Customer Reviews

Number Ten

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

 

 

Number 10 is, of course, Number 10 Downing Street, where the British Prime Minister resides. In this rollicking political satire, the P.M. in question is Edward Clare, a man with many issues, who finds himself in political hot water for being out of touch with ordinary Britons. The solution is a secret tour, with Edward dressed as a woman, to meet people from all walks of life and find out how they really live. Edward is accompanied by loyal constable Jack Sprat, and the tour goes from one madcap scenario to another.

So, what happens? Will Edward gain new insight into the plight of everyday people? Will he come home with better ideas for the governance of Great Britain? Will he learn something about himself? You will just have to read the book to find out.

Author Sue Townsend, who is also the creator of the Adrian Mole books, is a brilliant comedic writer. She creates one improbable yet fascinating character after another, one implausible scene after another, and somehow it all works. Author Townsend clearly has a heart for people; even though you may laugh all the way through the book, you will also find a depth of feeling that makes her characters somehow, strangely, believable. I recommend Number 10 highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber

As an impressionist, John Sessions is not up to Rory Bremner's standard, but he does some very passable versions of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, John Prescott and Peter Mandelson. John takes us on an enjoyable ride through this story, and his narrative is let down only by the plot, which comes undone every time it focuses on the family of Jack Sprat, the policeman who guards Number 10.

The idea at the root of this novel had potential: Tony Blair lives in a bubble (though on a lesser scale than George Bush), and though good at dealing with politicians and the chattering classes, his rare performances in direct confrontation with Joe Public have often been poor. Thus Sue Townsend's concept of forcing her protagonist, Edward Clare, to meet the common man, totally unprotected, had considerable promise. But the idea of his dressing up as a woman to enable this tour of Britain was utterly implausible, though it proffers many comic moments. I particularly enjoyed the Balkan psychologist's report on Edward Clare in which he reveals all his concerns, after Clare checks into hospital after his prescient heart scare. (Sessions invents some great accents for every one of these minor parts, by the way.)

The continuing story of Adrian Mole has been a wonderful creative achievement, and I'm delighted to hear that, despite her blindness, Townsend is writing another episode in his unillustrious career. 'Number Ten' is by no means a total failure, but there is considerable scope for improvement in the plotting.

One thing that is engaging about "Number 10" is that it is not a shallow political satire that many Americans are accustomed to reading. (After all, this is British politics, and to expect the average American to understand half the jokes in a typical non-American satire is asking a lot.) With a minimum of acquaintance with the British government, one can get a very healthy dose of ripping humour from Sue Townsend's book. If you know a little more than the average, you can get some of the subtle jokes. My favorite is where actor Brian Blessed is quoted as saying that someone was loud.

That is a tame example of the humor in "Number Ten". The book is for adults and requires both an appreciation for British humour and an objective observation of political views and all their shortcomings. The story is not entirely funny or satirical. It has legs of its own, so it's interesting regardless of the political content, and it is worth your time to read.

The Queen and I is one of the funniest books I have ever read. I had great hopes for Number 10, but time and events have made this kind of satire seem almost irrelevant. Don't get me wrong. I think our leaders deserve to be taken down a notch and ridiculed when necessary. It's just that these days, satirizing Tony Blair by dressing him as a woman (a rather handsome woman, at that) doesn't go far enough. He needs to be ridiculed on a larger scale. When Number 10 came out in England, it was probably cutting edge satire, but even this broad comedy is too subtle for such unsubtle times. I have no doubt that Sue Townsend is up to the task, and will be slicing the ruling classes with a sharper sword soon.

I felt the most intense joy when I first discovered Adrian Mole. I laughed out loud in a crowded room and hugged it to me in joy; it was so clever and so funny. Sue Townsend's wit and her sharp observations of English life were acerbic, but not without pity or hope.

"Number 10" is without either. I found it depressingly morbid and full of despair despite the "happy endings" that some obtained.

If you like dark political humour you may enjoy it, if, that is, you can ignore the uneven pacing and the uncomfortable number of plot threads flailing around like a sea anemone's tentacles.

I hope this was just a one-off event - perhaps she's venting her displeasure of the Iraqi war. At any rate - I really can't recommend it.

A disclaimer, to start: I'm American and not so well-versed in British political architecture. Consequently a significant portion of the related humor and nuances were probably lost on me. But as I *am* an Anglophile, I did catch much of the brilliance reflected in the societal mirror which is Townsend's novel.

A random passage involving two of the main and opposing characters illustrates her hilarious wit and her capacity for putting her finger on the pulse of Britain's societal chasm:

~~
*The Prime Minister, unnerved by James's rant from the other room, tried to remember how one spoke to a genuine, old-style working-class person. What were the key points? Ferrets? Bingo?*
~~

This silly, laugh-out-loud satire makes fun of politicians (no party is safe, though I particularly detected jabs at the left) as well as both the 'prole' and upper classes -- the moral of the story being that the dividing lines are only fuzzy and fragile ones. She has Ali the Pakistani cab driver down to a 'T' and her ability to bring all the characters to life is excellent overall. I especially enjoyed the Norma and James diad -- Norma being constable Jack's 'mam' and James her live-in crackhead toy boy. I did find Townsend's introduction of new characters sometimes slightly difficult to follow (until she'd clear it up, say, in the next page or paragraph). And I did find the Barry's Leg 'bit' a bit ridiculous, even for a farce! Good fun though, this read -- as a farce should be. Although constable Jack Sprat wouldn't think so (considering 'fun' to be more of a Richard Branson pasttime).

Having said this, I'd probably give this novel a five (or at least a four and a half) if I were a Brit. I think the average American could probably more easily follow and relate to the characters in Townsend's The Queen and I, as was the case with me. But this is not Townsend's shortcoming, it is mine.

Nonetheless I enjoyed Number 10 and found its ending brilliant, ironic and symbolic -- also satisfying... and not unlike the resolution in The Queen and I. Furthermore, I enjoyed the author's use of poor Peter the budgie as a device: a minor, minor character with deep meaning in this farce.

Nearly a ten, this book!

Townsend continues in a strong tradition of British satire going back to Swift. The basic premise is a pretty old one: ruler goes out in disguise among his people to find out what the heck really goes on.

It helps to have some passing knowledge of British life and politics to fully enjoy it: the only books I can really compare to this are the Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister series.

The charachters - Spratt, Clare et al, are extremely well drawn. Particular kudos for the very likeable and believeable Pakistani cab driver, Ali.