On the Shelves...

by Glenda Smith Us

by David Nicholls

This is a wry and witty expose of the breakdown of a marriage between two very different people, which became a BBC television series and was shown recently on the ABC. The narrator Douglas is a cautious, painstaking scientist who has never been quite able to believe his luck in being married to the free spirited, artistic Connie. She had been drawn to Douglas because of his stability and consideration after a fraught relationship with a charismatic but abusive man.

On the eve of their Grand Tour of Europe (meticulously planned by Douglas) Connie reveals that she wants a change of direction, and feels that their marriage is over. Douglas is shocked and assumes the holiday will be cancelled, but Connie insists that they go as a last hurrah for their family – their son Albie has just finished school and is off to college. His plans begin to fray, and then unravel completely when Albie makes it clear he has no interest in a last attempt at bonding with him. Albie has never appreciated his ‘boring’ father, although he has always been close to his mother.

Douglas’ desperate attempts to hold everything together simply make everything worse, but his spirit and determination rarely falter. It is probably his optimism and good intentions that make him an appealing character as he tells the story in two timeframes – the past and the present. He also has a good sense of his own inadequacies when it comes to ‘cool’ people and situations. This self-deprecation is quite winning, and even though some readers may find him ridiculous, others would appreciate his genuineness.

All books reviewed are from the CWA library on a separate shelf in the library so they are easy to find plus the reviews are in a folder. Also have a look in the street library.