Wednesday 12 December 2012

Man and Boy (Tony Parsons)

Title: Man and Boy
Author: Tony Parsons
Published: 2000
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 344
Source: Own copy
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
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Man and Boy is the story of 30 year old Harry Silver. With a loving wife, a young son and a fantastic job he seems to have it all but one single act turns his world upside down and he becomes a single father trying to juggle parenthood and work and having to come to turns with the decisions he makes in his life.

This book is touted as being both humorous and heart warming and it didn't really hit me on either level. I did find it interesting to explore the thoughts and decisions of a man who is thrust into single parenthood, someone trying to do the best he can by his son while trying to work out his own life. But at the same time I found it hard to feel for the guy when it was his own stupid decisions that put him there in the first place.

On top of that, I have to admit something, I'm a bit of a romantic. I do love the whole idea of your one true love and although happily ever after doesn't always make a great book I can't go past a book with a brilliant enduring love sort of plot. Which meant that this book about falling in and out of love, divorces and second marriages was a little difficult for me. I wonder what that says about me? Maybe I don't live in the real world, or maybe I just see enough of it in the real world that I don't like to escape to it in my books.

Ultimately I didn't get very invested in the characters or their story and didn't find enough wit or emotion to hold my attention on this one.

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