欧宝娱乐

First the quibbles: Haddon's a young guy. He has a young guy's perspective, which is to say, a limited perspective. His portrayals of the middle-aged are in places laughable. Mark, I've got to tell you: people over fifty don't think the world belongs to the young. They don't think they're obsolete. It's young people who think that about their elders. Youngsters are often (not always) better at the very latest technology, but that's their only advantage. Well, that, and the good health they take for granted. Also, Haddon writes here about people with no real problems, which is to say, the characters are well-off, not in physical want or peril, and advantaged in every way. Yet they suffer. And whine. At length. But that is what characters in novels do. At least Haddon has them whine interestingly and about problems that we absolutely relate to. After all, lots of readers are whiners, too.

Callowness (and shallowness) aside, A Spot of Bother is great writing. Haddon explores deep and painful areas in a way that reads fast and easily, with just the right kind of humor in just the right places. It's as much a riveting page-turner as any thriller, and nearly as suspenseful. He really is an adept writer, able to expose human lunacy, wrong-headedness, love, and decency with the seeming ease of turning a shirt inside out. Highly recommended.

bonus: It's British.