A Spot Of Bother
About This Book
Condition & Size
A Spot of Bother
Mark Haddon
Large Hardcover
Some wear to the sleeve
George Hall is an unobtrusive man. A little distant, perhaps, a little cautious, not at quite at ease with the emotional demands of fatherhood, or manly bonhomie. He does not understand the modern obsession with talking about everything. "The secret of contentment, George felt, lay in ignoring many things completely." Some things in life, however, cannot be ignored.
At 61, George is settling down to a comfortable retirement, building a shed in his garden, reading historical novels and listening to a bit of light jazz. Then his tempestuous daughter, Katie, announces that she is getting re-married, to the deeply inappropriate Ray. Her family is not pleased as her brother Jamie observes, Ray has "strangler's hands." Katie can't decide if she loves Ray, or loves the wonderful way he has with her son Jacob, and her mother Jean is a bit put out by all the planning and arguing the wedding has occasioned, which get in the way of her quite fulfilling late-life affair with one of her husband's ex-colleagues. And the tidy and pleasant life Jamie has created crumbles when he fails to invite his lover, Tony, to the dreaded nuptials.
Unnoticed in the uproar, George discovers a sinister lesion on his hip, and quietly begins to lose his mind.
The way these damaged people fall apart and come together as a family is the true subject of Haddon's disturbing yet amusing portrait of a dignified man trying to go insane politely.
A SPOT OF BOTHER is Mark Haddon's unforgettable follow-up to the internationally beloved bestseller THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME. Here the madness literally of family life proves rich comic fodder for Haddon's crackling prose and bittersweet insights into misdirected love.
About Readmatter Online Used Bookshop
Born from a dream during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, ReadMatter has blossomed into one of South Africa s premier online used bookstores. Operating from three strategic depots in Gauteng, we diligently deliver hundreds of books weekly, illuminating minds and enriching souls and bringing the joy of reading to every corner of the nation. Our shelves boast roughly 10,000 books and 4,000 authors at any moment, with an additional 100,000 unlisted treasures available upon request. Can't find what you're looking for? Allow us the privilege to unearth it for you! At ReadMatter, a portion of every sale is lovingly donated to a variety of causes supporting the aged, the vulnerable, and animal conservation. Join us in turning pages and transforming lives, one story at a time.
