Customer Reviews

Notting Hell: A Novel

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

 

 

The other person who reviewed this is right, it is a women's book. I gave it 5 stars because I totally enjoyed it from beginning to end, surprising even myself. I remarked to someone at the office that if this had taken place on New York's upper east side (again!) I would probably have hated it. But it was funny. Mimi and Clare are very distinguishable, one frantically trying to keep up with the Joneses, with her ramshackle family and not caring aristocratic husband Ralph (that's Rafe, Americans); the other taking herself totally seriously as a windowbox consultant and devotee of feng shui. Mimi is assigned to write an article on adultery, which is going on all around her, and most of it not in a conventional sense. You have the perfect French couple, the seemingly boorish American couple, the vegans, the dog lovers, the child lovers. Unlike the awful Elements of Style or The Right Address, I liked these people with all their faults and pretensions. They weren't perfect. They got themselves into embarrassing situations. In general, they weren't mean (check Joan and Wendy in The Right Address, for instance). I didn't see this as a serious piece of literature, but it wasn't supposed to be. As a piece of gentle satire from the author's own background, it works. I really liked it.

I laughed aloud several times in the first 50 pages or so, as Rachel Johnson hilariously and entertainingly ticks off one after another of the characteristics and life-styles of a certain type of residents who live in her (and my) neighbourhood around a Notting Hill garden square; and I wondered how she could possibly keep this up over 328 pages - and of course she couldn't. Later on, the descriptions, page after page, of chichi foods and food stores, chichi dresses and dress shops, chichi interiors and chichi-to-be-but-for-the-moment-stroppy kids eventually become wearying; and the adulteries around the garden square are novelettish.

It's all seen through feminine eyes: the chapters alternate between the first person narratives of two women, friends and competitors: the very rich but childless Clare, obsessively trying to thwart a mega-rich American banker building an extension of his mansion into the garden, and the somewhat less rich mother-of-three Mimi; but their voices are indistinguishable one from another. There is one other hilarious scene - the annual Garden Sports and Summer Party, and I do like the unexpected ending.

I almost never review books because everyone gets bent out of shape when you say you didn't enjoy something that people seem to like, but this book begs for the exception, and mostly because the phrase "yummy mummy" is so loathesome that I'd like to demand it be stricken from the public lexxicon. Additionally, if you cut out the inane brand names, the unlikeable lead female characters and the aren't-we-preciousness of where they live, what you have left is a magazine article, which is really what this should be.

A disappointing piece of British chick lit set in London's Notting Hill (of course) and chronicling the ridiculous goings on of the residents of the exclusive area that reside on a communal garden. Alternating between the perspectives of two of the garden's residents--best friends Mimi and Clare--the story just didn't do it for me.

Mimi is the mother of three, and married to Ralph; although not extremely wealthy by Notting Hill standards, the couple inherited the family home from Ralph's father, and have lived in it ever since. Ralph desires to sell the home--believing they are living above their means--and retire to the country. Mimi cannot envision living anywhere BUT Notting Hill...especially since the arrival of their new charismatic billionaire neighbor. The sparks between the two are not to be ignored; and when Mimi's employer requests that her next column revolve around the life of the single, handsome Si...Mimi is faced with incredible temptation. Will she succomb, or will she continue being the dutiful wife to husband Ralph and mother to her children that she has always been?

Neatnik Clare is the opposite of friend Mimi in that respect; a horticulturist, Clare's expertise is obviously useful in the garden. Husband Gideon is an architect, specializing in ecofriendly structures and materials. Despite years of trying, Clare and Gideon remain childless. It soon becomes apparent that two disgruntled spouses can join forces and make their dreams come true.....

An unappealing novel whose chick lit appeal and possible humor is overshadowed by the viciousness of the betrayals and deceptions perpetrated by the characters. Sort of "chick lit noire." Couple that with sloppy editing and the fact that some things I am sure I could not appreciate not being from the UK, and this was a book that I am glad that I paid virtually nothing for.

DYB

I had read reviews of this book and was looking forward to reading it. It took me a 1/3 of the way into it to start to be interested, but then it sort of lost me. I kept reading hoping it would improve, but I felt it really fell short. A few funny parts and definately a "chick book" but not worth the effort overall.

For me this book was to be another fun chic lit read, but I found it much more than that. It definitely showed a side of upper class people that I never dwelled on. I guess the best way to say it is in a cliche. Money does not buy happiness.

The people living on this nice communal garden square in London really did not seem that happy, and often have to find other ways to find a slice of bliss. It seems there was always a want for more and more. While many promoted being eco friendly and green, a vast sense of consumerism was going on. There was no way that anyone, beside Ralph LOL, was going to wear a used pair of shoes. That would be just too embarassing even if the shoes almost looked brand new and were a very well known name brand.

I personally dont see anything wrong with buying beautiful new things for yourself, and I really did not intend on getting a message from this book. But quite literally I found myself thinking that even though a person has so much already they only want more. I definitely saw this in the book. More meaning whatever they could to fill a void of unhappiness.

It would be nice for people to just be happy living in a beautiful posh area of London, but there is always a bit of greed in all of us, I suppose.

I did not really go into much detail of the book. The story line does read very much like the chic lit books I laugh and find myself enjoying, but there is a definite under lying message here. The thing I find a bit strange is the author is poking fun of the very life style she has chosen for herself. I dont know much about her columns like many British readers may, but what I gather is that she lives in this very type of posh community. It would be interesting to do more research on the author.

I recommend this book for a good read, but be prepared for it to not be lite chic lit fare.

Notting Hell is a satirical and acerbic commentary on the super wealthy "haves and the have yachts" in a Notting Hill neighborhood surrounding a communal garden. Rachel Johnson slices and dices through the families living on Lonsdale Gardens where selling a rare-to-the-market mid Victorian house is considered the ultimate and most unforgivable faux pas.

Bravo for Rachel Johnson casting aside society's obsession with being "politically correct" and the convenient use of this oxymoron to smoke screen the world's hypocrisy, bad behavior and conspicuous consumption to the max.

"Last month, a woman exited the store after a light, gluten-free lunch and found a traffic warden in the process of writing her a ticket and affixing it to the windscreen of her Mercedes jeep. She picked up a brick off a skip and hit him over the head with it, knocking him out. She ripped off the ticket, laid it on his prone body, then she hopped into her car, reversed into the car behind, and drove off at speed, almost killing Ruby Wax on the pedestrian crossing. Presumably, the woman felt that braining a hard working Ghanaian immigrant after spending his entire annual salary on a morning's groceries was a very appropriate climax to her ethical retail experience."

Reality check, Notting Hell exists all over the world; every city/town has their own mutated form of the NHM (Notting Hill Mummy) and their key developmental milestones. Here is a partial list and my observations in our parallel universe:

1. Notting Hill: Invited to join private group/club/class. Where we live: Yes

2. Notting Hill: Have at least one gifted child. Where we live: Yes, everyone has a gifted child bumper sticker on their auto. Apparently, children no longer get anything less than an A.

3. Notting Hill: Have at least one special needs child. Where we live: If the child isn't gifted then they are some form of the alphabet, ADD, AHDD, dyslexic, etc, and proudly medicated..

4. Notting Hill:Weigh less and/or look younger than own

daughter. Where we live: Yes, Yes. The mothers are in competition with daughters. Lest we not forget their wearing of inappropriate clothing (this most often occurs if overweight) and the one "must have"...ridiculously oversized breast augmentation surgery. Also noted, the women appear to have more Testosterone than the men. They are more angry and aggressive(especially driving)and the men are sensitive and cry at everything.

To all detractors, you need to get out more often because all of this is not uncommon, it just occurs in different groups and geographic locations. I give Ms. Johnson credit for saying it like it is. Don't take is so seriously; get a sense of humor. It is meant to be amusing and light.

"I enter into the fruit and vegetable produce side of the store which wafts conceit in the same way supermarkets pipe the smell of fresh baked-bread at their customers."

Read the book, have some laughs, enjoy the surprise ending and take it as intended, a sarcastic look at life and flawed human nature.

Garden designer Clare is an anal neat freak who is dying to have children with her eco-architect husband. She is the prime example of the upper-crust snob who wants to know everyone else's business, yet keeps tight rein on her own. Clare monitors all prohibited actions occuring in the private West London compound. Anything from adultery to bird watching and no one is off her radar. Not even her "best friend" Mimi, a 37-year-old freelance journalist and mother of three adorable children. To everyone on the outside, Mimi is living the perfect Notting Hill lifestyle. But life isn't all what it's cracked up to be.

Troubles begin to flourish in the famous London communal garden community. Marriages and even friendships are about to suffer some major drama-related catastrophes.

I was expecting this book to have more of a Desperate Housewives feel to it. Instead I found that the "drama" that occurred was boring and not at all enticing. A bit predictable and the characters didn't move me at all. Overall, I give NOTTING HELL 2 ½ stars.

I bought this book to read for fun. The first couple of chapters were good. The middle and ending of the book were slow moving and not as interesting as the beginning. I liked the two characters but after a while it got to be boring with just the two of them. I didn't like this book very much. Not as entertaining as I thought it would be, but that's just me.

I agree with the previous review! I thought this book was very witty and clever and I didn't want to put it down because I had to see what happens next. Rachel Johnson is a gem and I'm so glad I came across her book. Makes me think Desperate Housewives in book form set in England. Clare and Mimi and friends are all interesting. And there are many laugh-out-loud moments. I highly recommend this book and I can't wait for the sequel!