Customer Reviews

The Bad Mother"s Handbook

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Don't be put off by the cliched title or the unexceptional bones of the story. What makes this book worthwhile is the author's ability to create distinctive characters, and her success in adding depth and bittersweet reality to an ordinary tale.

Funny, despairing, real - if u have ever felt like a loser, winner and half way participant in life at the same time then this novel is for you. Simple, unpretentious, and surprisingly humorous, it traces a brief interlude in the lives of three women ( okay one is a girl) - all daughters, all mothers, the three related to each other - and the men in their lives, intermingled with their mistakes, memories and maudlin catharsis ...all of which build up to a wonderful, soppy, happy hormone releasing end!

The title, `The bad mother handbook', made me pick up this book because I sometimes feel like I am a bad mother. And I am pretty sure I am not the only one who feels this way sometimes. It's when our children pushes us to our limits that we react without thinking - in a humanly way that's full of flaws. In fact, even mothers are not without flaws.

However, despite the title, `The bad mother handbook', given to the book, this book is no self-help book or a guide of any kind, which was what I initially thought it was. It's a novel. It's a story about how three generations of mothers have come together in an understanding, how the past clouded the now and how the now can change the future.

The backdrop for this book was set in 1997, the year that the dearly beloved Princess Diana perished in a fatal car crash. It was also in this year that Nan (the grandmother) started showing signs of her age, Karen (the mother) discovers a secret that she never thought she wanted to find out about, and it is also during this year that Charlotte (the pregnant teen) is also about discover what it is to be a mother.

The continual swapping of storyline and outlook throughout the book was confusing for me in the beginning. I have to admit this, in the beginning, I was just leafing through the pages, disbelieving of the fact that I actually paid RM30+ to read all of this nonsensical stuff. Things that I already know very well, as a mother, thank you very much. Ironically, it was this swapping that got me hook later on in the book. So, essentially, in `The bad mother handbook', there is not ONE main character, but there are three leading ladies! Once you get past the first few chapters and start to understand the characters, you'll soon get into their lives and pray for them.

For Nan, it was difficult to understand the way her story was written because much of it was written in a kind of English that the English used to talk in. For Karen, it's a very today thing since Karen does live in my generation. Well, maybe she's a couple of years older than me (ahem!) but heck, I understand every single word that is written about her and the things that she is going through. For Charlotte, she's just a typical teenager who's just fuming mad because of her mom's behavior and refusal to be more relaxed about her. Charlotte was basically rebelling and acted outrageously because Karen was tuned out of her life. The mother and daughter stopped speaking to each other because they couldn't see eye to eye about almost everything! The moment one of them opened their mouths, the other picks it up as an argument. How it reminds me of my teenage years. Karen, in the meantime, is hung-up on the mistake that she has made in the past - particularly, in getting pregnant, getting married, getting divorced and missing out on her education, having to live through each day in a dreary mood in an awful job she hates!

Because of this mistake, she wants only the best for Charlotte and imagine what she felt when Charlotte fell into the very footstep she took - in getting pregnant? And the father of the child is less than responsible towards the pregnancy. In the meantime, Karen goes on a quest to discover her true lineage and Charlotte finds a new friend and best buddy in the most unlikely boy in the whole school. His devotion and friendship (and adoration) got her through most of the tough times written about very realistically in `The bad mother handbook'.

It's not as witty and page-turning as I thought it was going to be but all in all, Kate Long has written a truly well-loved book in the form of `The bad mother handbook'. It's definitely a good read but don't expect Kay Scarpetta stuff in there. read leisurely and you will soon see the true value of a book like `The bad mother handbook'. Well done, Kate Long.

I had to buy this book because the title made me laugh. When I first started reading, I was put off by the first section which is a slightly disorienting flashback to Nan's youth. A page or two later, however, I couldn't put it down. There isn't an announcement every time you switch narrators, so you have to pay attention, but I found each of the three women fascinating. Most of all, I loved what the author did with the characters, the way she settled their individual stories with compassion and realism. Looking forward to Swallowing Grandma (again with the must-buy title!)

I thought this was a really good book - it alternates between the three women but in highlights not in the family saga style of the eighties. I really enjoyed it - she made it plausible that the granddaughter who disdained her mother would follow in her shoes. I am alredy looking forward to her next - swallowing grandma!

Charlotte is the youngest, in high school, daughter to Karen, who had her while she was in high school. She is only 33, but at times she "feels 60." She is daughter to Nan, who is somewhat senile, but sweet and loving. They are all living in the same house. You know how three women under one roof can be.

All is normal, except for one thing. Charlotte is more like her mother than she cares to be. She has found herself pregnant and the boyfriend is nowhere in sight. Will she follow in her mum's footsteps and have this baby, or take another road?

Her "friend" Daniel is there for her all of the way. He seems to have ulterior motives, but who wouldn't? He is a sweet Napoleon Dynamite looking type character, but knows a lot about pregnancy and does a lot of research on the internet. (Also on how to please a woman.)

This is a tale of growing up, getting along (or not) with your parents, and how women deal with each other.

It was fun to read and quick, the only thing I had a hard time with was the fact that it takes you a minute to realize which character is talking. All of a sudden there is a star and I realized that the characters switched, but the only one that uses a different font is Grandma Nan. I kept confusing Karen and her daughter Charlotte.

Recommended.

THE BAD MOTHER'S HANDBOOK by Kate Long

July 13, 2007

Amazon Rating: 4/5 stars

Here's a book that I wasn't sure what to expect, but I ended up liking a lot. THE BAD MOTHER'S HANDBOOK is the story of three generations of women, all of whom ended up raising their child in an unconventional setting, and are now all living together under one roof for one reason or another.

The novel takes place in London. Nan is the oldest and in her twilight years, driving her daughter Karen up the wall. Karen is in her thirties and is having issues with her daughter Charlotte, who unexpectedly finds herself pregnant and unwed (something Karen has done but was hoping that Charlotte wouldn't make the same mistake). Life is complicated for all of them, and gets worse as Nan starts to behave erratically, a sign of her old age. While Charlotte has to deal with a baby in her future, Karen has just learned that she's adopted. So she goes in search of the biological mother she hopes will love her more than she thinks Nan ever did.

While at first the three women drove me nuts, the more I got to know them, the more I got caught up in their stories. All three women had complicated histories, but the author did a wonderful job in making each story stand out. All three women are treated as main characters, just with different issues, as they learn to be a family and learn what really matters in the long run.

One stand out character I enjoyed was Charlotte's "friend" Daniel, who seems to have a crush on Charlotte. Charlotte, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with him at first. But he perseveres, and continues to be her friend after her boyfriend dumps her and fails to acknowledge that she's pregnant (he calls her "stupid"). Daniel and Charlotte's relationship is a test in friendship, and it's this that I think makes the story a big step above chick lit. (Actually, the book is NOT chick lit but the title may mislead some readers).

I'm definitely recommending THE BAD MOTHER'S HANDBOOK. It was a pleasant surprise and a good read. I hope to read more by this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this funny novel. The characters are real, relatable and intriguing. I saw the film first and enjoyed it, so since books are most often better, I gave it a shot and I'm glad I did.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Its a story about three generations living under the same roof- female perspective. Interesting to read about English lower-middle class life and tribulations. Had seen the tv movie based on this story and loved it. But after reading the novel, I love this story even more. Well done Kate Long. After posting this review, I'll be purchasing her other novels!

Provided a look at how at every age...it can be one of the most difficult things to be a mother and a daughter.