Customer Reviews

Perfect Skin

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

 

 

Two of my favourite literary characters are Louis Ironson - from Angels from America - who polemicizes, intellectualizes, pontificates and basically just talks and talks - and Mo, from the very funny comic strip "Dykes to Watch Out For" who basically does the same. In the face of fear, pain or jealousy, they talk against the world, and yeah, it's blathering, but I find it charming. Probably because I do the same, which is maybe a reason why I'm a writer.

The main character in Perfect Skin does an awful lot of talking which biases me towards both liking him and liking the book.

Another reason why I like the book: I like books that are about people and relationships, that don't necessarily need big events to drive the story. Perfect Skin is a page-turner because you want to know what happens to the characters. It's about how we live our daily lives, how we relate to each other, and how we reach out to people.

A lot seems to be made about the humour in this book - and it's true, it's very very funny and enjoyable because of it - but perhaps it works all the better because of what lies underneath - weighty gusts of loss and hurt, recovery and survival.

I found it affecting and beautiful: a perfect little gem of a book that let me under the skin of some characters I was glad to meet and get to know.

Where else could you find a story about a recently widowed father who pees on his date's cat?

I am a self-proclaimed British Chick books lover and when I saw this one in the library, I was intrigued by the cover jacket ~~ it looks like something I would read and the fact that it was written by an Aussie and a male at that, I just had to pick it up. It's wonderful! It's cute and pardon the pun ~~ it's adorable. (I don't think the author would like that term applied to his book!)

Jon, a single dad and doctor, is attempting to go back into the world after his wife's death in childbirth and what ensues is a series of misfortunate and hilarious accidents. (I have to say that Nick Earls sure knows his cats! I am almost tempted to ask him if my cat was the basis of Flag, the cat hero in this book!) Anyhow, one day he was just dad to Lily and a dermatologist in a busy practice then the next day, he's juggling between two women. Katie is the woman trapped in the 80s with the 80s hairdo that Jon and his office mates secretly joke about. Ash is the jogging partner that makes his mind go around in circles. Jon is left juggling his feelings for Ash while trying to let Katie down gently. That is where Flagg comes in. Flagg decides that he likes Jon ~~ and Jon seems to be extremely clumsy where the cat is concerned. (My husband laughed and laughed over choice parts of the book.)

I really can't go into too much details about this book because if I do, I will ruin it for the next person to read this review. All I can say is buy this book and see for yourself. Earls writes with humor and grace about a single dad slowly feeling his way back into the world after his wife's death. He also writes with feeling about Jon's coming to grips with his wife's death and becoming a father. Jon may be bewildered and confused at times, but what father wouldn't be? And it is just one of the best short reads I've read this year.

If Earls has more books out in the States, I'll be sure to pick them up. He is a talent to watch out for.

...

Jon Marshall is a successful laser surgeon with a nice house and a baby named Lily, whom he affectionately refers to as "the Bean". So, what's wrong with Jon's world and why has everything turned out so completely different from what he'd anticipated life would be like in his 30's? Is his new friend Ashley really just a "running buddy" or could there be more to the friendship? Friends George, Oscar and Wendy help Jon face the challenges as he attempts to make sense of a world that has taken a sharp and unexpected turn.
It's too bad I'm such a slow reader because yesterday was totally shot, thanks to this book. The story of Jon Marshall is gripping because Earls blends intelligence, realism and humor with madcap situations, dangling unanswered questions that the protagonist convincingly sidesteps as he tells his story in first person. Where, for example, is the mother of his child Lily? Well, another reviewer has answered that, but try to forget before you read this book.
Apart from a few angst-ridden reflections that dragged on a bit too long, this was one of the best books I've read all year. The dialogue was witty, its hero incredibly easy to love and relate to in spite of (or maybe because of) his many insecurities and imperfections, and every character was well-defined. I particularly loved the fact that Jon's friends were the kind you can call at 3:00 a.m., knowing they'll be there for you in an emergency--but don't let them get wind of the stupid thing you did last night or they'll never let you live it down. In other words, they were true to life. Highly recommended, particularly for those who enjoy contemporary fiction.

Like other reviewers have said, this book appealed to me because I was curious to read a man's take on the chick-lit genre. However it turned out to be much, much better than I expected. 'Perfect Skin' is not as superficial as many chick-lit books, but is just as entertaining. Even my husband (a man's man) enjoyed the book too.

I won't repeat the fine information provided by the jacket blurb or my fellow reviewers. Here are a few other things worth mentioning about the book.

The writing style is very unique to Mr Earl's writing. Most authors use quoted dialogue to describe conversations between characters, which makes me feel like a 'fly on the wall' with privileged access to the main characters' thoughts. In contrast, Nick Earls uses no quoted dialogue. Instead, he simply describes the dialogue, which takes a little getting used to at first. This style made me feel like I was experiencing the events from INSIDE the main character's head. It works and it's a really cool effect.

I also enjoyed the story's setting. It's set in Brisbane suburbs (Brisbane is a city in the semi-tropical north-east of Australia). So many books are set in the USA and UK:...ho hum. I enjoyed the novelty of a book set in Australia, with Australian cultural references. For the most part the setting is very generic western culture but every now and then you get a hint of Australian culture - it's not difficult to understand at all - just a cute spicy difference to the setting.

'Perfect Skin' was the first of Nick Earls's novels that I read. I had no trouble understanding the the story. I later discovered that it is set after 'Bachelor Kisses' which is about the main character of 'Perfect Skin', set a decade earlier at a very different stage of his life. You don't need to read 'Bachelor Kisses' to understand 'Perfect Skin'. They are very very different books (Bachelor Kisses is much less moving but more pant-wettingly/embarrassingly funny).

I recommend 'Perfect Skin' for its wonderful entertainment value, for the curious writing style and for the armchair-traveller feeling bestowed by the Australian setting.

"Perfect Skin" is another addition to the modern breed of popular novel: aimed squarely at the 20- or 30-something yuppie women's demographic, with perhaps a sideline in selling to the SNAG market. Published in a nice large size, with an eye-catching picture and a sleek new millennium font (wouldn't want to risk being confused with the Danielle Steele genre), these novels have become disappointingly homogeneous. Unusually among its shelf companions, however, "Perfect Skin" is written by a man. Nick Earls' no-nonsense prose and willingness to grapple with some deeper life issues makes a refreshing change from the giggly bimbo style of other similar novels.

The topic of this venture into pop publishing is single parenting - more specifically, single fatherhood. Jon seems to have his life all under control: there's him, the Bean (6 months old), his gaggle of similarly single friends and his dermatology practice. As we begin to delve deeper into Jon's life, the strands come apart to reveal some unexpected truths about putting a life back together. Along the way, there's a semi-deranged cat woman with eighties hair, an unfortunate incident in the bathroom involving her cat, several sleep-deprived nights with baby Bean and an interesting new female acquaintance...

"Perfect Skin" kept me entertained for a few hours without really leaving a permanent impression. It stands out somewhat from other novels of the same type for the reasons above, but ultimately doesn't amount to much more than that. The style is easy, the characters are amusing, the plot isn't too saccharine. A good 'girly' book to read in the bath with a block of chocolate and a glass of something nice; or buy it as a present for that friend you always buy the latest yuppie book for.

6 stars out of 10