Hard to have sympathy as the protagonist is such an odious person!

I know this book is about a woman with a mental health illness, but even when she is not actually ill, she appears to be a genuinely very unpleasant person. Everyone in her life seems to adore her - it’s hard to discern why from the book. Even when well, she does things like go to the cinema and talk through the film and need to be asked to stop, and take out a library book, never return it and then return the request to return it as “addressee unknown”, and let a young man who’s seen her home safely late at night walk home across the whole of London rather than let him sleep on the sofa. I did not find a single incident where she showed a bone of consideration for anyone except herself and her entire relationship with everyone is centred around how she feels and whether she likes this or that restaurant or is prepared to eat this or that or go here or there. I nearly gave up on it but I wanted to hold on for SOMEONE to let her know that she’s just a horrid person even when not unwell!!

HOWEVER, the writing and reading are both fantastic and I will be looking for more books by this author. Emilia Fox is, of course, brilliant.

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1 person found this helpful

Exquisite and emotionally vigorous.

I loved this book. It took me through a kaleidoscope of emotions. A beautiful and harrowing account of mental illness and the human capacity for love and forgiveness.

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it wasn't till the end

it wasn't till the end that I truly fell in love with this book! which is why I gave it a 4, I never finish reading descriptions of books because all of it is like spoilers to me. I love to find everything for myself. the book is brilliantly written, and very believable, but it's more of a bikd up like I said and I think it's all worth it in the end!

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Not funny.

Cannot believe that the critics described this as “jaw-droppingly funny” or “hilarious”. For me, it was agonising to feel what this character and her husband had to live through because of the undiagnosed psychological condition. I just kept going and going through the book to get to what I hoped would be the relief of the conclusion. It was traumatic but well worth it. But I will admit that the sister and batty mother did bring very welcome moments of comic relief. Phew.

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It’s not helpful when people review a book that they haven’t finished

This is a powerful book, but if you’re looking for plot twists and a conventional structure, you will be disappointed. I’ve also noticed an annoying tendency in many of the reviews of fiction I’ve read for the negatives being from people who didn’t finish it, like a sports writer publishing before injury time in the 1999 Champions League final. On the subject of the illness at the centre of the book I think is a clearly flagged and very powerful, yet avoids labels to make it about the story and characters and not the disease. I can though understand why some people don’t agree with that, but for me it worked.

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Loved it... beautifully written

Written beautifully, very sensitive and manage to take you through a range of feelings.
Loved the choice of narrator as well, she performed it perfectly.

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Very listenable. Exquisite word use.

Really well written and beautifully read by Emilia Fox
Not so fast paced but a lovely measured story with interesting characters that keep you listening.
A love story with hope and redemption at its heart.
I started off not so interested in what seemed spoiled narcissistic characters. After realising they are flawed, I was more empathetic then positively rooting for them and was in tears more than once.

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Beautiful, heartbreaking and funny!

This book will seep into your soul and linger there long after you’ve finished reading.

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Absolutely brilliant

Relatable, heart rending, happy, sad and funny. Also perfectly read by Emilia fox - such a great choice for this book. Huge congratulations to the author - it was all so REAL!

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stunning in every category

never before have I pulled into an IKEA car park and sat listening to a book for two hours because I loved it so much. un turn offable. the reading performance just perfect.

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