One Day I Shall Astonish the World
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- Create Date：2022-04-18 00:51:51
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Nina Stibbe
- ISBN：0241451167
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Summary
From the prize-winning author of Reasons to be Cheerful comes a story about the ebb and flow of female friendship over half a lifetime
'A true gift of a novel， I utterly adored it。 For as long as I could make it last， the world just felt a bit nicer' Meg Mason
'Stibbe turns out more perfect， sharp， unique sentences than anyone else' Caitlin Moran
'Stibbe has an extraordinary gift' Marian Keyes
'Nina Stibbe makes being funny look easy， but that's just because she's very， very good at it' Clare Chambers
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Susan and Norma have been best friends for years， at first thrust together by force of circumstance （a job at The Pin Cushion， a haberdashery shop in 1990s Leicestershire） and then by force of character （neither being particularly inclined to make friends with anyone else）。 But now， thirty years later， faced with a husband seeking immortality and Norma out of reach on a wave of professional glory， Susan begins to wonder whether she has made the right choices about life， love， work， and， most importantly， friendship。
Nina Stibbe's new novel is the story of the wonderful and sometimes surprising path of friendship: from its conspiratorial beginnings， along its irritating wrong turns， to its final gratifying destination。
_________________________________________________
'Nina Stibbe's very funny novels are full of charm， and her latest brilliantly captures the mordant humour of British suburban life' Evening Standard
'I absolutely loved every single page of it！ I honestly think it's the funniest thing she's ever written' Garth Jennings
'I'm not surprised to see that Stibbe's writing has been compared to Jane Austen's' Emma Healey
'I am already longing for Nina Stibbe's next book' Observer
'Stibbe is one of the all-time greats' Daisy Buchanan
'Clever and funny， it takes a sharp look at the intricacies of marriage， friendship， work and driving。 As with all Stibbe's writing there is a pleasingly perfect balance of wisdom with jokes' Cathy Rentzenbrink
'Nina Stibbe is not just very funny but absolutely life-affirming' Jenny Colgan
'For beautifully funny and well-observed comic writing， Nina Stibbe is your go-to author。 In her latest release， a tale of lifelong friendship between Susan and Norma， she explores the mistakes， rivalries and love we all experience in life' Stylist
'One of the great comic writers of our time' Irish Times
'A true gift of a novel， I utterly adored it。 For as long as I could make it last， the world just felt a bit nicer' Meg Mason
'Stibbe turns out more perfect， sharp， unique sentences than anyone else' Caitlin Moran
'Stibbe has an extraordinary gift' Marian Keyes
'Nina Stibbe makes being funny look easy， but that's just because she's very， very good at it' Clare Chambers
________________________________________________
Susan and Norma have been best friends for years， at first thrust together by force of circumstance （a job at The Pin Cushion， a haberdashery shop in 1990s Leicestershire） and then by force of character （neither being particularly inclined to make friends with anyone else）。 But now， thirty years later， faced with a husband seeking immortality and Norma out of reach on a wave of professional glory， Susan begins to wonder whether she has made the right choices about life， love， work， and， most importantly， friendship。
Nina Stibbe's new novel is the story of the wonderful and sometimes surprising path of friendship: from its conspiratorial beginnings， along its irritating wrong turns， to its final gratifying destination。
_________________________________________________
'Nina Stibbe's very funny novels are full of charm， and her latest brilliantly captures the mordant humour of British suburban life' Evening Standard
'I absolutely loved every single page of it！ I honestly think it's the funniest thing she's ever written' Garth Jennings
'I'm not surprised to see that Stibbe's writing has been compared to Jane Austen's' Emma Healey
'I am already longing for Nina Stibbe's next book' Observer
'Stibbe is one of the all-time greats' Daisy Buchanan
'Clever and funny， it takes a sharp look at the intricacies of marriage， friendship， work and driving。 As with all Stibbe's writing there is a pleasingly perfect balance of wisdom with jokes' Cathy Rentzenbrink
'Nina Stibbe is not just very funny but absolutely life-affirming' Jenny Colgan
'For beautifully funny and well-observed comic writing， Nina Stibbe is your go-to author。 In her latest release， a tale of lifelong friendship between Susan and Norma， she explores the mistakes， rivalries and love we all experience in life' Stylist
'One of the great comic writers of our time' Irish Times
Reviews
Annarella
，
This was the first book I read by Nina Stibbe and won't surely be the last as I found this book entertaning and full of food for thought。There's a lot of humour， interesting social remarks， and an excellent style of writing。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine This was the first book I read by Nina Stibbe and won't surely be the last as I found this book entertaning and full of food for thought。There's a lot of humour， interesting social remarks， and an excellent style of writing。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Brittany （Britt's Book Blurbs）
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DNF @ 23%The narrative is bogged down with details and isn't going anywhere fast。 Stibbe's sense of humour has its moments （ "My husband Roy and I have been at odds， starting when I accidentally called out the VC's name during an unusually playful moment。 All I can think is that I somehow got the names 'Roy' and 'Professor Willoughby' muddled。"） but was a lot more miss than hit。 After asking myself if this was going anywhere for the third time， I knew it was time to give up。 DNF @ 23%The narrative is bogged down with details and isn't going anywhere fast。 Stibbe's sense of humour has its moments （ "My husband Roy and I have been at odds， starting when I accidentally called out the VC's name during an unusually playful moment。 All I can think is that I somehow got the names 'Roy' and 'Professor Willoughby' muddled。"） but was a lot more miss than hit。 After asking myself if this was going anywhere for the third time， I knew it was time to give up。 。。。more
Jennie Godfrey
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What a joy of a book。 I absolutely loved it。 This story of Susan Warren， her life and family and friendship with Norma， who she meets at her Saturday job is that rare thing - a ‘normal’ life made extraordinary by the talent of the writer。 Funny， moving and insightful I really couldn’t put this down and it provided the perfect antidote to a week of illness and horrible news in the UK。 A triumph！
Ali
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I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn’t get into。 It。 The writing is brilliant as is always the case with Nina Stibbe but I couldn’t connect with any of the characters。 Obviously just not a book for me。 I received a free copy of this book， a favourable review was not required and all opinions expressed here are my own。
jean
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It took me a little while to get into this book as at the beginning it felt as if the author had to make sure the reader knew it was a humorous book and stuffed in lots of witty comments whenever possible。 However it did seem to calm down after a while and I enjoyed the gradual unfolding of the story told with warmth and some laugh out loud moments and descriptions。 However， for me， the end let it down again as the whole COVID episode seemed tacked on and the story could have reached a satisfyin It took me a little while to get into this book as at the beginning it felt as if the author had to make sure the reader knew it was a humorous book and stuffed in lots of witty comments whenever possible。 However it did seem to calm down after a while and I enjoyed the gradual unfolding of the story told with warmth and some laugh out loud moments and descriptions。 However， for me， the end let it down again as the whole COVID episode seemed tacked on and the story could have reached a satisfying conclusion without it。thank you to netgalley and penguin books for an advance copy of this book 。。。more
Richard
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3。5 StarsEccentric middle-England characters abound in One Day I Shall Astonish the World - a witty （and caustic） tale of love， friendship， and family spanning multiple generations。 Occasionally， it felt a little too cloying and parochial for my tastes。 I wondered about its broader， universal appeal – many of the colloquialisms and nuances might be lost on a non-UK audience。 That said， it was entertaining， clever， and droll in equal measure， although not quite reaching the dizzy heights of Sorro 3。5 StarsEccentric middle-England characters abound in One Day I Shall Astonish the World - a witty （and caustic） tale of love， friendship， and family spanning multiple generations。 Occasionally， it felt a little too cloying and parochial for my tastes。 I wondered about its broader， universal appeal – many of the colloquialisms and nuances might be lost on a non-UK audience。 That said， it was entertaining， clever， and droll in equal measure， although not quite reaching the dizzy heights of Sorrow and Bliss or Fleabag。My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for granting this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kirstyn （readwithkirstyn）
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One Day I Shall Astonish the World is a pretty enjoyable book but wasn't exactly what I was hoping for。 The book is well written with a few confusing moments， but overall it was a bit of a miss for me。 Still wonderfully written though。 One Day I Shall Astonish the World is a pretty enjoyable book but wasn't exactly what I was hoping for。 The book is well written with a few confusing moments， but overall it was a bit of a miss for me。 Still wonderfully written though。 。。。more
Lucy
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Nina creates Susan and Norma's friendship with comedy， admiration， and enjoyment。 She takes the reader on a laugh out loud tale of modern female companionship and their reflections on life。 There is very little I can say about these characters without giving too much of the plot away; trust me when I say they are hard to forget， and you will be talking and thinking about them even after the book is placed back on the shelf。Nina Stibbe is a new author for me， but I will be looking for more of her Nina creates Susan and Norma's friendship with comedy， admiration， and enjoyment。 She takes the reader on a laugh out loud tale of modern female companionship and their reflections on life。 There is very little I can say about these characters without giving too much of the plot away; trust me when I say they are hard to forget， and you will be talking and thinking about them even after the book is placed back on the shelf。Nina Stibbe is a new author for me， but I will be looking for more of her work。 Her writing style flows well， and this story is executed brilliantly。 This is a fantastic read that stole a night's sleep from me。 I could not put this down and carried on reading until the early morning hours， making this a 24-hour read for me。 This may be the most straightforward five-star rating I have given！ An absolute gem of a book that I can not recommend enough。 In short， all I can say about this is - READ THIS BOOK！！Thank you NetGalley and Viking for a gifted copy of this book， in exchange for an honest and voluntary review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Pam Wright Alfie Blue Puss In Books
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Having read and enjoyed all of Nina’s previous novels both fiction and non-fiction I was delighted to receive this ARC from NetGalley， Penguin Books and the author for a fair and honest review…spoiler alert it’s a belterThe story is narrated by Susan and split into three sections and timelines-Friendship， Marriage and Work spanning from 1990-2020- each section has threads of them all。 The plot is how Susan friendships with her best friend Norma Pack-Allen（ fabulous name） changes over the years a Having read and enjoyed all of Nina’s previous novels both fiction and non-fiction I was delighted to receive this ARC from NetGalley， Penguin Books and the author for a fair and honest review…spoiler alert it’s a belterThe story is narrated by Susan and split into three sections and timelines-Friendship， Marriage and Work spanning from 1990-2020- each section has threads of them all。 The plot is how Susan friendships with her best friend Norma Pack-Allen（ fabulous name） changes over the years as love， life and work happens。 This is very much a character lead novel， all the characters in this novel are solid gold even minor characters shine 。 My favourites were Grace， Norma and Susan’s Mum。 The are so well written， true to life and funny。 I was proper laughing at Roy with the cat who was destroying the garden， literally could picture it as my Dad has said them thing in his on going battle with the neighbourhood cats。 Though Susan Stibbe shows these characters in all their fantastically flawed ways。 The interaction between characters is realistic。 The writer is acutely observant on everyday life in all it’s comedy both light and dark this is captured perfectly in the characters and their interactions。 Anyone who has decades of friendship will relate beautifully。Whilst the plot is just really one woman’s observations of life， that is what is brilliant about the novel it perfectly captures every aspects of British family life in a way that we all can relate。 It is simply one woman’s story but told in a way that is not only funny but also has a deeper undertone that makes it compulsive reading。 It is quirky， funny， bittersweet， heartwarming and just a little bit of light relief。The later section deals with the lead up to covid 19 and the start of lockdown this done so well I won’t go into the bits n bobs of it all but Stibbe captures that moment in time perfectly。 This book will appeal to anyone who has read any of the authors previous novels you won’t be let down this book will fill you with joy and giggles it’s brilliantly charming and uplifting with out it being sickly sweet。 Nina is a writer with vibes of Alan Bennett and Sue Townshend… a comic voice with a sense of great sensitivity and authenticity 。。。more
Crystal Palmisano-dillard
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This is a rambling stream of conscious that spans the lifetime of our main character Susan。 Even thought the story touches on hugely emotional situations （unplanned pregnancy， the discovery of her husband’s love child， etc etc） there is an emotional disconnect。 Susan， our narrator， is detached， like the story doesn’t really touch her。 The lack of emotion made this an incredibly boring read。
Paromjit
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Nina Stibbe's darkly humorous novel of friendship， and marriage through the decades is set in Leicestershire， and is densely written， capturing the everyday details and ordinariness of life from the 1990s right upto to Covid in the present。 It begins with a prologue in which Susan， a PA to the Vice-Chancellor of Rutland University is putting together a newsletter， not easy given the paucity of news。 Her husband， Roy， is intent on living forever， the only veg he will eat are baked beans and icebe Nina Stibbe's darkly humorous novel of friendship， and marriage through the decades is set in Leicestershire， and is densely written， capturing the everyday details and ordinariness of life from the 1990s right upto to Covid in the present。 It begins with a prologue in which Susan， a PA to the Vice-Chancellor of Rutland University is putting together a newsletter， not easy given the paucity of news。 Her husband， Roy， is intent on living forever， the only veg he will eat are baked beans and iceberg lettuce， and he is putting his fingers in his ears when Susan speaks， all of which speaks volumes of the state of her 28 year marriage， and her daughter， Honey， who has come back to live at home， wants her mother to meet with her counsellor。 Susan reflects on how she got here， particularly focusing on the highs， lows and pain of her life defining friendship with Norma-Jean Pallou。 Coincidentally， she met Roy at the Two Swans Cafe， he works at the golf club， and Norma on the same day in the 1990s， Norma posing as the manager of The Pin Cushion， a haberdashery store that Susan， a Literature undergraduate， is working at for the summer。 Norma has a science background， and is now seeking entry to a more literary university course， and Susan helps her prepare for this。 We follow Susan becoming unexpectedly pregnant 7 months into her relationship with Roy， leading to her becoming married and dropping out of university， despite Norma's warnings。 Unsurprisingly her relationship with Roy changes dramatically after giving birth， and we observe the various life events through the years， such as the out of blue surprising marriage of Norma to Hugo Pack-Allen， becoming parents， and raising children。 Then there is a return to the present to see if Susan manages to make herself become more seen as a person than she has been so far。Stibbe's novel will no doubt be loved by many， there will be readers who will love the opportunity to immerse themselves in 1990s nostalgia and the culture of the period。 The character of Susan， her relationships and her life will resonate for some， and I can dispassionately see that much of the narrative is humorous。 However， I failed to connect with any of the characters， and the humour does not work for me， it simply didn't appeal， which made this entertaining read that much more of a laboured experience。 Do not let this review put you off reading this， please read other far more positive reviews before deciding whether to read this。 Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more
Gemma Swain
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Having heard so many great things about Nina Stibbe I was really looking forward to this book， and I’m pleased to say that it didn’t disappoint。 She has such a wonderful way with words and is a master of comic writing。 One Day I Shall Astonish The World tells the story of Susan and Norma， who meet in their late teens working at a haberdashery in Leicester。 The story focuses on Susan and how her friendship with Norma develops over the course of forty years， as Susan marries and raises a daughter Having heard so many great things about Nina Stibbe I was really looking forward to this book， and I’m pleased to say that it didn’t disappoint。 She has such a wonderful way with words and is a master of comic writing。 One Day I Shall Astonish The World tells the story of Susan and Norma， who meet in their late teens working at a haberdashery in Leicester。 The story focuses on Susan and how her friendship with Norma develops over the course of forty years， as Susan marries and raises a daughter whilst Norma pursues a career as a lecturer and academic。 The friendship between them is brilliantly constructed and so totally believable - many of us will be able to relate to the friend who can be rather annoying and regularly disappears from our lives， but we know would ultimately be there for us and look out for us。 I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it！Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
readingwithdemix
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I really wanted to like this book but I found it quite a slow and difficult read。 I just do not enjoy books with no story arc， no definite beginning， middle or end and I really do not like the inclusion of Covid in story lines （especially when you have covid yourself at time of reading and it really had no relevance at all to the story）Positives - there were a few laugh out loud moments and Nina does have a beautiful way of telling a story。 I think this book would be enjoyed by others， it just w I really wanted to like this book but I found it quite a slow and difficult read。 I just do not enjoy books with no story arc， no definite beginning， middle or end and I really do not like the inclusion of Covid in story lines （especially when you have covid yourself at time of reading and it really had no relevance at all to the story）Positives - there were a few laugh out loud moments and Nina does have a beautiful way of telling a story。 I think this book would be enjoyed by others， it just wasn't for me。 。。。more
Lesley
，
I was sent a copy of One Day I Shall Astonish the World by Nina Stibbe to read and review by NetGalley。 Another great read by Nina Stibbe！ While it had me laughing out loud in the very first chapter this isn’t a laugh a minute story。 It is heartfelt， poignant and actually quite sad with moments of irreverence （there are quite a few of those） that really made be chuckle。 I think this novel will resonate with a lot of women （it certainly did with me！） if only in the smallest way。 I’m sure we have I was sent a copy of One Day I Shall Astonish the World by Nina Stibbe to read and review by NetGalley。 Another great read by Nina Stibbe！ While it had me laughing out loud in the very first chapter this isn’t a laugh a minute story。 It is heartfelt， poignant and actually quite sad with moments of irreverence （there are quite a few of those） that really made be chuckle。 I think this novel will resonate with a lot of women （it certainly did with me！） if only in the smallest way。 I’m sure we have all felt some of the emotions that protagonist Susan experiences， regarding our friends， spouses and children over the years。 A very insightful book about relationships and how tricky they can be to navigate。 I love the author’s writing whether she is making me laugh or cry！ 。。。more
Harriet
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💬 “I don't know if I thought to myself that morning， wow， it's not even ten o'clock and I've already met my future husband and my best friend for life。 But I should have， because I had。”💭 One Day I Shall Astonish The World was an incredibly enjoyable read。 The humour and irony was on point throughout （actually funny rather than cringe！）， and the characters were well-developed and incredibly interesting to read about！The book itself spans several decades， following the life of Sus Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💬 “I don't know if I thought to myself that morning， wow， it's not even ten o'clock and I've already met my future husband and my best friend for life。 But I should have， because I had。”💭 One Day I Shall Astonish The World was an incredibly enjoyable read。 The humour and irony was on point throughout （actually funny rather than cringe！）， and the characters were well-developed and incredibly interesting to read about！The book itself spans several decades， following the life of Susan， detailing her relationship with Norma， here lifelong friend。 As a reader， we are lucky enough to witness the ways this relationships develop and change over the years。 I really enjoyed reading about Susan and Norma’s tumultuous friendship。 The issues they face are universal and something many of us will experience at some point， making it incredibly relatable and somewhat nostalgic。 Although not usually something I enjoy in film/tv/books， Stibbe manages to seamlessly weave in the start of the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of the novel。 This， alongside the other pop culture references， gave the book an air of authenticity and really allows you to imagine the characters as real people。Overall， this was a wonderfully comforting read which I sped through due to the ‘easy-to-read’ style and desire to find out more about each of the characters。 The novel is an exploration female friendship and of how even the tiniest of choices can impact our lives profoundly。 。。。more
Nicki
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Like a lot of women of her generation， Susan is really clever but didn't fulfill her academic or career aspirations。 Her life revolves around her partner， her kids， her friend Norma and her home next to the university campus that she never attended as a student but where she later gets a job。 This is Susan's story and it will make you care about her， shout at her and want her to fly。 One Day I Shall Astonish the World is the university's slogan and throughout the book you hope that it will also Like a lot of women of her generation， Susan is really clever but didn't fulfill her academic or career aspirations。 Her life revolves around her partner， her kids， her friend Norma and her home next to the university campus that she never attended as a student but where she later gets a job。 This is Susan's story and it will make you care about her， shout at her and want her to fly。 One Day I Shall Astonish the World is the university's slogan and throughout the book you hope that it will also be true for Susan。A gentle read that shows the depth and importance of small things， Nina Stibbe always delivers on characters who make us smile and often laugh out loud。 This book is no exception。 The relationship between Susan and Norma is the star of the show。 It is often painful to read， but is very insightful and probably representative of so many female friendships。 （Not that most of us dare admit it。） A shout out to the children/young people too。 Susan's daughter Honey in particular was fabulous。 I really enjoyed it。 Thank you to the author and her publishers for the opportunity to read and review #OneDayIShallAstonishTheWorld。 。。。more
Charlotte
，
This wonderfully-domestic， darkly-comedic novel frankly depicts the unexpected twists and turns that life-long relationships are richer for enduring。 Best friends Susan and Norma-Jean meet by chance in their early twenties when they become colleagues at a small haberdashery owned by Norma’s parents: their connection endures for decades， often in spite of themselves， through marriages， careers， child-rearing and all the other challenges that adulthood demands of us。 “I don’t know if I thought to This wonderfully-domestic， darkly-comedic novel frankly depicts the unexpected twists and turns that life-long relationships are richer for enduring。 Best friends Susan and Norma-Jean meet by chance in their early twenties when they become colleagues at a small haberdashery owned by Norma’s parents: their connection endures for decades， often in spite of themselves， through marriages， careers， child-rearing and all the other challenges that adulthood demands of us。 “I don’t know if I thought to myself that morning， wow， it’s not even ten o’clock and I’ve already met my future husband and my best friend for life。 But I should have， because I had，” thinks Susan， and the events of the book unfold in similar fashion， much like life: often it’s the tiniest of decisions or encounters which leads you down an unexpected fork in the road。We meet Susan in 2020， hard at work for a nearby university’s college， reflecting on her twenty-eight year marriage to Roy: her husband’s new obsession is longevity， specifically his desire to live to a hundred years old， and Susan accommodates his increasingly bizarre exercises with the kind but tired resignation of those in very long-term relationships。 Her adult daughter Honey has also recently returned to their family home， scuffing up the smooth domesticity which has settled over the past few decades。 The story jumps between the present day and the early 90s， examining all of Susan’s relationships with equal intensity but particularly her passionate and painful friendship with Norma， and the odd undercurrent of cruelty which ripples just below the surface。 Superbly-drawn characters come and go as Susan reviews her life， pondering what young Susan actually wanted， what she might want from life now – and whether giving up on wild flights of fancy is an appropriate price to pay for day-to-day happiness。 Superbly funny， deeply nostalgic and richly realistic with an ending that might just leave you punching the air， this is a comforting read for anyone reviewing their own hopes and dreams。As featured in February's Cambridge Edition magazine - thanks to #NetGalley for the advance copy！ 。。。more
Aria Harlow
，
THis was such a gripping and compelling read。 It was well written with well developed and likeable characters with a well executed storyline。 I couldn't put this book down， I really enjoyed reading it， THis was such a gripping and compelling read。 It was well written with well developed and likeable characters with a well executed storyline。 I couldn't put this book down， I really enjoyed reading it， 。。。more
Jackie Murrell
，
Susan never seems to really live up to her potential。 She drifts into marriage and motherhood，， and ends up working permanently at the haberdasher’s shop where she had been a Saturday girl after dropping out of university。 By contrast， the owner’s daughter Norma， who becomes her best friend， delegates the hard work while interrogating Susan on her knowledge of literature to forward her own academic career。 Norma’s star rises as Susan’s life plods along， but even so Norma is always critical of he Susan never seems to really live up to her potential。 She drifts into marriage and motherhood，， and ends up working permanently at the haberdasher’s shop where she had been a Saturday girl after dropping out of university。 By contrast， the owner’s daughter Norma， who becomes her best friend， delegates the hard work while interrogating Susan on her knowledge of literature to forward her own academic career。 Norma’s star rises as Susan’s life plods along， but even so Norma is always critical of her and undermines her at every turn。 Susan eventually finds her comfort zone working as a driver and the PA to the university’s vice chancellor- until Norma once again casts her shadow。 But Susan is determined to have her day in the sun。 Very funny in a subtle yet piercingly sharp way， the humour reminded me of the late， great Victoria Wood。 The accurate dissection of domestic minutiae hits the target repeatedly， and I really enjoyed the portrayal of 1990s mores and culture。 Although the relationship between Norma and Susan is frequently toxic， there is also something touching in the way it endures， while the pomposity and petty rule-following of academic life is captured brilliantly。 An absolute tonic。Thanks to Netgalley for the ebook proof in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
ace :]
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The way that Nina Stibbe wrote this book was wonderful。 I greatly enjoyed the actual writing， and found the book to be funnier than I originally expected。Unfortunately， as far as stories go， I found this one to be quite bland。 It is， indeed， about the protagonists unlikely friendship with the daughter of her employer， and how their friendship grows and changes。But I found it to be a story not worth reading。 I got half-way through before I realised that I didn't care for any of the characters in The way that Nina Stibbe wrote this book was wonderful。 I greatly enjoyed the actual writing， and found the book to be funnier than I originally expected。Unfortunately， as far as stories go， I found this one to be quite bland。 It is， indeed， about the protagonists unlikely friendship with the daughter of her employer， and how their friendship grows and changes。But I found it to be a story not worth reading。 I got half-way through before I realised that I didn't care for any of the characters in anyway shape or form， and certainly not enough to trudge through the rest of the book。 Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK for providing me with an ARC 。。。more
Ros Wilkins
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I am so glad I’ve discovered this author。 Having never read any of her books before， I am now ready to devour them all。 Loved this book。 It was like walking along in life with your comfortable friends， discussing life， the universe and everything， and not having to pretend to be something you’re not。 The characters were very real and relatable， some very funny moments in the book， I laughed out loud quite often。 I highly recommend this book if you want an amusing， easy to read book that you neve I am so glad I’ve discovered this author。 Having never read any of her books before， I am now ready to devour them all。 Loved this book。 It was like walking along in life with your comfortable friends， discussing life， the universe and everything， and not having to pretend to be something you’re not。 The characters were very real and relatable， some very funny moments in the book， I laughed out loud quite often。 I highly recommend this book if you want an amusing， easy to read book that you never want to end。 。。。more
Katy Wheatley
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Brilliant。 Already one of my top ten reads of the year。 Achingly funny， poignant， incredibly observed。 There is not a line here that is wasted。 This is perfection。Susan is the narrator here， and the book opens with her attempting to finish her newsletter on behalf of the vice chancellor of Rutland university for who she works。 It's tricky because it's amidst COVID and it's hard to know what to say。 Susan is having difficulties with her husband， Roy。 Roy doesn't eat veg and doesn't listen to Susa Brilliant。 Already one of my top ten reads of the year。 Achingly funny， poignant， incredibly observed。 There is not a line here that is wasted。 This is perfection。Susan is the narrator here， and the book opens with her attempting to finish her newsletter on behalf of the vice chancellor of Rutland university for who she works。 It's tricky because it's amidst COVID and it's hard to know what to say。 Susan is having difficulties with her husband， Roy。 Roy doesn't eat veg and doesn't listen to Susan， preferring to put his fingers in his ears when she speaks。 It's difficult to know which trait annoys her most。 This leads to Susan reminiscing about how she met Roy and we go forward in the main body of the book until we come back to where we started。This is a book of hidden depths。 Throwaway lines that contain whole worlds that I was desperate to find out more about。 Hidden talents， hidden people。 An ordinary life， seen through Stibbe's eyes is so not ordinary at all。 Marvellous。 Perfect。 Everything I never knew I wanted in a book。 Allen Bennett， Victoria Wood， Sue Townsend all rolled into one and better for it。 Stibbe is a darkly comic genius with a razor sharp wit and the perfect ear for dialogue and the perfect eye for skewering the lives of everyday people。 。。。more
Tina Panik
，
Full of the humor of everyday defeat。 This was an ARC。
Sara
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I laughed out loud three times just reading the prologue， which was an insight into the life of a middle aged woman working at a University who happens to be burdened with a husband who wishes to live forever， and a daughter who wants to blame her for everything。 The first half of the book changes pace a little， taking us back to the youth of the protagonist， and to her getting to know her husband and best friend。 The second half sees us back in the present， leading up to the covid 19 outbreak。I I laughed out loud three times just reading the prologue， which was an insight into the life of a middle aged woman working at a University who happens to be burdened with a husband who wishes to live forever， and a daughter who wants to blame her for everything。 The first half of the book changes pace a little， taking us back to the youth of the protagonist， and to her getting to know her husband and best friend。 The second half sees us back in the present， leading up to the covid 19 outbreak。It's a little like a Kitty monologue from Victoria Wood in some ways。 Quite breathless and not very sedately paced， but funny and certainly a book that would keep a person occupied。As well as the humour， it's about someone wanting to be seen - wanting recognition。 And perhaps， finally getting it。 Review copy supplied by NetGalley 。。。more
Sammy thebookninja_
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Both Susan and Norma are such intriguing characters， and I loved reading about the dynamics of their dysfunctional friendship and how this evolved over the decades。 I loved the author’s sharp wit and think she nails the delicate balance of humour and heartbreak which makes for a well-rounded story。 It came as a surprise to read about the pandemic towards the end of the novel and while I thought I wouldn’t enjoy this， I found it was so seamlessly woven into the narrative that it just added a furt Both Susan and Norma are such intriguing characters， and I loved reading about the dynamics of their dysfunctional friendship and how this evolved over the decades。 I loved the author’s sharp wit and think she nails the delicate balance of humour and heartbreak which makes for a well-rounded story。 It came as a surprise to read about the pandemic towards the end of the novel and while I thought I wouldn’t enjoy this， I found it was so seamlessly woven into the narrative that it just added a further level of authenticity and relatability。 Overall a funny， charming， enjoyable read。 。。。more
Ritu Bhathal
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This is a book about a woman， Susan， who works with， and ends up best friends with her employer's daughter Norma。We are privy to the way their relationship develops， from one of colleagues， to best friends， then colleagues again， with less friendship。The book is set over several decades， and details the changes in their lives， as their own relationship morphs， ending with the horror of COVID-19。I want to have liked this more， but unfortunately for me， it was a hard read。 I was unable to really g This is a book about a woman， Susan， who works with， and ends up best friends with her employer's daughter Norma。We are privy to the way their relationship develops， from one of colleagues， to best friends， then colleagues again， with less friendship。The book is set over several decades， and details the changes in their lives， as their own relationship morphs， ending with the horror of COVID-19。I want to have liked this more， but unfortunately for me， it was a hard read。 I was unable to really get into the swing of the book， and found there was not a proper story arc to it， a definite beginning。 middle or end。。。Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for an ARC n exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Alexa
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I have really enjoyed Nina Stibbe’s previous books and was delighted to receive a copy of this most recent one from NetGalley。 This charts the unlikely friendship between two women throughout their early twenties， marriages and careers。 It’s full of Nina’s sharp wit and her deadly accurate recollections of the events， personalities， products and fashions of the late 20th and early 21st century。 Without giving any spoilers， this is the first novel I’ve read which is at least partially set at the I have really enjoyed Nina Stibbe’s previous books and was delighted to receive a copy of this most recent one from NetGalley。 This charts the unlikely friendship between two women throughout their early twenties， marriages and careers。 It’s full of Nina’s sharp wit and her deadly accurate recollections of the events， personalities， products and fashions of the late 20th and early 21st century。 Without giving any spoilers， this is the first novel I’ve read which is at least partially set at the start of the Coronavirus pandemic and the author gives a balanced and believable account of her characters in that time。This is probably less light hearted than her previous works but still as good nonetheless 。。。more
Theediscerning
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Well this wasn't exactly a shark-jumping exercise， but it was neither a step in the right direction for this fine comedic author nor a continuation of what's gone before。 It's not cheapness nor the Leicester connection that has linked Ms Stibbe with the spirit of Sue Townsend， for there clearly has been a kindred spirit， creating social comedies out of the English Midlands and being hugely successful with it。 Here， though， the author seems intent on recreating something a bit more， well， Alan Be Well this wasn't exactly a shark-jumping exercise， but it was neither a step in the right direction for this fine comedic author nor a continuation of what's gone before。 It's not cheapness nor the Leicester connection that has linked Ms Stibbe with the spirit of Sue Townsend， for there clearly has been a kindred spirit， creating social comedies out of the English Midlands and being hugely successful with it。 Here， though， the author seems intent on recreating something a bit more， well， Alan Bennett。 Leicester takes a back-seat as a lot of the story is set next door， in and around a town housing a fictional University of Rutland， and whatever real-life moments have inspired this story， there are sections here that want to cram in as many social tics， product references and remembrances as possible。 And all to nothing like the comedic effect of before。The story is also a slightly woolly one， with the narrator discussing both her sort-of best friend and her husband， and how over the decades the two never really gelled， and how she seems slightly besotted with， smitten by and perhaps lusting for her boss at the Uni。 （Although to reference a further Leicester author， this is nothing like the Malcolm Bradbury and David Lodge-era campus comedies。） Groan at the references to home-made dresses of the vintage as her Saturday job in a fabric store becomes more important than intended; witness how easy it is for a man to progress through the ranks at the gold club he works at， compared to a woman getting anything like the career and life and friends she wants; read with wonderment at dogging coming to Rutland。 Yes， there are some very unusual decisions made by our author here， and I longed for the disguised autobiographies of old。 The children might be Stibbe's own here， albeit one is of the wrong gender， but there was a definite lack of the spark seen beforehand in the deep dive into her life and times。 When we do find why the book has the title it has， we can only respond to it， in the case of this volume， in the negative。 Unlike her other books， this was most unextraordinary， and when it is kind of forced to catch up with modern times at the close （again， to little effect）， we are aware again that in her prime Townsend would have nailed the whole topic and diary format with so much more purpose， oomph and brevity。Barely ever better than a disappointment。 。。。more
Lara
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It's not my type of book。 Overall I enjoyed the book in the best possible way， not being what I was hoping for。 The book is well written。 In the beginning I was a bit confused on what was happening but as I keep reading I understood。For person who likes feniminism books it's a pretty good read。 It's not my type of book。 Overall I enjoyed the book in the best possible way， not being what I was hoping for。 The book is well written。 In the beginning I was a bit confused on what was happening but as I keep reading I understood。For person who likes feniminism books it's a pretty good read。 。。。more
Rachel
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