page turner!
February 17, 2024
This is really a 6-star book. Funny on every page and a charm to read. Brilliant from the first paragraph and never lost it.
May 3, 2018
Come al solito great expectations but...
La scorsa estate mi sono imbattuta, quasi per caso, in 'Love, Nina' e siccome non facevo altro che piangere, l'avevo trovato una boccata di ossigeno, un pomeriggio in cui ho riso abbastanza, mi sono divertita e ho trovato una mini serie tv piacevole e divertente. Mi sono lanciata, quindi, sul questo libro certa di ritrovarvi la stessa atmosfera e lo stesso spirito. Beh mi sbagliavo, pure noiosetto a tratti.
Da leggere? Ma no, guardatevi 'Love, Nina' in terrazza e con una birra ghiacciata.
La scorsa estate mi sono imbattuta, quasi per caso, in 'Love, Nina' e siccome non facevo altro che piangere, l'avevo trovato una boccata di ossigeno, un pomeriggio in cui ho riso abbastanza, mi sono divertita e ho trovato una mini serie tv piacevole e divertente. Mi sono lanciata, quindi, sul questo libro certa di ritrovarvi la stessa atmosfera e lo stesso spirito. Beh mi sbagliavo, pure noiosetto a tratti.
Da leggere? Ma no, guardatevi 'Love, Nina' in terrazza e con una birra ghiacciata.
October 22, 2015
Charming book following the numerous ups and many more downs of A mother, her three children and Debbie the Dog. So touching in places as it is narrated through the voice of the middle child who doesn't always fully understand what is going on in her newly single mother's now difficult life. Some classic comedy moments as well made for a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile read. Original to boot which is always refreshing.
December 19, 2016
Off kilter humor about a deeply dysfunctional but ultimately appealing family. A great read if you are willing to run with the voice of Lizzie, our ten to eleven year-old guide to the Vogel clan. Perfect for fans of I Captured the Castle, Stella Gibbons, Barbara Trapido and Maria Semple. I won't be recommending this to everyone since some folks will be bored and others upset by a family in utter disarray.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 734 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.