![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ‘… makes me want to shoot you with an actual gun.’ My voice was dry and mean and I hated it – and Patrick when he said, ‘Great, thanks’ with no emotion at all. The novel opens with Martha and her husband Patrick in a series of vignettes: at a party soon after their own wedding, and in the aftermath of Martha’s fortieth birthday party where she pointed out that Patrick’s way of miming the question Do you want a drink? It was an acerbic voice, wry and sharp and hilarious in places, deeply exuding pathos in others. If I want Fleabag, I would watch Fleabag, not read a book that is a bit like it…įortunately, I did persevere because it made the Women’s Prize shortlist and I pressed on – and it is not “like Fleabag“: Martha Friel’s voice was no imitation but distinctive, original and felt terribly authentic. And however much I enjoyed Fleabag – and I genuinely love that show and Phoebe Waller-Bridge generally, including her role in the Star Wars franchise which is the best droid ever! – that comparison put me off. I had avoided Meg Mason’s novel, even though it appeared on the Women’s Prize Longlist and Shortlist, because it was recommended to by in Waterstones, on two separate occasions in different stores as being ‘like Fleabag‘. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |