How can that be?....., 11 Dec 2008
I was enjoying this book UNTIL the chapter where Sappho is taking the contraceptive pill daily for around a year believing it to be a multivitamin. I can suspend disbelief just enough to accept that she might, given all other pressures, not notice that it is rather small for a multivitamin (!), but she wouldn't actually be having periods! At this point she is actively trying to conceive, is seeing a specialist (whose first question would surely have been about her periods!), and her husband is being asked to take a sperm test. "At the end of a year she saw the doctor... He did blood tests and said there was rather a lot of oestrogen around, and he supposed she had stopped taking the contraceptive pills he had prescibed her some time back and she said yes, she was not an idiot." Well neither am I, and this part of the tale totally ruined the book for me.

Vintage Weldon, 28 Nov 2008
Some writers start their careers with a bang and then fizzle out, but not Fay Weldon. She's on sparkling form in this book with a mixture of humour and horror. I enjoyed the verbal jousting between the Freudian and the Jungian psychotherapists who are reading the diary: respectively the diarist's mother and the latter's current lover. The book is multi-layered exploring the the damage done by shameful family secrets, by jealousy, resentment and revenge. At times almost a gothic horror story, reminiscent of Weldon's She Devil book in the exaggerated awfulness, there is nevertheless recognizable truth as the diary reveals the disintegration of a relationship catalyzed by the emotional baggage that the husband brings from his first marriage.

Weldon at her sharpest and most current, 04 Nov 2008
'I read my daughter's diary the other day. Let me share with you. You may think you know pretty much what's going on in your own family. Believe me, you do not. You think truly awful things only happen in other countries, other cultures, far away: but they also happen in your own back yard, to the nicest people, and at the hands of others who believe that they too are perfectly sane and nice, the kind who sort the household waste and try to save Africa.'

Weldon has always been good at dysfunctional families, money and property and this is a return to form, giving us the point of view of Sappho, the stepmother but not the wicked stepmother familiar from fairy tales.
Weldon uses the device of the story being reviewed and analysed by Emily, mother to Sappho as she reads her daughter's diary. Emily, a psychoanalyst had warned her daughter that the archetype had changed - that `wicked stepdaughters are more common now that wicked stepmothers ever were.' However, it is a function of a Weldon novel that warnings are never heeded and Emily marries Gavin, formerly husband to Isolde.

There are the usual turnarounds you see in Weldon - the man who becomes a financial drain the moment the knot is tied, the theft of talent and the dissipation of money and success. Weldon builds suspense through the twists and turns of these situations and as they deteriorate the reader cringes.

Somehow she does it all better here and with more wit and style than she has done for a while.


Original and entertaining as ever!, 26 Sep 2008
Fay Weldon is indeed on fantastic form in this highly entertaining novel. She is endlessly inventive, remarkably perceptive, and always a great joy to read.

A real treat!, 15 Sep 2008
This is vintage Fay Weldon, she is at the peak of her powers. I loved this book.

How can that be?....., 11 Dec 2008
I was enjoying this book UNTIL the chapter where Sappho is taking the contraceptive pill daily for around a year believing it to be a multivitamin. I can suspend disbelief just enough to accept that she might, given all other pressures, not notice that it is rather small for a multivitamin (!), but she wouldn't actually be having periods! At this point she is actively trying to conceive, is seeing a specialist (whose first question would surely have been about her periods!), and her husband is being asked to take a sperm test. "At the end of a year she saw the doctor... He did blood tests and said there was rather a lot of oestrogen around, and he supposed she had stopped taking the contraceptive pills he had prescibed her some time back and she said yes, she was not an idiot." Well neither am I, and this part of the tale totally ruined the book for me.

Vintage Weldon, 28 Nov 2008
Some writers start their careers with a bang and then fizzle out, but not Fay Weldon. She's on sparkling form in this book with a mixture of humour and horror. I enjoyed the verbal jousting between the Freudian and the Jungian psychotherapists who are reading the diary: respectively the diarist's mother and the latter's current lover. The book is multi-layered exploring the the damage done by shameful family secrets, by jealousy, resentment and revenge. At times almost a gothic horror story, reminiscent of Weldon's She Devil book in the exaggerated awfulness, there is nevertheless recognizable truth as the diary reveals the disintegration of a relationship catalyzed by the emotional baggage that the husband brings from his first marriage.

Weldon at her sharpest and most current, 04 Nov 2008
'I read my daughter's diary the other day. Let me share with you. You may think you know pretty much what's going on in your own family. Believe me, you do not. You think truly awful things only happen in other countries, other cultures, far away: but they also happen in your own back yard, to the nicest people, and at the hands of others who believe that they too are perfectly sane and nice, the kind who sort the household waste and try to save Africa.'

Weldon has always been good at dysfunctional families, money and property and this is a return to form, giving us the point of view of Sappho, the stepmother but not the wicked stepmother familiar from fairy tales.
Weldon uses the device of the story being reviewed and analysed by Emily, mother to Sappho as she reads her daughter's diary. Emily, a psychoanalyst had warned her daughter that the archetype had changed - that `wicked stepdaughters are more common now that wicked stepmothers ever were.' However, it is a function of a Weldon novel that warnings are never heeded and Emily marries Gavin, formerly husband to Isolde.

There are the usual turnarounds you see in Weldon - the man who becomes a financial drain the moment the knot is tied, the theft of talent and the dissipation of money and success. Weldon builds suspense through the twists and turns of these situations and as they deteriorate the reader cringes.

Somehow she does it all better here and with more wit and style than she has done for a while.


Original and entertaining as ever!, 26 Sep 2008
Fay Weldon is indeed on fantastic form in this highly entertaining novel. She is endlessly inventive, remarkably perceptive, and always a great joy to read.

A real treat!, 15 Sep 2008
This is vintage Fay Weldon, she is at the peak of her powers. I loved this book.



My all-time favourite book, 13 Dec 2004
This is a powerful story, simply told.

I'd go as far as to say that the story borders on the mythological. Fay Weldon's use of sparse and simple prose in the telling of it strengthens the story even further.

Fay Weldon has an understanding of human nature which transcends the boundaries of social nicety and political correctness at the best of times, but she improves on her usual excellence here. This book presents the light and shadow of men and women in all their forms - there are no "good-guys" or "bad-guys" here. She shows how good can spring from bad and bad from good... a dangerous idea? Read it and see what you think.

I've read this book at least a dozen times over the years and I've learned something new about life, and myself, every time. It's frightening, uplifting and ultimately liberating. I can't recommend it more highly.

A modern day fairytale, 17 Aug 2003
Fay Weldon's novel is masterfully envisioned in the audio adaptation. This success is in the main due to a skillful and powerful reading by Patricia Hodge.

Hodge brings to life this tale of Ruth, an unattrative housewife who seeks revenge on both her husband and the new object of his affection, the successful romance novelist Mary Fisher.

The novel plays upon the transformation of the two female characters as Ruth molds herself into a she devil, a tool with which to reek her fury upon the world, and as a result Mary's world crumbles about her, the fairy castle becoming tarnished and unlovely.

At times harrowing, Weldon's work portrays the desperate plight of the unwanted and the undesirable, and the satisfaction of destruction.

Different from nething else but great and gripping ., 21 Oct 2001
This book was chosen for my RPR at school and at first i didnt enjoy it but as i slowly read on I was gripped by the irony and sarcasm of the story and Ruth,the main charachter.I thought that it was a really interesting read and felt that the character ruth was so strong and determined!fay Weldon is a fabulous feminist and ironic write and I'd enjoy reading more of her novels.I'd reccomend it to those who like a bit of scandal!

fast moving, moral breaking. realistic and vivid., 12 Oct 2000
the book is written in a cynical tone and expresses the thoughts of many. the authour brings to life the emmotions and passions we all experience in a modern language. it is appropriately crude when it needs to be as well as sympathetic at times while all the time vivid. the story is far fetched but real enough to be true. the ending is however rushed and somwhat abrupt. the themes are consistent throughout and wonderfull imagery helps to portray the greed, lust and deciept.

Auto Da Fay is the scriptwriter, novelist, journalist and pioneering feminist Fay Weldon's candid and enjoyably digressive autobiography. Concluding at the beginning of the 1960s with the birth of her second son and the production of her very first television play, it's primarily an account of her (often arduous) formative years. (Those in search of revelations about her time at the heart of the women's movement will, for the moment at least, have to rely on Big Women, her fictional account of that period.)

Born Franklin Birkinshaw in Barnt Green, Birmingham, in 1931, most of Weldon's childhood was spent in New Zealand. Her father, a philandering doctor, played only a minor, if biologically necessary, role in her existence. She was raised, along with her older sister Jane, by her formidable mother and her bohemian grandmother, a woman once on intimate terms with HG Wells, Rebecca West and Edith Nesbitt. (Weldon's family, it turns out, has an impressive literary pedigree; her grandfather, Edgar, uncle Selwyn and, for a brief while, her mother were all novelists.) Arriving in London just after the Second World War, her mother kept the brood together by working as a servant; the experience of living below stairs later helped Weldon to script the television drama Upstairs, Downstairs. After St Andrews University, Weldon worked in the Foreign Office until becoming pregnant. Defying conventions of the times, she remained a single parent. Following a stint as a consumer agony aunt for the Daily Mirror she drifted into advertising before in utter desperation entering into a crushingly awful marriage of financial (in)convenience. With cool, unwavering honesty she details, in the third person, the truly depressing experience of being hitched to a celibate, Masonic headmaster who encouraged her to work in a seedy West End night-club. She escaped, found true love and, working alongside poets such as Edwin Brock, David Wevill and Peter Porter, went on to pen such winning advertising slogans as "Go to Work on An Egg" and "Unzip a Banana" and began writing seriously. Riddled with Weldon's customary wayward and even mildly contradictory opinions, this frank, acerbic and witty memoir can be infuriating on occasions but is certainly never dull.--Travis Elborough

How can that be?....., 11 Dec 2008
I was enjoying this book UNTIL the chapter where Sappho is taking the contraceptive pill daily for around a year believing it to be a multivitamin. I can suspend disbelief just enough to accept that she might, given all other pressures, not notice that it is rather small for a multivitamin (!), but she wouldn't actually be having periods! At this point she is actively trying to conceive, is seeing a specialist (whose first question would surely have been about her periods!), and her husband is being asked to take a sperm test. "At the end of a year she saw the doctor... He did blood tests and said there was rather a lot of oestrogen around, and he supposed she had stopped taking the contraceptive pills he had prescibed her some time back and she said yes, she was not an idiot." Well neither am I, and this part of the tale totally ruined the book for me.

Vintage Weldon, 28 Nov 2008
Some writers start their careers with a bang and then fizzle out, but not Fay Weldon. She's on sparkling form in this book with a mixture of humour and horror. I enjoyed the verbal jousting between the Freudian and the Jungian psychotherapists who are reading the diary: respectively the diarist's mother and the latter's current lover. The book is multi-layered exploring the the damage done by shameful family secrets, by jealousy, resentment and revenge. At times almost a gothic horror story, reminiscent of Weldon's She Devil book in the exaggerated awfulness, there is nevertheless recognizable truth as the diary reveals the disintegration of a relationship catalyzed by the emotional baggage that the husband brings from his first marriage.

Weldon at her sharpest and most current, 04 Nov 2008
'I read my daughter's diary the other day. Let me share with you. You may think you know pretty much what's going on in your own family. Believe me, you do not. You think truly awful things only happen in other countries, other cultures, far away: but they also happen in your own back yard, to the nicest people, and at the hands of others who believe that they too are perfectly sane and nice, the kind who sort the household waste and try to save Africa.'

Weldon has always been good at dysfunctional families, money and property and this is a return to form, giving us the point of view of Sappho, the stepmother but not the wicked stepmother familiar from fairy tales.
Weldon uses the device of the story being reviewed and analysed by Emily, mother to Sappho as she reads her daughter's diary. Emily, a psychoanalyst had warned her daughter that the archetype had changed - that `wicked stepdaughters are more common now that wicked stepmothers ever were.' However, it is a function of a Weldon novel that warnings are never heeded and Emily marries Gavin, formerly husband to Isolde.

There are the usual turnarounds you see in Weldon - the man who becomes a financial drain the moment the knot is tied, the theft of talent and the dissipation of money and success. Weldon builds suspense through the twists and turns of these situations and as they deteriorate the reader cringes.

Somehow she does it all better here and with more wit and style than she has done for a while.


Original and entertaining as ever!, 26 Sep 2008
Fay Weldon is indeed on fantastic form in this highly entertaining novel. She is endlessly inventive, remarkably perceptive, and always a great joy to read.

A real treat!, 15 Sep 2008
This is vintage Fay Weldon, she is at the peak of her powers. I loved this book.



My all-time favourite book, 13 Dec 2004
This is a powerful story, simply told.

I'd go as far as to say that the story borders on the mythological. Fay Weldon's use of sparse and simple prose in the telling of it strengthens the story even further.

Fay Weldon has an understanding of human nature which transcends the boundaries of social nicety and political correctness at the best of times, but she improves on her usual excellence here. This book presents the light and shadow of men and women in all their forms - there are no "good-guys" or "bad-guys" here. She shows how good can spring from bad and bad from good... a dangerous idea? Read it and see what you think.

I've read this book at least a dozen times over the years and I've learned something new about life, and myself, every time. It's frightening, uplifting and ultimately liberating. I can't recommend it more highly.

A modern day fairytale, 17 Aug 2003
Fay Weldon's novel is masterfully envisioned in the audio adaptation. This success is in the main due to a skillful and powerful reading by Patricia Hodge.

Hodge brings to life this tale of Ruth, an unattrative housewife who seeks revenge on both her husband and the new object of his affection, the successful romance novelist Mary Fisher.

The novel plays upon the transformation of the two female characters as Ruth molds herself into a she devil, a tool with which to reek her fury upon the world, and as a result Mary's world crumbles about her, the fairy castle becoming tarnished and unlovely.

At times harrowing, Weldon's work portrays the desperate plight of the unwanted and the undesirable, and the satisfaction of destruction.

Different from nething else but great and gripping ., 21 Oct 2001
This book was chosen for my RPR at school and at first i didnt enjoy it but as i slowly read on I was gripped by the irony and sarcasm of the story and Ruth,the main charachter.I thought that it was a really interesting read and felt that the character ruth was so strong and determined!fay Weldon is a fabulous feminist and ironic write and I'd enjoy reading more of her novels.I'd reccomend it to those who like a bit of scandal!

fast moving, moral breaking. realistic and vivid., 12 Oct 2000
the book is written in a cynical tone and expresses the thoughts of many. the authour brings to life the emmotions and passions we all experience in a modern language. it is appropriately crude when it needs to be as well as sympathetic at times while all the time vivid. the story is far fetched but real enough to be true. the ending is however rushed and somwhat abrupt. the themes are consistent throughout and wonderfull imagery helps to portray the greed, lust and deciept.

Fascinating lady!, 15 Aug 2005
Fay Weldon begins her autobiography with her birth,in Birmingham, England.She guides us through to her emmigration to New Zealand at a young age.This is an interesting episode because her family's migration was done the old way,via sea voyage.
She reveals her medical doctor father was, unfortunately,something of a dissapointment,being unreliable at inconvenient times,and by and large,not being there for his daughters.Fay being the younger of two daughters.Later on we learn that the son her father had with his second wife, grew up to be some big cheese in soft porn movies.It seems so many of her relatives and associates are notable for something or other. Her upbringing was largly female orientated. Her mother strikes as being somewhat stoic and conservative.There is a heart rending account of the young Fay's immature fascination with an older girl at school being misinterpreted as lesbianism by her disappoving mother.
The family( minus the father) moved back to the U.K when Fay was in her teens.
The many life changes and interesting associations this lady mentions in her autobiography are too numerous to mention.
Anybody who has devoured a Weldon novel, and wondered where her fascinating characters and insights come from ( Praxis & The Life & Loves Of A She-Devil for example)will gain a whole lot of insight from reading her autobiography.
Eventually, the book ends in the 1960's by which time, Fay Weldon was in her thirties.However, dont assume that this makes her autobiography hollow or sketchy,it ends at an appropriate point.

Being admirably candid,in the middle of the book,she relates the circumstances which led her to marrying an older gentleman, who, to her frustration, lacked any sexual interest in her whatsoever.She tells us how this unsuitable union led her to lose the plot somewhat, and how she temporarily descended into an unhealthy lifestyle of apathy and promiscuity- from which she proudly rescued herself, of course!She opted to write about herself in this chapter of her life, in third person.This demonstrating how far she has moved on since that dark period.
There is so much in this book.She has lived in haunted houses,seen loved ones tormented by mental illness, slept with her friends boyfriend,lost dear friends in nasty accidents,been a single mum with no money,and created many well known advertising slogans.However she does not give her writing career very much attention in this book.
The end is positive.You'll watch her emerge, very natrually, into a successful career woman,married to her true love,and finally into the accomplished author we know today.

How can that be?....., 11 Dec 2008
I was enjoying this book UNTIL the chapter where Sappho is taking the contraceptive pill daily for around a year believing it to be a multivitamin. I can suspend disbelief just enough to accept that she might, given all other pressures, not notice that it is rather small for a multivitamin (!), but she wouldn't actually be having periods! At this point she is actively trying to conceive, is seeing a specialist (whose first question would surely have been about her periods!), and her husband is being asked to take a sperm test. "At the end of a year she saw the doctor... He did blood tests and said there was rather a lot of oestrogen around, and he supposed she had stopped taking the contraceptive pills he had prescibed her some time back and she said yes, she was not an idiot." Well neither am I, and this part of the tale totally ruined the book for me.

Vintage Weldon, 28 Nov 2008
Some writers start their careers with a bang and then fizzle out, but not Fay Weldon. She's on sparkling form in this book with a mixture of humour and horror. I enjoyed the verbal jousting between the Freudian and the Jungian psychotherapists who are reading the diary: respectively the diarist's mother and the latter's current lover. The book is multi-layered exploring the the damage done by shameful family secrets, by jealousy, resentment and revenge. At times almost a gothic horror story, reminiscent of Weldon's She Devil book in the exaggerated awfulness, there is nevertheless recognizable truth as the diary reveals the disintegration of a relationship catalyzed by the emotional baggage that the husband brings from his first marriage.

Weldon at her sharpest and most current, 04 Nov 2008
'I read my daughter's diary the other day. Let me share with you. You may think you know pretty much what's going on in your own family. Believe me, you do not. You think truly awful things only happen in other countries, other cultures, far away: but they also happen in your own back yard, to the nicest people, and at the hands of others who believe that they too are perfectly sane and nice, the kind who sort the household waste and try to save Africa.'

Weldon has always been good at dysfunctional families, money and property and this is a return to form, giving us the point of view of Sappho, the stepmother but not the wicked stepmother familiar from fairy tales.
Weldon uses the device of the story being reviewed and analysed by Emily, mother to Sappho as she reads her daughter's diary. Emily, a psychoanalyst had warned her daughter that the archetype had changed - that `wicked stepdaughters are more common now that wicked stepmothers ever were.' However, it is a function of a Weldon novel that warnings are never heeded and Emily marries Gavin, formerly husband to Isolde.

There are the usual turnarounds you see in Weldon - the man who becomes a financial drain the moment the knot is tied, the theft of talent and the dissipation of money and success. Weldon builds suspense through the twists and turns of these situations and as they deteriorate the reader cringes.

Somehow she does it all better here and with more wit and style than she has done for a while.


Original and entertaining as ever!, 26 Sep 2008
Fay Weldon is indeed on fantastic form in this highly entertaining novel. She is endlessly inventive, remarkably perceptive, and always a great joy to read.

A real treat!, 15 Sep 2008
This is vintage Fay Weldon, she is at the peak of her powers. I loved this book.



My all-time favourite book, 13 Dec 2004
This is a powerful story, simply told.

I'd go as far as to say that the story borders on the mythological. Fay Weldon's use of sparse and simple prose in the telling of it strengthens the story even further.

Fay Weldon has an understanding of human nature which transcends the boundaries of social nicety and political correctness at the best of times, but she improves on her usual excellence here. This book presents the light and shadow of men and women in all their forms - there are no "good-guys" or "bad-guys" here. She shows how good can spring from bad and bad from good... a dangerous idea? Read it and see what you think.

I've read this book at least a dozen times over the years and I've learned something new about life, and myself, every time. It's frightening, uplifting and ultimately liberating. I can't recommend it more highly.

A modern day fairytale, 17 Aug 2003
Fay Weldon's novel is masterfully envisioned in the audio adaptation. This success is in the main due to a skillful and powerful reading by Patricia Hodge.

Hodge brings to life this tale of Ruth, an unattrative housewife who seeks revenge on both her husband and the new object of his affection, the successful romance novelist Mary Fisher.

The novel plays upon the transformation of the two female characters as Ruth molds herself into a she devil, a tool with which to reek her fury upon the world, and as a result Mary's world crumbles about her, the fairy castle becoming tarnished and unlovely.

At times harrowing, Weldon's work portrays the desperate plight of the unwanted and the undesirable, and the satisfaction of destruction.

Different from nething else but great and gripping ., 21 Oct 2001
This book was chosen for my RPR at school and at first i didnt enjoy it but as i slowly read on I was gripped by the irony and sarcasm of the story and Ruth,the main charachter.I thought that it was a really interesting read and felt that the character ruth was so strong and determined!fay Weldon is a fabulous feminist and ironic write and I'd enjoy reading more of her novels.I'd reccomend it to those who like a bit of scandal!

fast moving, moral breaking. realistic and vivid., 12 Oct 2000
the book is written in a cynical tone and expresses the thoughts of many. the authour brings to life the emmotions and passions we all experience in a modern language. it is appropriately crude when it needs to be as well as sympathetic at times while all the time vivid. the story is far fetched but real enough to be true. the ending is however rushed and somwhat abrupt. the themes are consistent throughout and wonderfull imagery helps to portray the greed, lust and deciept.

Fascinating lady!, 15 Aug 2005
Fay Weldon begins her autobiography with her birth,in Birmingham, England.She guides us through to her emmigration to New Zealand at a young age.This is an interesting episode because her family's migration was done the old way,via sea voyage.
She reveals her medical doctor father was, unfortunately,something of a dissapointment,being unreliable at inconvenient times,and by and large,not being there for his daughters.Fay being the younger of two daughters.Later on we learn that the son her father had with his second wife, grew up to be some big cheese in soft porn movies.It seems so many of her relatives and associates are notable for something or other. Her upbringing was largly female orientated. Her mother strikes as being somewhat stoic and conservative.There is a heart rending account of the young Fay's immature fascination with an older girl at school being misinterpreted as lesbianism by her disappoving mother.
The family( minus the father) moved back to the U.K when Fay was in her teens.
The many life changes and interesting associations this lady mentions in her autobiography are too numerous to mention.
Anybody who has devoured a Weldon novel, and wondered where her fascinating characters and insights come from ( Praxis & The Life & Loves Of A She-Devil for example)will gain a whole lot of insight from reading her autobiography.
Eventually, the book ends in the 1960's by which time, Fay Weldon was in her thirties.However, dont assume that this makes her autobiography hollow or sketchy,it ends at an appropriate point.

Being admirably candid,in the middle of the book,she relates the circumstances which led her to marrying an older gentleman, who, to her frustration, lacked any sexual interest in her whatsoever.She tells us how this unsuitable union led her to lose the plot somewhat, and how she temporarily descended into an unhealthy lifestyle of apathy and promiscuity- from which she proudly rescued herself, of course!She opted to write about herself in this chapter of her life, in third person.This demonstrating how far she has moved on since that dark period.
There is so much in this book.She has lived in haunted houses,seen loved ones tormented by mental illness, slept with her friends boyfriend,lost dear friends in nasty accidents,been a single mum with no money,and created many well known advertising slogans.However she does not give her writing career very much attention in this book.
The end is positive.You'll watch her emerge, very natrually, into a successful career woman,married to her true love,and finally into the accomplished author we know today.

classic weldon, 28 Dec 2008
I have been reading Fay Weldon since I was a young girl, and very much enjoyed this latest installment. Its a series of life stories from a varied group of women staying at a spa over Christmas. Many of the stories herein resounded with me personally. Having read all of her books, its interesting to see both how I have matured, and how she has since her books from the 60s/70s. Whilst she is always a realist, there was also alot of warmth in this book.

Wise, thought provoking and overall very entertaining.

How can that be?....., 11 Dec 2008
I was enjoying this book UNTIL the chapter where Sappho is taking the contraceptive pill daily for around a year believing it to be a multivitamin. I can suspend disbelief just enough to accept that she might, given all other pressures, not notice that it is rather small for a multivitamin (!), but she wouldn't actually be having periods! At this point she is actively trying to conceive, is seeing a specialist (whose first question would surely have been about her periods!), and her husband is being asked to take a sperm test. "At the end of a year she saw the doctor... He did blood tests and said there was rather a lot of oestrogen around, and he supposed she had stopped taking the contraceptive pills he had prescibed her some time back and she said yes, she was not an idiot." Well neither am I, and this part of the tale totally ruined the book for me.

Vintage Weldon, 28 Nov 2008
Some writers start their careers with a bang and then fizzle out, but not Fay Weldon. She's on sparkling form in this book with a mixture of humour and horror. I enjoyed the verbal jousting between the Freudian and the Jungian psychotherapists who are reading the diary: respectively the diarist's mother and the latter's current lover. The book is multi-layered exploring the the damage done by shameful family secrets, by jealousy, resentment and revenge. At times almost a gothic horror story, reminiscent of Weldon's She Devil book in the exaggerated awfulness, there is nevertheless recognizable truth as the diary reveals the disintegration of a relationship catalyzed by the emotional baggage that the husband brings from his first marriage.

Weldon at her sharpest and most current, 04 Nov 2008
'I read my daughter's diary the other day. Let me share with you. You may think you know pretty much what's going on in your own family. Believe me, you do not. You think truly awful things only happen in other countries, other cultures, far away: but they also happen in your own back yard, to the nicest people, and at the hands of others who believe that they too are perfectly sane and nice, the kind who sort the household waste and try to save Africa.'

Weldon has always been good at dysfunctional families, money and property and this is a return to form, giving us the point of view of Sappho, the stepmother but not the wicked stepmother familiar from fairy tales.
Weldon uses the device of the story being reviewed and analysed by Emily, mother to Sappho as she reads her daughter's diary. Emily, a psychoanalyst had warned her daughter that the archetype had changed - that `wicked stepdaughters are more common now that wicked stepmothers ever were.' However, it is a function of a Weldon novel that warnings are never heeded and Emily marries Gavin, formerly husband to Isolde.

There are the usual turnarounds you see in Weldon - the man who becomes a financial drain the moment the knot is tied, the theft of talent and the dissipation of money and success. Weldon builds suspense through the twists and turns of these situations and as they deteriorate the reader cringes.

Somehow she does it all better here and with more wit and style than she has done for a while.


Original and entertaining as ever!, 26 Sep 2008
Fay Weldon is indeed on fantastic form in this highly entertaining novel. She is endlessly inventive, remarkably perceptive, and always a great joy to read.

A real treat!, 15 Sep 2008
This is vintage Fay Weldon, she is at the peak of her powers. I loved this book.



My all-time favourite book, 13 Dec 2004
This is a powerful story, simply told.

I'd go as far as to say that the story borders on the mythological. Fay Weldon's use of sparse and simple prose in the telling of it strengthens the story even further.

Fay Weldon has an understanding of human nature which transcends the boundaries of social nicety and political correctness at the best of times, but she improves on her usual excellence here. This book presents the light and shadow of men and women in all their forms - there are no "good-guys" or "bad-guys" here. She shows how good can spring from bad and bad from good... a dangerous idea? Read it and see what you think.

I've read this book at least a dozen times over the years and I've learned something new about life, and myself, every time. It's frightening, uplifting and ultimately liberating. I can't recommend it more highly.

A modern day fairytale, 17 Aug 2003
Fay Weldon's novel is masterfully envisioned in the audio adaptation. This success is in the main due to a skillful and powerful reading by Patricia Hodge.

Hodge brings to life this tale of Ruth, an unattrative housewife who seeks revenge on both her husband and the new object of his affection, the successful romance novelist Mary Fisher.

The novel plays upon the transformation of the two female characters as Ruth molds herself into a she devil, a tool with which to reek her fury upon the world, and as a result Mary's world crumbles about her, the fairy castle becoming tarnished and unlovely.

At times harrowing, Weldon's work portrays the desperate plight of the unwanted and the undesirable, and the satisfaction of destruction.

Different from nething else but great and gripping ., 21 Oct 2001
This book was chosen for my RPR at school and at first i didnt enjoy it but as i slowly read on I was gripped by the irony and sarcasm of the story and Ruth,the main charachter.I thought that it was a really interesting read and felt that the character ruth was so strong and determined!fay Weldon is a fabulous feminist and ironic write and I'd enjoy reading more of her novels.I'd reccomend it to those who like a bit of scandal!

fast moving, moral breaking. realistic and vivid., 12 Oct 2000
the book is written in a cynical tone and expresses the thoughts of many. the authour brings to life the emmotions and passions we all experience in a modern language. it is appropriately crude when it needs to be as well as sympathetic at times while all the time vivid. the story is far fetched but real enough to be true. the ending is however rushed and somwhat abrupt. the themes are consistent throughout and wonderfull imagery helps to portray the greed, lust and deciept.

Fascinating lady!, 15 Aug 2005
Fay Weldon begins her autobiography with her birth,in Birmingham, England.She guides us through to her emmigration to New Zealand at a young age.This is an interesting episode because her family's migration was done the old way,via sea voyage.
She reveals her medical doctor father was, unfortunately,something of a dissapointment,being unreliable at inconvenient times,and by and large,not being there for his daughters.Fay being the younger of two daughters.Later on we learn that the son her father had with his second wife, grew up to be some big cheese in soft porn movies.It seems so many of her relatives and associates are notable for something or other. Her upbringing was largly female orientated. Her mother strikes as being somewhat stoic and conservative.There is a heart rending account of the young Fay's immature fascination with an older girl at school being misinterpreted as lesbianism by her disappoving mother.
The family( minus the father) moved back to the U.K when Fay was in her teens.
The many life changes and interesting associations this lady mentions in her autobiography are too numerous to mention.
Anybody who has devoured a Weldon novel, and wondered where her fascinating characters and insights come from ( Praxis & The Life & Loves Of A She-Devil for example)will gain a whole lot of insight from reading her autobiography.
Eventually, the book ends in the 1960's by which time, Fay Weldon was in her thirties.However, dont assume that this makes her autobiography hollow or sketchy,it ends at an appropriate point.

Being admirably candid,in the middle of the book,she relates the circumstances which led her to marrying an older gentleman, who, to her frustration, lacked any sexual interest in her whatsoever.She tells us how this unsuitable union led her to lose the plot somewhat, and how she temporarily descended into an unhealthy lifestyle of apathy and promiscuity- from which she proudly rescued herself, of course!She opted to write about herself in this chapter of her life, in third person.This demonstrating how far she has moved on since that dark period.
There is so much in this book.She has lived in haunted houses,seen loved ones tormented by mental illness, slept with her friends boyfriend,lost dear friends in nasty accidents,been a single mum with no money,and created many well known advertising slogans.However she does not give her writing career very much attention in this book.
The end is positive.You'll watch her emerge, very natrually, into a successful career woman,married to her true love,and finally into the accomplished author we know today.

classic weldon, 28 Dec 2008
I have been reading Fay Weldon since I was a young girl, and very much enjoyed this latest installment. Its a series of life stories from a varied group of women staying at a spa over Christmas. Many of the stories herein resounded with me personally. Having read all of her books, its interesting to see both how I have matured, and how she has since her books from the 60s/70s. Whilst she is always a realist, there was also alot of warmth in this book.

Wise, thought provoking and overall very entertaining.

How can that be?....., 11 Dec 2008
I was enjoying this book UNTIL the chapter where Sappho is taking the contraceptive pill daily for around a year believing it to be a multivitamin. I can suspend disbelief just enough to accept that she might, given all other pressures, not notice that it is rather small for a multivitamin (!), but she wouldn't actually be having periods! At this point she is actively trying to conceive, is seeing a specialist (whose first question would surely have been about her periods!), and her husband is being asked to take a sperm test. "At the end of a year she saw the doctor... He did blood tests and said there was rather a lot of oestrogen around, and he supposed she had stopped taking the contraceptive pills he had prescibed her some time back and she said yes, she was not an idiot." Well neither am I, and this part of the tale totally ruined the book for me.

Vintage Weldon, 28 Nov 2008
Some writers start their careers with a bang and then fizzle out, but not Fay Weldon. She's on sparkling form in this book with a mixture of humour and horror. I enjoyed the verbal jousting between the Freudian and the Jungian psychotherapists who are reading the diary: respectively the diarist's mother and the latter's current lover. The book is multi-layered exploring the the damage done by shameful family secrets, by jealousy, resentment and revenge. At times almost a gothic horror story, reminiscent of Weldon's She Devil book in the exaggerated awfulness, there is nevertheless recognizable truth as the diary reveals the disintegration of a relationship catalyzed by the emotional baggage that the husband brings from his first marriage.

Weldon at her sharpest and most current, 04 Nov 2008
'I read my daughter's diary the other day. Let me share with you. You may think you know pretty much what's going on in your own family. Believe me, you do not. You think truly awful things only happen in other countries, other cultures, far away: but they also happen in your own back yard, to the nicest people, and at the hands of others who believe that they too are perfectly sane and nice, the kind who sort the household waste and try to save Africa.'

Weldon has always been good at dysfunctional families, money and property and this is a return to form, giving us the point of view of Sappho, the stepmother but not the wicked stepmother familiar from fairy tales.
Weldon uses the device of the story being reviewed and analysed by Emily, mother to Sappho as she reads her daughter's diary. Emily, a psychoanalyst had warned her daughter that the archetype had changed - that `wicked stepdaughters are more common now that wicked stepmothers ever were.' However, it is a function of a Weldon novel that warnings are never heeded and Emily marries Gavin, formerly husband to Isolde.

There are the usual turnarounds you see in Weldon - the man who becomes a financial drain the moment the knot is tied, the theft of talent and the dissipation of money and success. Weldon builds suspense through the twists and turns of these situations and as they deteriorate the reader cringes.

Somehow she does it all better here and with more wit and style than she has done for a while.


Original and entertaining as ever!, 26 Sep 2008
Fay Weldon is indeed on fantastic form in this highly entertaining novel. She is endlessly inventive, remarkably perceptive, and always a great joy to read.

A real treat!, 15 Sep 2008
This is vintage Fay Weldon, she is at the peak of her powers. I loved this book.

How can that be?....., 11 Dec 2008
I was enjoying this book UNTIL the chapter where Sappho is taking the contraceptive pill daily for around a year believing it to be a multivitamin. I can suspend disbelief just enough to accept that she might, given all other pressures, not notice that it is rather small for a multivitamin (!), but she wouldn't actually be having periods! At this point she is actively trying to conceive, is seeing a specialist (whose first question would surely have been about her periods!), and her husband is being asked to take a sperm test. "At the end of a year she saw the doctor... He did blood tests and said there was rather a lot of oestrogen around, and he supposed she had stopped taking the contraceptive pills he had prescibed her some time back and she said yes, she was not an idiot." Well neither am I, and this part of the tale totally ruined the book for me.

Vintage Weldon, 28 Nov 2008
Some writers start their careers with a bang and then fizzle out, but not Fay Weldon. She's on sparkling form in this book with a mixture of humour and horror. I enjoyed the verbal jousting between the Freudian and the Jungian psychotherapists who are reading the diary: respectively the diarist's mother and the latter's current lover. The book is multi-layered exploring the the damage done by shameful family secrets, by jealousy, resentment and revenge. At times almost a gothic horror story, reminiscent of Weldon's She Devil book in the exaggerated awfulness, there is nevertheless recognizable truth as the diary reveals the disintegration of a relationship catalyzed by the emotional baggage that the husband brings from his first marriage.

Weldon at her sharpest and most current, 04 Nov 2008
'I read my daughter's diary the other day. Let me share with you. You may think you know pretty much what's going on in your own family. Believe me, you do not. You think truly awful things only happen in other countries, other cultures, far away: but they also happen in your own back yard, to the nicest people, and at the hands of others who believe that they too are perfectly sane and nice, the kind who sort the household waste and try to save Africa.'

Weldon has always been good at dysfunctional families, money and property and this is a return to form, giving us the point of view of Sappho, the stepmother but not the wicked stepmother familiar from fairy tales.
Weldon uses the device of the story being reviewed and analysed by Emily, mother to Sappho as she reads her daughter's diary. Emily, a psychoanalyst had warned her daughter that the archetype had changed - that `wicked stepdaughters are more common now that wicked stepmothers ever were.' However, it is a function of a Weldon novel that warnings are never heeded and Emily marries Gavin, formerly husband to Isolde.

There are the usual turnarounds you see in Weldon - the man who becomes a financial drain the moment the knot is tied, the theft of talent and the dissipation of money and success. Weldon builds suspense through the twists and turns of these situations and as they deteriorate the reader cringes.

Somehow she does it all better here and with more wit and style than she has done for a while.


Original and entertaining as ever!, 26 Sep 2008
Fay Weldon is indeed on fantastic form in this highly entertaining novel. She is endlessly inventive, remarkably perceptive, and always a great joy to read.

A real treat!, 15 Sep 2008
This is vintage Fay Weldon, she is at the peak of her powers. I loved this book.



My all-time favourite book, 13 Dec 2004
This is a powerful story, simply told.

I'd go as far as to say that the story borders on the mythological. Fay Weldon's use of sparse and simple prose in the telling of it strengthens the story even further.

Fay Weldon has an understanding of human nature which transcends the boundaries of social nicety and political correctness at the best of times, but she improves on her usual excellence here. This book presents the light and shadow of men and women in all their forms - there are no "good-guys" or "bad-guys" here. She shows how good can spring from bad and bad from good... a dangerous idea? Read it and see what you think.

I've read this book at least a dozen times over the years and I've learned something new about life, and myself, every time. It's frightening, uplifting and ultimately liberating. I can't recommend it more highly.

A modern day fairytale, 17 Aug 2003
Fay Weldon's novel is masterfully envisioned in the audio adaptation. This success is in the main due to a skillful and powerful reading by Patricia Hodge.

Hodge brings to life this tale of Ruth, an unattrative housewife who seeks revenge on both her husband and the new object of his affection, the successful romance novelist Mary Fisher.

The novel plays upon the transformation of the two female characters as Ruth molds herself into a she devil, a tool with which to reek her fury upon the world, and as a result Mary's world crumbles about her, the fairy castle becoming tarnished and unlovely.

At times harrowing, Weldon's work portrays the desperate plight of the unwanted and the undesirable, and the satisfaction of destruction.

Different from nething else but great and gripping ., 21 Oct 2001
This book was chosen for my RPR at school and at first i didnt enjoy it but as i slowly read on I was gripped by the irony and sarcasm of the story and Ruth,the main charachter.I thought that it was a really interesting read and felt that the character ruth was so strong and determined!fay Weldon is a fabulous feminist and ironic write and I'd enjoy reading more of her novels.I'd reccomend it to those who like a bit of scandal!

fast moving, moral breaking. realistic and vivid., 12 Oct 2000
the book is written in a cynical tone and expresses the thoughts of many. the authour brings to life the emmotions and passions we all experience in a modern language. it is appropriately crude when it needs to be as well as sympathetic at times while all the time vivid. the story is far fetched but real enough to be true. the ending is however rushed and somwhat abrupt. the themes are consistent throughout and wonderfull imagery helps to portray the greed, lust and deciept.

Fascinating lady!, 15 Aug 2005
Fay Weldon begins her autobiography with her birth,in Birmingham, England.She guides us through to her emmigration to New Zealand at a young age.This is an interesting episode because her family's migration was done the old way,via sea voyage.
She reveals her medical doctor father was, unfortunately,something of a dissapointment,being unreliable at inconvenient times,and by and large,not being there for his daughters.Fay being the younger of two daughters.Later on we learn that the son her father had with his second wife, grew up to be some big cheese in soft porn movies.It seems so many of her relatives and associates are notable for something or other. Her upbringing was largly female orientated. Her mother strikes as being somewhat stoic and conservative.There is a heart rending account of the young Fay's immature fascination with an older girl at school being misinterpreted as lesbianism by her disappoving mother.
The family( minus the father) moved back to the U.K when Fay was in her teens.
The many life changes and interesting associations this lady mentions in her autobiography are too numerous to mention.
Anybody who has devoured a Weldon novel, and wondered where her fascinating characters and insights come from ( Praxis & The Life & Loves Of A She-Devil for example)will gain a whole lot of insight from reading her autobiography.
Eventually, the book ends in the 1960's by which time, Fay Weldon was in her thirties.However, dont assume that this makes her autobiography hollow or sketchy,it ends at an appropriate point.

Being admirably candid,in the middle of the book,she relates the circumstances which led her to marrying an older gentleman, who, to her frustration, lacked any sexual interest in her whatsoever.She tells us how this unsuitable union led her to lose the plot somewhat, and how she temporarily descended into an unhealthy lifestyle of apathy and promiscuity- from which she proudly rescued herself, of course!She opted to write about herself in this chapter of her life, in third person.This demonstrating how far she has moved on since that dark period.
There is so much in this book.She has lived in haunted houses,seen loved ones tormented by mental illness, slept with her friends boyfriend,lost dear friends in nasty accidents,been a single mum with no money,and created many well known advertising slogans.However she does not give her writing career very much attention in this book.
The end is positive.You'll watch her emerge, very natrually, into a successful career woman,married to her true love,and finally into the accomplished author we know today.

classic weldon, 28 Dec 2008
I have been reading Fay Weldon since I was a young girl, and very much enjoyed this latest installment. Its a series of life stories from a varied group of women staying at a spa over Christmas. Many of the stories herein resounded with me personally. Having read all of her books, its interesting to see both how I have matured, and how she has since her books from the 60s/70s. Whilst she is always a realist, there was also alot of warmth in this book.

Wise, thought provoking and overall very entertaining.

How can that be?....., 11 Dec 2008
I was enjoying this book UNTIL the chapter where Sappho is taking the contraceptive pill daily for around a year believing it to be a multivitamin. I can suspend disbelief just enough to accept that she might, given all other pressures, not notice that it is rather small for a multivitamin (!), but she wouldn't actually be having periods! At this point she is actively trying to conceive, is seeing a specialist (whose first question would surely have been about her periods!), and her husband is being asked to take a sperm test. "At the end of a year she saw the doctor... He did blood tests and said there was rather a lot of oestrogen around, and he supposed she had stopped taking the contraceptive pills he had prescibed her some time back and she said yes, she was not an idiot." Well neither am I, and this part of the tale totally ruined the book for me.

Vintage Weldon, 28 Nov 2008
Some writers start their careers with a bang and then fizzle out, but not Fay Weldon. She's on sparkling form in this book with a mixture of humour and horror. I enjoyed the verbal jousting between the Freudian and the Jungian psychotherapists who are reading the diary: respectively the diarist's mother and the latter's current lover. The book is multi-layered exploring the the damage done by shameful family secrets, by jealousy, resentment and revenge. At times almost a gothic horror story, reminiscent of Weldon's She Devil book in the exaggerated awfulness, there is nevertheless recognizable truth as the diary reveals the disintegration of a relationship catalyzed by the emotional baggage that the husband brings from his first marriage.

Weldon at her sharpest and most current, 04 Nov 2008
'I read my daughter's diary the other day. Let me share with you. You may think you know pretty much what's going on in your own family. Believe me, you do not. You think truly awful things only happen in other countries, other cultures, far away: but they also happen in your own back yard, to the nicest people, and at the hands of others who believe that they too are perfectly sane and nice, the kind who sort the household waste and try to save Africa.'

Weldon has always been good at dysfunctional families, money and property and this is a return to form, giving us the point of view of Sappho, the stepmother but not the wicked stepmother familiar from fairy tales.
Weldon uses the device of the story being reviewed and analysed by Emily, mother to Sappho as she reads her daughter's diary. Emily, a psychoanalyst had warned her daughter that the archetype had changed - that `wicked stepdaughters are more common now that wicked stepmothers ever were.' However, it is a function of a Weldon novel that warnings are never heeded and Emily marries Gavin, formerly husband to Isolde.

There are the usual turnarounds you see in Weldon - the man who becomes a financial drain the moment the knot is tied, the theft of talent and the dissipation of money and success. Weldon builds suspense through the twists and turns of these situations and as they deteriorate the reader cringes.

Somehow she does it all better here and with more wit and style than she has done for a while.


Original and entertaining as ever!, 26 Sep 2008
Fay Weldon is indeed on fantastic form in this highly entertaining novel. She is endlessly inventive, remarkably perceptive, and always a great joy to read.

A real treat!, 15 Sep 2008
This is vintage Fay Weldon, she is at the peak of her powers. I loved this book.



Great holiday read and present!, 28 Jul 2008
I bought this for my mum when she was going on holiday and she loved it so much that I had a read as well. There is a good mix of stories - some make you laugh and other's tug on the heartstrings. I loved the retro feel to the jacket and have it facing out on my book shelf!

Great beach read...didn't put it down! , 10 Jul 2008
What a lovely collection...I wasn't sure if a short stories book would be ideal for my holiday as I usually like to have loads of typical chick lit books to take away with me. But this was a short haul break away and I needed something light for my bag - Great Escapes was perfect!
Snappy and humorous and I even shed a tear whilst reading one of them - very moving.
Well recommended.

How can that be?....., 11 Dec 2008
I was enjoying this book UNTIL the chapter where Sappho is taking the contraceptive pill daily for around a year believing it to be a multivitamin. I can suspend disbelief just enough to accept that she might, given all other pressures, not notice that it is rather small for a multivitamin (!), but she wouldn't actually be having periods! At this point she is actively trying to conceive, is seeing a specialist (whose first question would surely have been about her periods!), and her husband is being asked to take a sperm test. "At the end of a year she saw the doctor... He did blood tests and said there was rather a lot of oestrogen around, and he supposed she had stopped taking the contraceptive pills he had prescibed her some time back and she said yes, she was not an idiot." Well neither am I, and this part of the tale totally ruined the book for me.

Vintage Weldon, 28 Nov 2008
Some writers start their careers with a bang and then fizzle out, but not Fay Weldon. She's on sparkling form in this book with a mixture of humour and horror. I enjoyed the verbal jousting between the Freudian and the Jungian psychotherapists who are reading the diary: respectively the diarist's mother and the latter's current lover. The book is multi-layered exploring the the damage done by shameful family secrets, by jealousy, resentment and revenge. At times almost a gothic horror story, reminiscent of Weldon's She Devil book in the exaggerated awfulness, there is nevertheless recognizable truth as the diary reveals the disintegration of a relationship catalyzed by the emotional baggage that the husband brings from his first marriage.

Weldon at her sharpest and most current, 04 Nov 2008
'I read my daughter's diary the other day. Let me share with you. You may think you know pretty much what's going on in your own family. Believe me, you do not. You think truly awful things only happen in other countries, other cultures, far away: but they also happen in your own back yard, to the nicest people, and at the hands of others who believe that they too are perfectly sane and nice, the kind who sort the household waste and try to save Africa.'

Weldon has always been good at dysfunctional families, money and property and this is a return to form, giving us the point of view of Sappho, the stepmother but not the wicked stepmother familiar from fairy tales.
Weldon uses the device of the story being reviewed and analysed by Emily, mother to Sappho as she reads her daughter's diary. Emily, a psychoanalyst had warned her daughter that the archetype had changed - that `wicked stepdaughters are more common now that wicked stepmothers ever were.' However, it is a function of a Weldon novel that warnings are never heeded and Emily marries Gavin, formerly husband to Isolde.

There are the usual turnarounds you see in Weldon - the man who becomes a financial drain the moment the knot is tied, the theft of talent and the dissipation of money and success. Weldon builds suspense through the twists and turns of these situations and as they deteriorate the reader cringes.

Somehow she does it all better here and with more wit and style than she has done for a while.


Original and entertaining as ever!, 26 Sep 2008
Fay Weldon is indeed on fantastic form in this highly entertaining novel. She is endlessly inventive, remarkably perceptive, and always a great joy to read.

A real treat!, 15 Sep 2008
This is vintage Fay Weldon, she is at the peak of her powers. I loved this book.



My all-time favourite book, 13 Dec 2004
This is a powerful story, simply told.

I'd go as far as to say that the story borders on the mythological. Fay Weldon's use of sparse and simple prose in the telling of it strengthens the story even further.

Fay Weldon has an understanding of human nature which transcends the boundaries of social nicety and political correctness at the best of times, but she improves on her usual excellence here. This book presents the light and shadow of men and women in all their forms - there are no "good-guys" or "bad-guys" here. She shows how good can spring from bad and bad from good... a dangerous idea? Read it and see what you think.

I've read this book at least a dozen times over the years and I've learned something new about life, and myself, every time. It's frightening, uplifting and ultimately liberating. I can't recommend it more highly.

A modern day fairytale, 17 Aug 2003
Fay Weldon's novel is masterfully envisioned in the audio adaptation. This success is in the main due to a skillful and powerful reading by Patricia Hodge.

Hodge brings to life this tale of Ruth, an unattrative housewife who seeks revenge on both her husband and the new object of his affection, the successful romance novelist Mary Fisher.

The novel plays upon the transformation of the two female characters as Ruth molds herself into a she devil, a tool with which to reek her fury upon the world, and as a result Mary's world crumbles about her, the fairy castle becoming tarnished and unlovely.

At times harrowing, Weldon's work portrays the desperate plight of the unwanted and the undesirable, and the satisfaction of destruction.

Different from nething else but great and gripping ., 21 Oct 2001
This book was chosen for my RPR at school and at first i didnt enjoy it but as i slowly read on I was gripped by the irony and sarcasm of the story and Ruth,the main charachter.I thought that it was a really interesting read and felt that the character ruth was so strong and determined!fay Weldon is a fabulous feminist and ironic write and I'd enjoy reading more of her novels.I'd reccomend it to those who like a bit of scandal!

fast moving, moral breaking. realistic and vivid., 12 Oct 2000
the book is written in a cynical tone and expresses the thoughts of many. the authour brings to life the emmotions and passions we all experience in a modern language. it is appropriately crude when it needs to be as well as sympathetic at times while all the time vivid. the story is far fetched but real enough to be true. the ending is however rushed and somwhat abrupt. the themes are consistent throughout and wonderfull imagery helps to portray the greed, lust and deciept.

Fascinating lady!, 15 Aug 2005
Fay Weldon begins her autobiography with her birth,in Birmingham, England.She guides us through to her emmigration to New Zealand at a young age.This is an interesting episode because her family's migration was done the old way,via sea voyage.
She reveals her medical doctor father was, unfortunately,something of a dissapointment,being unreliable at inconvenient times,and by and large,not being there for his daughters.Fay being the younger of two daughters.Later on we learn that the son her father had with his second wife, grew up to be some big cheese in soft porn movies.It seems so many of her relatives and associates are notable for something or other. Her upbringing was largly female orientated. Her mother strikes as being somewhat stoic and conservative.There is a heart rending account of the young Fay's immature fascination with an older girl at school being misinterpreted as lesbianism by her disappoving mother.
The family( minus the father) moved back to the U.K when Fay was in her teens.
The many life changes and interesting associations this lady mentions in her autobiography are too numerous to mention.
Anybody who has devoured a Weldon novel, and wondered where her fascinating characters and insights come from ( Praxis & The Life & Loves Of A She-Devil for example)will gain a whole lot of insight from reading her autobiography.
Eventually, the book ends in the 1960's by which time, Fay Weldon was in her thirties.However, dont assume that this makes her autobiography hollow or sketchy,it ends at an appropriate point.

Being admirably candid,in the middle of the book,she relates the circumstances which led her to marrying an older gentleman, who, to her frustration, lacked any sexual interest in her whatsoever.She tells us how this unsuitable union led her to lose the plot somewhat, and how she temporarily descended into an unhealthy lifestyle of apathy and promiscuity- from which she proudly rescued herself, of course!She opted to write about herself in this chapter of her life, in third person.This demonstrating how far she has moved on since that dark period.
There is so much in this book.She has lived in haunted houses,seen loved ones tormented by mental illness, slept with her friends boyfriend,lost dear friends in nasty accidents,been a single mum with no money,and created many well known advertising slogans.However she does not give her writing career very much attention in this book.
The end is positive.You'll watch her emerge, very natrually, into a successful career woman,married to her true love,and finally into the accomplished author we know today.

classic weldon, 28 Dec 2008
I have been reading Fay Weldon since I was a young girl, and very much enjoyed this latest installment. Its a series of life stories from a varied group of women staying at a spa over Christmas. Many of the stories herein resounded with me personally. Having read all of her books, its interesting to see both how I have matured, and how she has since her books from the 60s/70s. Whilst she is always a realist, there was also alot of warmth in this book.

Wise, thought provoking and overall very entertaining.

How can that be?....., 11 Dec 2008
I was enjoying this book UNTIL the chapter where Sappho is taking the contraceptive pill daily for around a year believing it to be a multivitamin. I can suspend disbelief just enough to accept that she might, given all other pressures, not notice that it is rather small for a multivitamin (!), but she wouldn't actually be having periods! At this point she is actively trying to conceive, is seeing a specialist (whose first question would surely have been about her periods!), and her husband is being asked to take a sperm test. "At the end of a year she saw the doctor... He did blood tests and said there was rather a lot of oestrogen around, and he supposed she had stopped taking the contraceptive pills he had prescibed her some time back and she said yes, she was not an idiot." Well neither am I, and this part of the tale totally ruined the book for me.

Vintage Weldon, 28 Nov 2008
Some writers start their careers with a bang and then fizzle out, but not Fay Weldon. She's on sparkling form in this book with a mixture of humour and horror. I enjoyed the verbal jousting between the Freudian and the Jungian psychotherapists who are reading the diary: respectively the diarist's mother and the latter's current lover. The book is multi-layered exploring the the damage done by shameful family secrets, by jealousy, resentment and revenge. At times almost a gothic horror story, reminiscent of Weldon's She Devil book in the exaggerated awfulness, there is nevertheless recognizable truth as the diary reveals the disintegration of a relationship catalyzed by the emotional baggage that the husband brings from his first marriage.

Weldon at her sharpest and most current, 04 Nov 2008
'I read my daughter's diary the other day. Let me share with you. You may think you know pretty much what's going on in your own family. Believe me, you do not. You think truly awful things only happen in other countries, other cultures, far away: but they also happen in your own back yard, to the nicest people, and at the hands of others who believe that they too are perfectly sane and nice, the kind who sort the household waste and try to save Africa.'

Weldon has always been good at dysfunctional families, money and property and this is a return to form, giving us the point of view of Sappho, the stepmother but not the wicked stepmother familiar from fairy tales.
Weldon uses the device of the story being reviewed and analysed by Emily, mother to Sappho as she reads her daughter's diary. Emily, a psychoanalyst had warned her daughter that the archetype had changed - that `wicked stepdaughters are more common now that wicked stepmothers ever were.' However, it is a function of a Weldon novel that warnings are never heeded and Emily marries Gavin, formerly husband to Isolde.

There are the usual turnarounds you see in Weldon - the man who becomes a financial drain the moment the knot is tied, the theft of talent and the dissipation of money and success. Weldon builds suspense through the twists and turns of these situations and as they deteriorate the reader cringes.

Somehow she does it all better here and with more wit and style than she has done for a while.


Original and entertaining as ever!, 26 Sep 2008
Fay Weldon is indeed on fantastic form in this highly entertaining novel. She is endlessly inventive, remarkably perceptive, and always a great joy to read.

A real treat!, 15 Sep 2008
This is vintage Fay Weldon, she is at the peak of her powers. I loved this book.



Great holiday read and present!, 28 Jul 2008
I bought this for my mum when she was going on holiday and she loved it so much that I had a read as well. There is a good mix of stories - some make you laugh and other's tug on the heartstrings. I loved the retro feel to the jacket and have it facing out on my book shelf!

Great beach read...didn't put it down! , 10 Jul 2008
What a lovely collection...I wasn't sure if a short stories book would be ideal for my holiday as I usually like to have loads of typical chick lit books to take away with me. But this was a short haul break away and I needed something light for my bag - Great Escapes was perfect!
Snappy and humorous and I even shed a tear whilst reading one of them - very moving.
Well recommended.

A Classic Grown-Ups' Fairytale..., 07 Jan 2007
I have owned several copies of this book, as I make a habit of lending/giving it to people.

I'm not about to say any more about it, save that it's the best Weldon ever wrote and almost rivals Angela Carter at her most gleeful.

Weldon provides an enjoyable, insightful read, 09 Jul 2004
Before I read this book, Fay Weldon was only a name to me. On beginning it, I had no preconceived notions as to whether I was supposed to find Weldon a "great writer" or a producer of "low quality pap" and I really only picked up this book because the front cover illustration amused me. After a moment's hesitation before I got into the novel, I soon decided that Fay Weldon has a distinct narrative voice and a very natural way of representing the internal fears and passions of her characters. The main character, Liffey, is an innocent initially, but the novel takes her on a journey that opens her eyes to real life and the excentricities of men and women and their relationships. Although 'Puffball' has a very low key, understated mood, Fay Weldon somehow manages to create a growing feeling of tension as the plot progresses, and the novel culminates with a surprising and almost frightening ending. An enjoyable read from an insightful writer.

...a book I had to read more than once..., 24 Jan 2002
Although in my opinion Fay Weldon's literary talent is beyond genius, and all of her books that I've read so far are well worth any accreditation they may receive, Puffball is by far the best.

A readable and flowing novel, written in a simple but effective manner making use of the power of short sentences and lists. On a purely escapist level, Puffball provides a light and entertaining read.

However, those readers familiar to Weldon's work will recognise themes Weldon frequently touches on such as desire and the weakness of human nature and feminism. Set in Somerset, the influence of magic and mysticism was all too inevitable, but Puffball handles this in a subtle and convincing way, presenting a spiritual portrayal of the power of femininity, whilst still managing to introduce us to some likeable male characters I found myself truly warming to.

How can that be?....., 11 Dec 2008
I was enjoying this book UNTIL the chapter where Sappho is taking the contraceptive pill daily for around a year believing it to be a multivitamin. I can suspend disbelief just enough to accept that she might, given all other pressures, not notice that it is rather small for a multivitamin (!), but she wouldn't actually be having periods! At this point she is actively trying to conceive, is seeing a specialist (whose first question would surely have been about her periods!), and her husband is being asked to take a sperm test. "At the end of a year she saw the doctor... He did blood tests and said there was rather a lot of oestrogen around, and he supposed she had stopped taking the contraceptive pills he had prescibed her some time back and she said yes, she was not an idiot." Well neither am I, and this part of the tale totally ruined the book for me.

Vintage Weldon, 28 Nov 2008
Some writers start their careers with a bang and then fizzle out, but not Fay Weldon. She's on sparkling form in this book with a mixture of humour and horror. I enjoyed the verbal jousting between the Freudian and the Jungian psychotherapists who are reading the diary: respectively the diarist's mother and the latter's current lover. The book is multi-layered exploring the the damage done by shameful family secrets, by jealousy, resentment and revenge. At times almost a gothic horror story, reminiscent of Weldon's She Devil book in the exaggerated awfulness, there is nevertheless recognizable truth as the diary reveals the disintegration of a relationship catalyzed by the emotional baggage that the husband brings from his first marriage.

Weldon at her sharpest and most current, 04 Nov 2008
'I read my daughter's diary the other day. Let me share with you. You may think you know pretty much what's going on in your own family. Believe me, you do not. You think truly awful things only happen in other countries, other cultures, far away: but they also happen in your own back yard, to the nicest people, and at the hands of others who believe that they too are perfectly sane and nice, the kind who sort the household waste and try to save Africa.'

Weldon has always been good at dysfunctional families, money and property and this is a return to form, giving us the point of view of Sappho, the stepmother but not the wicked stepmother familiar from fairy tales.
Weldon uses the device of the story being reviewed and analysed by Emily, mother to Sappho as she reads her daughter's diary. Emily, a psychoanalyst had warned her daughter that the archetype had changed - that `wicked stepdaughters are more common now that wicked stepmothers ever were.' However, it is a function of a Weldon novel that warnings are never heeded and Emily marries Gavin, formerly husband to Isolde.

There are the usual turnarounds you see in Weldon - the man who becomes a financial drain the moment the knot is tied, the theft of talent and the dissipation of money and success. Weldon builds suspense through the twists and turns of these situations and as they deteriorate the reader cringes.

Somehow she does it all better here and with more wit and style than she has done for a while.


Original and entertaining as ever!, 26 Sep 2008
Fay Weldon is indeed on fantastic form in this highly entertaining novel. She is endlessly inventive, remarkably perceptive, and always a great joy to read.

A real treat!, 15 Sep 2008
This is vintage Fay Weldon, she is at the peak of her powers. I loved this book.



My all-time favourite book, 13 Dec 2004
This is a powerful story, simply told.

I'd go as far as to say that the story borders on the mythological. Fay Weldon's use of sparse and simple prose in the telling of it strengthens the story even further.

Fay Weldon has an understanding of human nature which transcends the boundaries of social nicety and political correctness at the best of times, but she improves on her usual excellence here. This book presents the light and shadow of men and women in all their forms - there are no "good-guys" or "bad-guys" here. She shows how good can spring from bad and bad from good... a dangerous idea? Read it and see what you think.

I've read this book at least a dozen times over the years and I've learned something new about life, and myself, every time. It's frightening, uplifting and ultimately liberating. I can't recommend it more highly.

A modern day fairytale, 17 Aug 2003
Fay Weldon's novel is masterfully envisioned in the audio adaptation. This success is in the main due to a skillful and powerful reading by Patricia Hodge.

Hodge brings to life this tale of Ruth, an unattrative housewife who seeks revenge on both her husband and the new object of his affection, the successful romance novelist Mary Fisher.

The novel plays upon the transformation of the two female characters as Ruth molds herself into a she devil, a tool with which to reek her fury upon the world, and as a result Mary's world crumbles about her, the fairy castle becoming tarnished and unlovely.

At times harrowing, Weldon's work portrays the desperate plight of the unwanted and the undesirable, and the satisfaction of destruction.

Different from nething else but great and gripping ., 21 Oct 2001
This book was chosen for my RPR at school and at first i didnt enjoy it but as i slowly read on I was gripped by the irony and sarcasm of the story and Ruth,the main charachter.I thought that it was a really interesting read and felt that the character ruth was so strong and determined!fay Weldon is a fabulous feminist and ironic write and I'd enjoy reading more of her novels.I'd reccomend it to those who like a bit of scandal!

fast moving, moral breaking. realistic and vivid., 12 Oct 2000
the book is written in a cynical tone and expresses the thoughts of many. the authour brings to life the emmotions and passions we all experience in a modern language. it is appropriately crude when it needs to be as well as sympathetic at times while all the time vivid. the story is far fetched but real enough to be true. the ending is however rushed and somwhat abrupt. the themes are consistent throughout and wonderfull imagery helps to portray the greed, lust and deciept.

Fascinating lady!, 15 Aug 2005
Fay Weldon begins her autobiography with her birth,in Birmingham, England.She guides us through to her emmigration to New Zealand at a young age.This is an interesting episode because her family's migration was done the old way,via sea voyage.
She reveals her medical doctor father was, unfortunately,something of a dissapointment,being unreliable at inconvenient times,and by and large,not being there for his daughters.Fay being the younger of two daughters.Later on we learn that the son her father had with his second wife, grew up to be some big cheese in soft porn movies.It seems so many of her relatives and associates are notable for something or other. Her upbringing was largly female orientated. Her mother strikes as being somewhat stoic and conservative.There is a heart rending account of the young Fay's immature fascination with an older girl at school being misinterpreted as lesbianism by her disappoving mother.
The family( minus the father) moved back to the U.K when Fay was in her teens.
The many life changes and interesting associations this lady mentions in her autobiography are too numerous to mention.
Anybody who has devoured a Weldon novel, and wondered where her fascinating characters and insights come from ( Praxis & The Life & Loves Of A She-Devil for example)will gain a whole lot of insight from reading her autobiography.
Eventually, the book ends in the 1960's by which time, Fay Weldon was in her thirties.However, dont assume that this makes her autobiography hollow or sketchy,it ends at an appropriate point.

Being admirably candid,in the middle of the book,she relates the circumstances which led her to marrying an older gentleman, who, to her frustration, lacked any sexual interest in her whatsoever.She tells us how this unsuitable union led her to lose the plot somewhat, and how she temporarily descended into an unhealthy lifestyle of apathy and promiscuity- from which she proudly rescued herself, of course!She opted to write about herself in this chapter of her life, in third person.This demonstrating how far she has moved on since that dark period.
There is so much in this book.She has lived in haunted houses,seen loved ones tormented by mental illness, slept with her friends boyfriend,lost dear friends in nasty accidents,been a single mum with no money,and created many well known advertising slogans.However she does not give her writing career very much attention in this book.
The end is positive.You'll watch her emerge, very natrually, into a successful career woman,married to her true love,and finally into the accomplished author we know today.

classic weldon, 28 Dec 2008
I have been reading Fay Weldon since I was a young girl, and very much enjoyed this latest installment. Its a series of life stories from a varied group of women staying at a spa over Christmas. Many of the stories herein resounded with me personally. Having read all of her books, its interesting to see both how I have matured, and how she has since her books from the 60s/70s. Whilst she is always a realist, there was also alot of warmth in this book.

Wise, thought provoking and overall very entertaining.

How can that be?....., 11 Dec 2008
I was enjoying this book UNTIL the chapter where Sappho is taking the contraceptive pill daily for around a year believing it to be a multivitamin. I can suspend disbelief just enough to accept that she might, given all other pressures, not notice that it is rather small for a multivitamin (!), but she wouldn't actually be having periods! At this point she is actively trying to conceive, is seeing a specialist (whose first question would surely have been about her periods!), and her husband is being asked to take a sperm test. "At the end of a year she saw the doctor... He did blood tests and said there was rather a lot of oestrogen around, and he supposed she had stopped taking the contraceptive pills he had prescibed her some time back and she said yes, she was not an idiot." Well neither am I, and this part of the tale totally ruined the book for me.

Vintage Weldon, 28 Nov 2008
Some writers start their careers with a bang and then fizzle out, but not Fay Weldon. She's on sparkling form in this book with a mixture of humour and horror. I enjoyed the verbal jousting between the Freudian and the Jungian psychotherapists who are reading the diary: respectively the diarist's mother and the latter's current lover. The book is multi-layered exploring the the damage done by shameful family secrets, by jealousy, resentment and revenge. At times almost a gothic horror story, reminiscent of Weldon's She Devil book in the exaggerated awfulness, there is nevertheless recognizable truth as the diary reveals the disintegration of a relationship catalyzed by the emotional baggage that the husband brings from his first marriage.

Weldon at her sharpest and most current, 04 Nov 2008
'I read my daughter's diary the other day. Let me share with you. You may think you know pretty much what's going on in your own family. Believe me, you do not. You think truly awful things only happen in other countries, other cultures, far away: but they also happen in your own back yard, to the nicest people, and at the hands of others who believe that they too are perfectly sane and nice, the kind who sort the household waste and try to save Africa.'

Weldon has always been good at dysfunctional families, money and property and this is a return to form, giving us the point of view of Sappho, the stepmother but not the wicked stepmother familiar from fairy tales.
Weldon uses the device of the story being reviewed and analysed by Emily, mother to Sappho as she reads her daughter's diary. Emily, a psychoanalyst had warned her daughter that the archetype had changed - that `wicked stepdaughters are more common now that wicked stepmothers ever were.' However, it is a function of a Weldon novel that warnings are never heeded and Emily marries Gavin, formerly husband to Isolde.

There are the usual turnarounds you see in Weldon - the man who becomes a financial drain the moment the knot is tied, the theft of talent and the dissipation of money and success. Weldon builds suspense through the twists and turns of these situations and as they deteriorate the reader cringes.

Somehow she does it all better here and with more wit and style than she has done for a while.


Original and entertaining as ever!, 26 Sep 2008
Fay Weldon is indeed on fantastic form in this highly entertaining novel. She is endlessly inventive, remarkably perceptive, and always a great joy to read.

A real treat!, 15 Sep 2008
This is vintage Fay Weldon, she is at the peak of her powers. I loved this book.



Great holiday read and present!, 28 Jul 2008
I bought this for my mum when she was going on holiday and she loved it so much that I had a read as well. There is a good mix of stories - some make you laugh and other's tug on the heartstrings. I loved the retro feel to the jacket and have it facing out on my book shelf!

Great beach read...didn't put it down! , 10 Jul 2008
What a lovely collection...I wasn't sure if a short stories book would be ideal for my holiday as I usually like to have loads of typical chick lit books to take away with me. But this was a short haul break away and I needed something light for my bag - Great Escapes was perfect!
Snappy and humorous and I even shed a tear whilst reading one of them - very moving.
Well recommended.

A Classic Grown-Ups' Fairytale..., 07 Jan 2007
I have owned several copies of this book, as I make a habit of lending/giving it to people.

I'm not about to say any more about it, save that it's the best Weldon ever wrote and almost rivals Angela Carter at her most gleeful.

Weldon provides an enjoyable, insightful read, 09 Jul 2004
Before I read this book, Fay Weldon was only a name to me. On beginning it, I had no preconceived notions as to whether I was supposed to find Weldon a "great writer" or a producer of "low quality pap" and I really only picked up this book because the front cover illustration amused me. After a moment's hesitation before I got into the novel, I soon decided that Fay Weldon has a distinct narrative voice and a very natural way of representing the internal fears and passions of her characters. The main character, Liffey, is an innocent initially, but the novel takes her on a journey that opens her eyes to real life and the excentricities of men and women and their relationships. Although 'Puffball' has a very low key, understated mood, Fay Weldon somehow manages to create a growing feeling of tension as the plot progresses, and the novel culminates with a surprising and almost frightening ending. An enjoyable read from an insightful writer.

...a book I had to read more than once..., 24 Jan 2002
Although in my opinion Fay Weldon's literary talent is beyond genius, and all of her books that I've read so far are well worth any accreditation they may receive, Puffball is by far the best.

A readable and flowing novel, written in a simple but effective manner making use of the power of short sentences and lists. On a purely escapist level, Puffball provides a light and entertaining read.

However, those readers familiar to Weldon's work will recognise themes Weldon frequently touches on such as desire and the weakness of human nature and feminism. Set in Somerset, the influence of magic and mysticism was all too inevitable, but Puffball handles this in a subtle and convincing way, presenting a spiritual portrayal of the power of femininity, whilst still managing to introduce us to some likeable male characters I found myself truly warming to.

Uninspiring, thank goodness it's not longer., 17 Oct 2007
I wish she had left, this was boring as anything! I only continued reading it because it was for a book club and I wanted to try hard to complete it. The best bit happens in the last 15 pages but the blurb already tells you what's going to happen so you aren't even excited about getting there!

Hattie and Martyn aren't married, they are `partnered'. They have a little baby, called Kitty and are on the look out for an au pair so that Hattie can return to work. I think Fay Weldon was trying to get us to look at modern life and has taken it to an extreme, I don't know, it's my opinion. It would have been good if it had been a take on the way we live our lives but it wasn't well written enough for that. The story is narrated by Frances who is Hattie's grandmother. This is where a second story runs parallel, in that we live Frances' life as well.

The characters are boring, very selfish, snobbish people - maybe they were written that way intentionally. A predictable plot that mirrors the blurb, nothing is a surprise. We are given a look into both Hattie and Martyn's life - who they work with and why they are motivated to be the way they are (they simply want to be better than anyone else). We are also invited into Agnieszka's life (the au pair) as and when Hattie 'discovers' something about her.

I still don't understand why we were told everything as it happened. I got to the end not feeling like there was any spark that