Customer Reviews

Filthy Rich

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

 

 

I purchased this book at St. Pancras station in London, needing a good fat read for the plane ride home to San Francisco. I had no idea that this was "chick lit" (a term I just learned after reading reviews of Ms. Holden's books). Author Wendy Holden has a wonderfully acute sense of the absurd - I really pity those complaining readers who whine that the plots of her books are outlandish. Word to the humorless: the plots and characters are MEANT TO BE outlandish! This is not historical fiction, folks. "Filthy Rich" is a brillantly-drawn comedy saga (500-plus pages in the edition I purchased). I found myself laughing out loud (really!), and even on occasion (and at the right times) getting a bit of a lump in my throat. And once I picked up the book, I could barely put it down. Once I finished, I missed the characters. Brilliantly funny. Inspired prose. Fantastic book. Don't hesitate to quote me.

Yes, chicklit but with a twist! A European twist! Good book to read and not too girly whirly so interesting to read. I'm hooked now... I want to read some more Wendy Holden!

I took this on holiday last week and was glad I did because it was a cleverly written, very amusing and sometimes poignant story of life in a small village and the residents who live there. If you live in a small village, as I do, you will most certainly recognise many of the characters from the old man who is the allotment fount of all knowledge to the alternate lifestyle know-it-all busy body who drives everyone nuts. The arguments over allotment allocations, treasure trove, planning applications and so on are right on form. There are layers of stories so there is more than one hero and heroine but my personal favourites are the owners of the stately home that is falling to bits while they are too broke to replace the ancient dead Volvo on the drive and survive on cheese on toast whilst running from here and there to move buckets to catch the drips from the ancient hole-ridden ceilings. There is a WAG, a rich American incomer couple, a sad solicitor and a new headmistress at the local church school who tussles with the vicar from hell. Wendy Holden gets under the skin of her characters and makes you laugh out loud at what some of them get up to. Alexandra the WAG was my favourite comedy sketch - absurd to the point of ridiculous but so, so funny. In some ways this is a very English story and there are some "in" jokes but over all it is well enough written to appeal to anyone who likes a good laugh and a rapdily paced read.

The characters were not developed well- I stopped after the hundredth page, I was hoping they would get better but they didn't buy something else. I wanted a beach read and instead I ended up painting my nails.