A treat of a history lesson, 23 Jun 2008
I was really looking forward to this book and was thrilled when I had it in the post! It is a beautiful book promising exquisite entertainment. The first half was a real pleasure and very much in the usual Cheek fashion. But then the portraits communicating with each other really were too arty. In the end the book become downright boring, leaving me a bit disappointed. It reminded me a bit of "Getting Back Brahms" which had an equally melancholic touch about it. But finally I have to admit that up to now I hadn't known Anne of Cleves at all and I'm truly thankful for this new piece of knowledge.

Oh those insufferably proud, wonderfully passionate Tudors...., 24 May 2008
Well done, Mavis Cheek!
I have always enjoyed Mavis Cheek's novels not only because of the plots and the humour which is characteristic of her, but for the amount of research which goes into the sub-plot.

Be it music, or poetry or art, she carefully explores her subject so that she knows exactly what is relevant and also historically or technically correct.
In 'Amenable Women' she has researched the life of Anne of Cleves and while the story of Flora Chapman who is coming to terms with the freedom which she experiences after her husband's death is the first plot which we encounter, there is a concomitant plot in the story of the life of Henry VIII's fourth wife.

The two lives begin to converge and in the denouement, Anne is vindicated and shown not to be the 'Flanders Mare' and Flora realises her own inner strength and how important it is not to crave the limelight as her husband used to.

There are some wonderfully funny lines:
' Inevitably where three or more are gathered together there is always a fruitcake in attendance for the specific purpose of driving everybody else nuts.'

The device of having the portraits together in London for a while so that they can converse is skilfully managed and very effective.

Mavis Cheek has achieved a tour de force here in 'Amenable Women'.
Do buy it - you will enjoy it thoroughly.

Val De Beer.




Enjoyable, but unrealistic, 10 May 2008
Mavis Cheek continues to write in the lively style that has been her hall-mark, but in this, and her previous book, there has been a shift in her depiction of men with a noticeable souring in her attitude. In this book the two male characters are caricatures: the dead one totally over-bearing and vain and the live one weak and timid. Where before her interactions between men and women were more playful and realistic, in this book she has a middle-aged woman appearing to have not the slightest sadness over the recent death of her husband: even the most jaded wife would have some regrets in real life. This heartlessness diminishes ones sympathy for the widow and makes her seem self-righteous. There are very few marriages where one one partner is totally without blame. The personal story of the widow is intermingled with the story of Anna of Cleves ill-starred marriage to Henry VIII. The latter certainly adds an interesting dimension to the book but the final, supposed revelation connected with a commemorative stone in the widow's garden, is a bit of a damp squib. I found the supernatural element of the characters in portraits supposedly conversing with one another a rather forced device to illustrate history.

Not the Flanders Mare, 09 Apr 2008
I bought this book because of a very good write-up in the Telegraph but it's not really my bag. I found it full of waffle interspersed with tantalizing snippets about Anne of Cleves. However it was very well put together but only came alive when mentioning Anne. Overall a bit disappointing. I think Henry only called Anne names because when they first met at Rochester she showed that she found him repulsive instead of falling on her knees and pretending to be dazzled

Being amenable can get you what you want, 07 Apr 2008
This is Mavis Cheek back to her old form. I was quite disappointed by her last two books but I loved this one. Flora has always lived in the shadow of her husband. When he dies unexpectedly in a bizarre baloon accident, she finds she relishes her freedom to plan her own life. Casting around for something to occupy her mind she comes across a half finished local history which Edward was working on, and in it a reference to Anne of Cleves - Henry VIII's fourth wife - and her connections with the area. This sparks her interest and she decides to find out Anne's story. She visits Paris to view the original portrait by Holbein and feels as though the picture is speaking to her. Fending off her daughter's attempt to wrest her inheritance from her and some startling revelations about her husband seem minor irritations compared with her search for information about Anna (Anne) of Cleves. Her search helps her come to terms with her own life and she finds many parallels in Anna's story.
This is a multilevelled story which shows while circumstances may change people stay the same. Behaviour which works in one century may well be effective in a later one. Mavis Cheek's sentences sometimes meander along for several lines, but her style suits the story and there is much gentle humour. Characters are well realised and I will certainly look at Henry VIII's 4th wife with fresh eyes from now on.

Angela Fytton (éée Lister) is the perfect wife and mother. Involved and interested in her husband Ian's business, capable mother, utterly together housewife and--even after two children--demon, cellulite-free lover. So it's rather a shock to her system when she's dumped for the younger, determinedly helpless dentist Belinda (Binnie), who Ian meets when she trips over her stilettos in front of him at a conference.

But Angela is a very resourceful woman and she's determined to get Ian back. Abandoning her two standard-issue selfish teenagers Claire and Andrew to their father and "fluffy" new stepmother (or more accurately, vice versa), she quits West London for the pure, spiritual country delights of Somerset; as she explains to Ian, Claire and Andrew over dinner, "You know, ancient forces drawing me back to my roots and all that ...".

Here, she believes, the people are unspoiled, honest and steeped in tradition. Or so she thinks. What is it that Wanda and Dave-the-Bread next door have got to hide? What's elderly Dr Tichborne up to with his binoculars? Why doesn't Sammy the pigman bother to wear his false teeth? And is the new young vicar really screened by the shrubs when he exercises starkers in the vicarage garden?

From Mavis Cheek, prize-winning author of Pause Between Acts, Janice Gets Sexy and Three Men on a Plane, a laugh-out-loud tale of self-discovery, women's history (check out the epigraphs at the start of each chapter), the comforts of tradition and joys of progress--and the benefits of getting it wrong. Just occasionally. --Lisa GeeAngela Fytton (née Lister) is the perfect wife and mother. Involved and interested in her husband Ian's business, capable mother, utterly together housewife and--even after two children--demon, cellulite-free lover. So it's rather a shock to her system when she's dumped for the younger, determinedly helpless dentist Belinda (Binnie), who Ian meets when she trips over her stilettos in front of him at a conference.

But Angela is a very resourceful woman and she's determined to get Ian back. Abandoning her two standard-issue selfish teenagers Claire and Andrew to their father and "fluffy" new stepmother (or more accurately, vice versa), she quits West London for the pure, spiritual country delights of Somerset; as she explains to Ian, Claire and Andrew over dinner, "You know, ancient forces drawing me back to my roots and all that ..."."

Here, she believes, the people are unspoiled, honest and steeped in tradition. Or so she thinks. What is it that Wanda and Dave-the-Bread next door have got to hide? What's elderly Dr. Tichborne up to with his binoculars? Why doesn't Sammy the pigman bother to wear his false teeth? And is the new young vicar really screened by the shrubs when he exercises starkers in the vicarage garden?

From Mavis Cheek, prize-winning author of Pause Between Acts, Janice Gets Sexy and Three Men on a Plane, a laugh-out-loud tale of self-discovery, women's history (check out the epigraphs at the start of each chapter), the comforts of tradition and joys of progress--and the benefits of getting it wrong. Just occasionally.Lisa Gee

A treat of a history lesson, 23 Jun 2008
I was really looking forward to this book and was thrilled when I had it in the post! It is a beautiful book promising exquisite entertainment. The first half was a real pleasure and very much in the usual Cheek fashion. But then the portraits communicating with each other really were too arty. In the end the book become downright boring, leaving me a bit disappointed. It reminded me a bit of "Getting Back Brahms" which had an equally melancholic touch about it. But finally I have to admit that up to now I hadn't known Anne of Cleves at all and I'm truly thankful for this new piece of knowledge.

Oh those insufferably proud, wonderfully passionate Tudors...., 24 May 2008
Well done, Mavis Cheek!
I have always enjoyed Mavis Cheek's novels not only because of the plots and the humour which is characteristic of her, but for the amount of research which goes into the sub-plot.

Be it music, or poetry or art, she carefully explores her subject so that she knows exactly what is relevant and also historically or technically correct.
In 'Amenable Women' she has researched the life of Anne of Cleves and while the story of Flora Chapman who is coming to terms with the freedom which she experiences after her husband's death is the first plot which we encounter, there is a concomitant plot in the story of the life of Henry VIII's fourth wife.

The two lives begin to converge and in the denouement, Anne is vindicated and shown not to be the 'Flanders Mare' and Flora realises her own inner strength and how important it is not to crave the limelight as her husband used to.

There are some wonderfully funny lines:
' Inevitably where three or more are gathered together there is always a fruitcake in attendance for the specific purpose of driving everybody else nuts.'

The device of having the portraits together in London for a while so that they can converse is skilfully managed and very effective.

Mavis Cheek has achieved a tour de force here in 'Amenable Women'.
Do buy it - you will enjoy it thoroughly.

Val De Beer.




Enjoyable, but unrealistic, 10 May 2008
Mavis Cheek continues to write in the lively style that has been her hall-mark, but in this, and her previous book, there has been a shift in her depiction of men with a noticeable souring in her attitude. In this book the two male characters are caricatures: the dead one totally over-bearing and vain and the live one weak and timid. Where before her interactions between men and women were more playful and realistic, in this book she has a middle-aged woman appearing to have not the slightest sadness over the recent death of her husband: even the most jaded wife would have some regrets in real life. This heartlessness diminishes ones sympathy for the widow and makes her seem self-righteous. There are very few marriages where one one partner is totally without blame. The personal story of the widow is intermingled with the story of Anna of Cleves ill-starred marriage to Henry VIII. The latter certainly adds an interesting dimension to the book but the final, supposed revelation connected with a commemorative stone in the widow's garden, is a bit of a damp squib. I found the supernatural element of the characters in portraits supposedly conversing with one another a rather forced device to illustrate history.

Not the Flanders Mare, 09 Apr 2008
I bought this book because of a very good write-up in the Telegraph but it's not really my bag. I found it full of waffle interspersed with tantalizing snippets about Anne of Cleves. However it was very well put together but only came alive when mentioning Anne. Overall a bit disappointing. I think Henry only called Anne names because when they first met at Rochester she showed that she found him repulsive instead of falling on her knees and pretending to be dazzled

Being amenable can get you what you want, 07 Apr 2008
This is Mavis Cheek back to her old form. I was quite disappointed by her last two books but I loved this one. Flora has always lived in the shadow of her husband. When he dies unexpectedly in a bizarre baloon accident, she finds she relishes her freedom to plan her own life. Casting around for something to occupy her mind she comes across a half finished local history which Edward was working on, and in it a reference to Anne of Cleves - Henry VIII's fourth wife - and her connections with the area. This sparks her interest and she decides to find out Anne's story. She visits Paris to view the original portrait by Holbein and feels as though the picture is speaking to her. Fending off her daughter's attempt to wrest her inheritance from her and some startling revelations about her husband seem minor irritations compared with her search for information about Anna (Anne) of Cleves. Her search helps her come to terms with her own life and she finds many parallels in Anna's story.
This is a multilevelled story which shows while circumstances may change people stay the same. Behaviour which works in one century may well be effective in a later one. Mavis Cheek's sentences sometimes meander along for several lines, but her style suits the story and there is much gentle humour. Characters are well realised and I will certainly look at Henry VIII's 4th wife with fresh eyes from now on.

THE BAD LIFE TURNED GOOD!, 28 Dec 2007
Mavis Cheek shows us once again why she is our funniest and one of our most thought provoking women writers - the realities of country life behind the picture book facade are perfectly delineated and the new life of a wronged wife is hilarious - a joy to read!

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwithoute

enjoyable, 13 Nov 2007
I did think this book was enjoyable but it didn't sparkle enough for me. There are other more cleverly constructed books out there. I did think it was a nice relaxing book though, so have gone for 3* as a compromise

Disappointing............., 11 Jan 2006
I'm halfway through this book and quite frankly I'm struggling with it. The only thing that is keeping me going is the fact that I hate not finishing a book and also I'm intrigued to see whether Angela gets her husband back!

What I am finding difficult is the style of writing - a bit odd and over the top and not my cup of tea at all. And the characters are totally implausible to me. It's a sort of fantasy type story and I find it difficult to relate to any of the characters. A pity because the storyline is good and, as a dumped wife myself, something I could relate to. But I just don't enjoy this particular style of writing and will not attempt to read any more books by this author. Sorry! However, I am glad to see that most of the above reviews are positive and please don't let me put you off this book as it's just my personal opinion!

Why doesn't this author do her research properly?, 01 Aug 2005
This was the second Mavis Cheek I'd read. The first (Patrick Parkers Progress) was ok - I read it because it was on the list for my book group - rather implausible but OK apart from the author's failure to do her research properly. Quinton Road Coventry just wasn*t the right address for the Parker family (go and visit it if you don't believe me).

But then in Mrs. Flytton she makes the same sort of mistake - you don't have godparents at an adult christening. This sort of stuff is elementary. An author owes it to her readers to take more care than that. And why is her editor not picking up on these inaccuracies?

Apart from the factual blunders, I just don't think Mavis Cheek hits the right note. She seems to be trying to be a latter-day Fay Weldon, but the absurdity of Cheek's stories just doesn't ring true enough to be funny.

The shame is that Mavis Cheek could have been an OK writer. However, I shan't be reading any more.

The dumped wife hits back again!, 16 Feb 2004
I enjoyed this tale of a dumped wife reacting positively to one of life's unfairest blows, and winning, more or less.

Angela met Ian at University and from then on their fortunes were joined. Angela was arguably the major force in building a new business as well as being supermum and superwife. But the wiles of petite dentist(e) Belinda destabilise this perfect match.

One of the subtexts of this novel is the total subjugation of women in our history and culture, and the comparison is made with the break-up of a marriage and the contrasting effects on ex-husband and ex-wife. Angela is driven from London by the hostility of her former Sloane Ranger and Stepford friends.

Thinking, erroneously in this case, that she will meet good folk in the country, she heads off to Somerset and makes a reasonable fist out of being a countrywoman. Meanwhile she is pleased to hear that in London her selfish teenager children are driving their new stepmother crazy.

Angela learns how to make excellent beer but makes serious mistakes in other domestic matters, but it's enough that her ex-husband still holds a torch for her.

Mrs Fytton reminds me most strongly of Mr Weston's Good Wine by T F Powys and The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon, so if you like those books you will like Mrs Fytton.

Two loose ends I take the author to task on: Angela manufactures some revolting candles without ever checking on what she's doing, and she fails to react when a neighbour tries to kill her by giving her some poisonous herbs. At the end of the book the poison is still on the kitchen shelf.

In summary: extremely readable with lurking humour, and an educational trip into social history
thrown in as well.

A treat of a history lesson, 23 Jun 2008
I was really looking forward to this book and was thrilled when I had it in the post! It is a beautiful book promising exquisite entertainment. The first half was a real pleasure and very much in the usual Cheek fashion. But then the portraits communicating with each other really were too arty. In the end the book become downright boring, leaving me a bit disappointed. It reminded me a bit of "Getting Back Brahms" which had an equally melancholic touch about it. But finally I have to admit that up to now I hadn't known Anne of Cleves at all and I'm truly thankful for this new piece of knowledge.

Oh those insufferably proud, wonderfully passionate Tudors...., 24 May 2008
Well done, Mavis Cheek!
I have always enjoyed Mavis Cheek's novels not only because of the plots and the humour which is characteristic of her, but for the amount of research which goes into the sub-plot.

Be it music, or poetry or art, she carefully explores her subject so that she knows exactly what is relevant and also historically or technically correct.
In 'Amenable Women' she has researched the life of Anne of Cleves and while the story of Flora Chapman who is coming to terms with the freedom which she experiences after her husband's death is the first plot which we encounter, there is a concomitant plot in the story of the life of Henry VIII's fourth wife.

The two lives begin to converge and in the denouement, Anne is vindicated and shown not to be the 'Flanders Mare' and Flora realises her own inner strength and how important it is not to crave the limelight as her husband used to.

There are some wonderfully funny lines:
' Inevitably where three or more are gathered together there is always a fruitcake in attendance for the specific purpose of driving everybody else nuts.'

The device of having the portraits together in London for a while so that they can converse is skilfully managed and very effective.

Mavis Cheek has achieved a tour de force here in 'Amenable Women'.
Do buy it - you will enjoy it thoroughly.

Val De Beer.




Enjoyable, but unrealistic, 10 May 2008
Mavis Cheek continues to write in the lively style that has been her hall-mark, but in this, and her previous book, there has been a shift in her depiction of men with a noticeable souring in her attitude. In this book the two male characters are caricatures: the dead one totally over-bearing and vain and the live one weak and timid. Where before her interactions between men and women were more playful and realistic, in this book she has a middle-aged woman appearing to have not the slightest sadness over the recent death of her husband: even the most jaded wife would have some regrets in real life. This heartlessness diminishes ones sympathy for the widow and makes her seem self-righteous. There are very few marriages where one one partner is totally without blame. The personal story of the widow is intermingled with the story of Anna of Cleves ill-starred marriage to Henry VIII. The latter certainly adds an interesting dimension to the book but the final, supposed revelation connected with a commemorative stone in the widow's garden, is a bit of a damp squib. I found the supernatural element of the characters in portraits supposedly conversing with one another a rather forced device to illustrate history.

Not the Flanders Mare, 09 Apr 2008
I bought this book because of a very good write-up in the Telegraph but it's not really my bag. I found it full of waffle interspersed with tantalizing snippets about Anne of Cleves. However it was very well put together but only came alive when mentioning Anne. Overall a bit disappointing. I think Henry only called Anne names because when they first met at Rochester she showed that she found him repulsive instead of falling on her knees and pretending to be dazzled

Being amenable can get you what you want, 07 Apr 2008
This is Mavis Cheek back to her old form. I was quite disappointed by her last two books but I loved this one. Flora has always lived in the shadow of her husband. When he dies unexpectedly in a bizarre baloon accident, she finds she relishes her freedom to plan her own life. Casting around for something to occupy her mind she comes across a half finished local history which Edward was working on, and in it a reference to Anne of Cleves - Henry VIII's fourth wife - and her connections with the area. This sparks her interest and she decides to find out Anne's story. She visits Paris to view the original portrait by Holbein and feels as though the picture is speaking to her. Fending off her daughter's attempt to wrest her inheritance from her and some startling revelations about her husband seem minor irritations compared with her search for information about Anna (Anne) of Cleves. Her search helps her come to terms with her own life and she finds many parallels in Anna's story.
This is a multilevelled story which shows while circumstances may change people stay the same. Behaviour which works in one century may well be effective in a later one. Mavis Cheek's sentences sometimes meander along for several lines, but her style suits the story and there is much gentle humour. Characters are well realised and I will certainly look at Henry VIII's 4th wife with fresh eyes from now on.

THE BAD LIFE TURNED GOOD!, 28 Dec 2007
Mavis Cheek shows us once again why she is our funniest and one of our most thought provoking women writers - the realities of country life behind the picture book facade are perfectly delineated and the new life of a wronged wife is hilarious - a joy to read!

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwithoute

enjoyable, 13 Nov 2007
I did think this book was enjoyable but it didn't sparkle enough for me. There are other more cleverly constructed books out there. I did think it was a nice relaxing book though, so have gone for 3* as a compromise

Disappointing............., 11 Jan 2006
I'm halfway through this book and quite frankly I'm struggling with it. The only thing that is keeping me going is the fact that I hate not finishing a book and also I'm intrigued to see whether Angela gets her husband back!

What I am finding difficult is the style of writing - a bit odd and over the top and not my cup of tea at all. And the characters are totally implausible to me. It's a sort of fantasy type story and I find it difficult to relate to any of the characters. A pity because the storyline is good and, as a dumped wife myself, something I could relate to. But I just don't enjoy this particular style of writing and will not attempt to read any more books by this author. Sorry! However, I am glad to see that most of the above reviews are positive and please don't let me put you off this book as it's just my personal opinion!

Why doesn't this author do her research properly?, 01 Aug 2005
This was the second Mavis Cheek I'd read. The first (Patrick Parkers Progress) was ok - I read it because it was on the list for my book group - rather implausible but OK apart from the author's failure to do her research properly. Quinton Road Coventry just wasn*t the right address for the Parker family (go and visit it if you don't believe me).

But then in Mrs. Flytton she makes the same sort of mistake - you don't have godparents at an adult christening. This sort of stuff is elementary. An author owes it to her readers to take more care than that. And why is her editor not picking up on these inaccuracies?

Apart from the factual blunders, I just don't think Mavis Cheek hits the right note. She seems to be trying to be a latter-day Fay Weldon, but the absurdity of Cheek's stories just doesn't ring true enough to be funny.

The shame is that Mavis Cheek could have been an OK writer. However, I shan't be reading any more.

The dumped wife hits back again!, 16 Feb 2004
I enjoyed this tale of a dumped wife reacting positively to one of life's unfairest blows, and winning, more or less.

Angela met Ian at University and from then on their fortunes were joined. Angela was arguably the major force in building a new business as well as being supermum and superwife. But the wiles of petite dentist(e) Belinda destabilise this perfect match.

One of the subtexts of this novel is the total subjugation of women in our history and culture, and the comparison is made with the break-up of a marriage and the contrasting effects on ex-husband and ex-wife. Angela is driven from London by the hostility of her former Sloane Ranger and Stepford friends.

Thinking, erroneously in this case, that she will meet good folk in the country, she heads off to Somerset and makes a reasonable fist out of being a countrywoman. Meanwhile she is pleased to hear that in London her selfish teenager children are driving their new stepmother crazy.

Angela learns how to make excellent beer but makes serious mistakes in other domestic matters, but it's enough that her ex-husband still holds a torch for her.

Mrs Fytton reminds me most strongly of Mr Weston's Good Wine by T F Powys and The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon, so if you like those books you will like Mrs Fytton.

Two loose ends I take the author to task on: Angela manufactures some revolting candles without ever checking on what she's doing, and she fails to react when a neighbour tries to kill her by giving her some poisonous herbs. At the end of the book the poison is still on the kitchen shelf.

In summary: extremely readable with lurking humour, and an educational trip into social history
thrown in as well.

Too many horribles, 10 Jul 2008
A girl of the seventies grows up, slowly and sometimes painfully, though always with a sense of humour. The seventies part is very well drawn. For those of us who shared that period it brings back some memories. But the book is not always well written - for example I got sick of the word "horrible" which occurred many many times, often on the same page. Later "crap" comes in to complement it! Some passages, such as her dinner party comedy cooking episode, were just too long.
The bathroom theme which recurrs through the novel is different, but I agree with another reviewer that Marianne could have made changes to the houses herself rather than moaning that the current man in her life did not do it. A little more do-it-yourself as she grew up would have rung more true that the continuance of her male-dependence.
Sometimes the book's structure was clever, leaving gaps in the story which got filled in gradually.
All in all I would say a good read, though lacking depth.

Rising Above, 03 Jun 2007
In the opening chapter we find Marianne, a seventeen year old poorly educated shop assistant in the cosmetics department of a store, being casually invited by a total stranger to a party in a middle class house. There she meets Charles. We are told nothing of their courtship - simply, on page 13, that they are married.

Charles comes from a bourgeois family. He has a charming and sensible mother, who will be tower of strength to Marianne. But Charles himself is a thoroughly unpleasant character. As a parlour socialist, he claims to dislike everything bourgeois. The first home of Charles and Marianne is a horrid basement, but he is saving up to be able to afford a mortgage for something better. Unwilling to spend money on professionals, he is an incompetent DIY fanatic and in their second and third house Marianne has to live uncomfortably for months on end while he rips up floorboards and makes a mess in every room at the same time (including the bathroom, when a comfortable and cheerful bathroom is something Marianne longs for with the passion of someone whose own parental home had a horrid one.) He is completely self-centred, randy, and imposing kinky couplings on his wife. Marianne doesn't see the point of them, but for some time (touchingly almost too good to be true) she goes along with all his ways: she knows he is odd (perhaps all men are), but she keeps her thoughts to herself, for she likes being married; and she thinks she has a lot to learn, socially and educationally. Her mother-in-law introduces her to Greek mythology; and whenever Marianne hears a word or a name she does not know, she looks it up - and so she gradually educates herself and comes to respond to great literature.

It takes Marianne about seven years (about a third of the way through the book) to admit to herself how sterile (in more senses than one) is her marriage and how bleak her life. And then she begins to stand up for herself and for a while to become independent in ways that are exhilarating to read about. But just as we have come to cheer for her, she finds herself on another roller-coaster of fulfilment and despair, despair and fulfilment - of sorts. And brilliantly though it is done, I for one began to lose some of my sympathy (though not my liking) for Marianne. Her choice of men and of houses is always, to say the least, unwise; and as she moves from one grotty house to another, surely she could have done at least something during so many years to do them up a bit and get that decent bath-tub she was longing for: even her coarse proletarian neighbours manage that. Maybe in her last house - the eighth - she will get round to it. She'd deserve it - but I wouldn't bet on it.

So I had to suspend my disbelief from time to time, (and, just in case there are autobiographical elements in the book, I hope Mavis Cheek will forgive me for that remark), but it was an enjoyable, witty and sardonic read.




The wit of (Jane) Austen, 20 Apr 2007
Mavis Cheek has the wit of (Jane) Austen, the seriousness of (Virginia) Woolf and the morality of (George) Eliot, while remaining her original and thoroughly modern self. This is probably her best book so far. I heard her read at the Edinburgh Book festival and, reading this much later, felt she didn't then pick the 'best bits' but then the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. If it has any faults it seemed a little drawn-out at the end but I expect the author wanted to tie up loose ends.

WHAT WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT....., 22 Jun 2006
Mavis Cheek never lets you down. Not only are her books terrific fun, but they have the serious and intelligent observations in them which cause one to realise that they are not a succession of pot-boilers.
Although the covers always make you think that the books are going to be a light, holiday read with very little to engage your mind, once you begin to read, there is so much more to think about than the cover suggests.
In this book, the theme which runs through and links the chapters is the house in which the main character is living at the time. In her search for a beautiful house - and a perfect bathroom - she subjects herself to a succession of imperfect lovers.
She also teaches herself, with the help of a wonderful mother-in-law, all the important lessons that art, music and literature can help her to understand.
It is a book which is full of fun, with its serious parts and it is well worth buying to read over and over.

A treat of a history lesson, 23 Jun 2008
I was really looking forward to this book and was thrilled when I had it in the post! It is a beautiful book promising exquisite entertainment. The first half was a real pleasure and very much in the usual Cheek fashion. But then the portraits communicating with each other really were too arty. In the end the book become downright boring, leaving me a bit disappointed. It reminded me a bit of "Getting Back Brahms" which had an equally melancholic touch about it. But finally I have to admit that up to now I hadn't known Anne of Cleves at all and I'm truly thankful for this new piece of knowledge.

Oh those insufferably proud, wonderfully passionate Tudors...., 24 May 2008
Well done, Mavis Cheek!
I have always enjoyed Mavis Cheek's novels not only because of the plots and the humour which is characteristic of her, but for the amount of research which goes into the sub-plot.

Be it music, or poetry or art, she carefully explores her subject so that she knows exactly what is relevant and also historically or technically correct.
In 'Amenable Women' she has researched the life of Anne of Cleves and while the story of Flora Chapman who is coming to terms with the freedom which she experiences after her husband's death is the first plot which we encounter, there is a concomitant plot in the story of the life of Henry VIII's fourth wife.

The two lives begin to converge and in the denouement, Anne is vindicated and shown not to be the 'Flanders Mare' and Flora realises her own inner strength and how important it is not to crave the limelight as her husband used to.

There are some wonderfully funny lines:
' Inevitably where three or more are gathered together there is always a fruitcake in attendance for the specific purpose of driving everybody else nuts.'

The device of having the portraits together in London for a while so that they can converse is skilfully managed and very effective.

Mavis Cheek has achieved a tour de force here in 'Amenable Women'.
Do buy it - you will enjoy it thoroughly.

Val De Beer.




Enjoyable, but unrealistic, 10 May 2008
Mavis Cheek continues to write in the lively style that has been her hall-mark, but in this, and her previous book, there has been a shift in her depiction of men with a noticeable souring in her attitude. In this book the two male characters are caricatures: the dead one totally over-bearing and vain and the live one weak and timid. Where before her interactions between men and women were more playful and realistic, in this book she has a middle-aged woman appearing to have not the slightest sadness over the recent death of her husband: even the most jaded wife would have some regrets in real life. This heartlessness diminishes ones sympathy for the widow and makes her seem self-righteous. There are very few marriages where one one partner is totally without blame. The personal story of the widow is intermingled with the story of Anna of Cleves ill-starred marriage to Henry VIII. The latter certainly adds an interesting dimension to the book but the final, supposed revelation connected with a commemorative stone in the widow's garden, is a bit of a damp squib. I found the supernatural element of the characters in portraits supposedly conversing with one another a rather forced device to illustrate history.

Not the Flanders Mare, 09 Apr 2008
I bought this book because of a very good write-up in the Telegraph but it's not really my bag. I found it full of waffle interspersed with tantalizing snippets about Anne of Cleves. However it was very well put together but only came alive when mentioning Anne. Overall a bit disappointing. I think Henry only called Anne names because when they first met at Rochester she showed that she found him repulsive instead of falling on her knees and pretending to be dazzled

Being amenable can get you what you want, 07 Apr 2008
This is Mavis Cheek back to her old form. I was quite disappointed by her last two books but I loved this one. Flora has always lived in the shadow of her husband. When he dies unexpectedly in a bizarre baloon accident, she finds she relishes her freedom to plan her own life. Casting around for something to occupy her mind she comes across a half finished local history which Edward was working on, and in it a reference to Anne of Cleves - Henry VIII's fourth wife - and her connections with the area. This sparks her interest and she decides to find out Anne's story. She visits Paris to view the original portrait by Holbein and feels as though the picture is speaking to her. Fending off her daughter's attempt to wrest her inheritance from her and some startling revelations about her husband seem minor irritations compared with her search for information about Anna (Anne) of Cleves. Her search helps her come to terms with her own life and she finds many parallels in Anna's story.
This is a multilevelled story which shows while circumstances may change people stay the same. Behaviour which works in one century may well be effective in a later one. Mavis Cheek's sentences sometimes meander along for several lines, but her style suits the story and there is much gentle humour. Characters are well realised and I will certainly look at Henry VIII's 4th wife with fresh eyes from now on.

THE BAD LIFE TURNED GOOD!, 28 Dec 2007
Mavis Cheek shows us once again why she is our funniest and one of our most thought provoking women writers - the realities of country life behind the picture book facade are perfectly delineated and the new life of a wronged wife is hilarious - a joy to read!

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwithoute

enjoyable, 13 Nov 2007
I did think this book was enjoyable but it didn't sparkle enough for me. There are other more cleverly constructed books out there. I did think it was a nice relaxing book though, so have gone for 3* as a compromise

Disappointing............., 11 Jan 2006
I'm halfway through this book and quite frankly I'm struggling with it. The only thing that is keeping me going is the fact that I hate not finishing a book and also I'm intrigued to see whether Angela gets her husband back!

What I am finding difficult is the style of writing - a bit odd and over the top and not my cup of tea at all. And the characters are totally implausible to me. It's a sort of fantasy type story and I find it difficult to relate to any of the characters. A pity because the storyline is good and, as a dumped wife myself, something I could relate to. But I just don't enjoy this particular style of writing and will not attempt to read any more books by this author. Sorry! However, I am glad to see that most of the above reviews are positive and please don't let me put you off this book as it's just my personal opinion!

Why doesn't this author do her research properly?, 01 Aug 2005
This was the second Mavis Cheek I'd read. The first (Patrick Parkers Progress) was ok - I read it because it was on the list for my book group - rather implausible but OK apart from the author's failure to do her research properly. Quinton Road Coventry just wasn*t the right address for the Parker family (go and visit it if you don't believe me).

But then in Mrs. Flytton she makes the same sort of mistake - you don't have godparents at an adult christening. This sort of stuff is elementary. An author owes it to her readers to take more care than that. And why is her editor not picking up on these inaccuracies?

Apart from the factual blunders, I just don't think Mavis Cheek hits the right note. She seems to be trying to be a latter-day Fay Weldon, but the absurdity of Cheek's stories just doesn't ring true enough to be funny.

The shame is that Mavis Cheek could have been an OK writer. However, I shan't be reading any more.

The dumped wife hits back again!, 16 Feb 2004
I enjoyed this tale of a dumped wife reacting positively to one of life's unfairest blows, and winning, more or less.

Angela met Ian at University and from then on their fortunes were joined. Angela was arguably the major force in building a new business as well as being supermum and superwife. But the wiles of petite dentist(e) Belinda destabilise this perfect match.

One of the subtexts of this novel is the total subjugation of women in our history and culture, and the comparison is made with the break-up of a marriage and the contrasting effects on ex-husband and ex-wife. Angela is driven from London by the hostility of her former Sloane Ranger and Stepford friends.

Thinking, erroneously in this case, that she will meet good folk in the country, she heads off to Somerset and makes a reasonable fist out of being a countrywoman. Meanwhile she is pleased to hear that in London her selfish teenager children are driving their new stepmother crazy.

Angela learns how to make excellent beer but makes serious mistakes in other domestic matters, but it's enough that her ex-husband still holds a torch for her.

Mrs Fytton reminds me most strongly of Mr Weston's Good Wine by T F Powys and The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon, so if you like those books you will like Mrs Fytton.

Two loose ends I take the author to task on: Angela manufactures some revolting candles without ever checking on what she's doing, and she fails to react when a neighbour tries to kill her by giving her some poisonous herbs. At the end of the book the poison is still on the kitchen shelf.

In summary: extremely readable with lurking humour, and an educational trip into social history
thrown in as well.

Too many horribles, 10 Jul 2008
A girl of the seventies grows up, slowly and sometimes painfully, though always with a sense of humour. The seventies part is very well drawn. For those of us who shared that period it brings back some memories. But the book is not always well written - for example I got sick of the word "horrible" which occurred many many times, often on the same page. Later "crap" comes in to complement it! Some passages, such as her dinner party comedy cooking episode, were just too long.
The bathroom theme which recurrs through the novel is different, but I agree with another reviewer that Marianne could have made changes to the houses herself rather than moaning that the current man in her life did not do it. A little more do-it-yourself as she grew up would have rung more true that the continuance of her male-dependence.
Sometimes the book's structure was clever, leaving gaps in the story which got filled in gradually.
All in all I would say a good read, though lacking depth.

Rising Above, 03 Jun 2007
In the opening chapter we find Marianne, a seventeen year old poorly educated shop assistant in the cosmetics department of a store, being casually invited by a total stranger to a party in a middle class house. There she meets Charles. We are told nothing of their courtship - simply, on page 13, that they are married.

Charles comes from a bourgeois family. He has a charming and sensible mother, who will be tower of strength to Marianne. But Charles himself is a thoroughly unpleasant character. As a parlour socialist, he claims to dislike everything bourgeois. The first home of Charles and Marianne is a horrid basement, but he is saving up to be able to afford a mortgage for something better. Unwilling to spend money on professionals, he is an incompetent DIY fanatic and in their second and third house Marianne has to live uncomfortably for months on end while he rips up floorboards and makes a mess in every room at the same time (including the bathroom, when a comfortable and cheerful bathroom is something Marianne longs for with the passion of someone whose own parental home had a horrid one.) He is completely self-centred, randy, and imposing kinky couplings on his wife. Marianne doesn't see the point of them, but for some time (touchingly almost too good to be true) she goes along with all his ways: she knows he is odd (perhaps all men are), but she keeps her thoughts to herself, for she likes being married; and she thinks she has a lot to learn, socially and educationally. Her mother-in-law introduces her to Greek mythology; and whenever Marianne hears a word or a name she does not know, she looks it up - and so she gradually educates herself and comes to respond to great literature.

It takes Marianne about seven years (about a third of the way through the book) to admit to herself how sterile (in more senses than one) is her marriage and how bleak her life. And then she begins to stand up for herself and for a while to become independent in ways that are exhilarating to read about. But just as we have come to cheer for her, she finds herself on another roller-coaster of fulfilment and despair, despair and fulfilment - of sorts. And brilliantly though it is done, I for one began to lose some of my sympathy (though not my liking) for Marianne. Her choice of men and of houses is always, to say the least, unwise; and as she moves from one grotty house to another, surely she could have done at least something during so many years to do them up a bit and get that decent bath-tub she was longing for: even her coarse proletarian neighbours manage that. Maybe in her last house - the eighth - she will get round to it. She'd deserve it - but I wouldn't bet on it.

So I had to suspend my disbelief from time to time, (and, just in case there are autobiographical elements in the book, I hope Mavis Cheek will forgive me for that remark), but it was an enjoyable, witty and sardonic read.




The wit of (Jane) Austen, 20 Apr 2007
Mavis Cheek has the wit of (Jane) Austen, the seriousness of (Virginia) Woolf and the morality of (George) Eliot, while remaining her original and thoroughly modern self. This is probably her best book so far. I heard her read at the Edinburgh Book festival and, reading this much later, felt she didn't then pick the 'best bits' but then the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. If it has any faults it seemed a little drawn-out at the end but I expect the author wanted to tie up loose ends.

WHAT WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT....., 22 Jun 2006
Mavis Cheek never lets you down. Not only are her books terrific fun, but they have the serious and intelligent observations in them which cause one to realise that they are not a succession of pot-boilers.
Although the covers always make you think that the books are going to be a light, holiday read with very little to engage your mind, once you begin to read, there is so much more to think about than the cover suggests.
In this book, the theme which runs through and links the chapters is the house in which the main character is living at the time. In her search for a beautiful house - and a perfect bathroom - she subjects herself to a succession of imperfect lovers.
She also teaches herself, with the help of a wonderful mother-in-law, all the important lessons that art, music and literature can help her to understand.
It is a book which is full of fun, with its serious parts and it is well worth buying to read over and over.

FROM ROMANCE TO RAUNCH - GENTLY DOES IT!, 22 Dec 2007
Mavis Cheek gives us another extremely funny yet sympathetic comic character in the form of Janice Gently - overweight, highly romantic, and exploited by her agent, Janice is persuaded to spice up her romances and does just that - she seeks her one true love in Ireland and unfortunately finds him! A comic gem from our funniest woman writer.

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwthoute

A departure for Cheek!, 04 Oct 2004
I've read six other Mavis Cheek books and found them all witty and enthralling. This one is more of a challenge. It has numuerous themes rather than one simple premise - but cleverly this reflects the story itself concerning an author experimenting with an unusual style. I wasn't entirely convinced that this new Cheek suited me so it might be best for those readers who are new to the writer to start with this one and then move on to the others.
I couldn't always remember which characters were which! I certainly didn't care as much about them as I did with those in other Cheek novels. However I hope Mavis Cheek returns to her original style which I would always rate at 5 star.

Really clever, really original, really good read, 10 May 2002
Janice Gentle is plump, old fashioned and emotionally narrow - romance for her is of the "across a crowded room" type only - and she has a talent for writing slushy Mills and Boon style novels which have a wide readership. Her agent has been milking her for years because she says that when she sells enough books to retire she will put down her pen and seek her own true love. Her agent knows that her own income stream will run dry at this point so she must keep JG writing. Along comes another agent from America who wants JG to write a book in which SEX figures. And that's where the fun begins. And it is fun - I think this is the finest of Mavis Cheek's books, all of which rely on humour, because the plot line is so strong and the side characters so clever. I loved this book and have given it to both men and women, young and old and all have agreed that it's a one-off and hugely enjoyable read. And the end is very satisfying and can't be seen a mile off - the whole is very creative and will get your guffaws flowing.

Funny, 06 Apr 2001
Gentle and funny but without being cloying. Cheek is a real champion of the underdog, and good for her. There is a nice sense of irony which stops the book from being too sentimental and keeps it firmly on the real human experience side of things.

genuinely hilarious, 10 Mar 2001
I bought this book because I found the title interesting. It is so often the case that when indulging in this highly subjective form of selection, one is disappointed. One wasn't!

This book has an immensely original plot. Heaven knows how the author came up with it, I suppose it's called being a novelist. All I can say is that she's led a more interesting life than I have. The characters are beautifully described and are unlike anything you might have come across before.

I'm not given to laughing out loud as I read, but I did - countless times whilst reading this book. Highly embarassing on a crowded metro (private joke - read the book). I've given a copy of Janice Gentle to at least three people, and will probably give a few more. Where's my commission? It is a really fun read and her others are great too esp. Three Men on a Plane.

This really is delightful stuff. With Patrick Parker's Progress, Mavis Cheek demonstrates once again that she is one of the wittiest and most enjoyable of writers, with a grasp of modern social comedy that puts many of her peers in the shade. Those who consider their dealings in love and sex to have been somewhat fraught will recognise many moments here.

The year is 1940, and the city of Coventry is in flames. One child miraculously escapes the flames, and is sent to London. This is Mavis Cheek's protagonist, the eponymous Patrick Parker, who has a shining future ahead of him. He is to be an architect in the vein of his idol Brunel, and build great civic structures. But things will not go as smoothly as Patrick might wish: his relationship with the determined Audrey Wapshott has seemed to be the perfect choice--she adores him, and their destinies appear to be interlinked. But Patrick then does the unthinkable--he dumps Audrey to take up with a woman who will be able to advance his career. Audrey leaves for Paris, and begins to forge a new life--and when Audrey and Patrick meet again, there will be significant changes ahead in both their lives.

As in the equally delightful The Sex Life of My Aunt, Cheek has total command of the pitfalls of human relationships--her characters (both beautifully characterised) bounce off each other in highly diverting ways, but not at the expense of a plausible narrative. Comic this may be, but it plays fair by its own internal rules. The observation here is spot on, and this is highly enjoyable fare. --Barry Forshaw

A treat of a history lesson, 23 Jun 2008
I was really looking forward to this book and was thrilled when I had it in the post! It is a beautiful book promising exquisite entertainment. The first half was a real pleasure and very much in the usual Cheek fashion. But then the portraits communicating with each other really were too arty. In the end the book become downright boring, leaving me a bit disappointed. It reminded me a bit of "Getting Back Brahms" which had an equally melancholic touch about it. But finally I have to admit that up to now I hadn't known Anne of Cleves at all and I'm truly thankful for this new piece of knowledge.

Oh those insufferably proud, wonderfully passionate Tudors...., 24 May 2008
Well done, Mavis Cheek!
I have always enjoyed Mavis Cheek's novels not only because of the plots and the humour which is characteristic of her, but for the amount of research which goes into the sub-plot.

Be it music, or poetry or art, she carefully explores her subject so that she knows exactly what is relevant and also historically or technically correct.
In 'Amenable Women' she has researched the life of Anne of Cleves and while the story of Flora Chapman who is coming to terms with the freedom which she experiences after her husband's death is the first plot which we encounter, there is a concomitant plot in the story of the life of Henry VIII's fourth wife.

The two lives begin to converge and in the denouement, Anne is vindicated and shown not to be the 'Flanders Mare' and Flora realises her own inner strength and how important it is not to crave the limelight as her husband used to.

There are some wonderfully funny lines:
' Inevitably where three or more are gathered together there is always a fruitcake in attendance for the specific purpose of driving everybody else nuts.'

The device of having the portraits together in London for a while so that they can converse is skilfully managed and very effective.

Mavis Cheek has achieved a tour de force here in 'Amenable Women'.
Do buy it - you will enjoy it thoroughly.

Val De Beer.




Enjoyable, but unrealistic, 10 May 2008
Mavis Cheek continues to write in the lively style that has been her hall-mark, but in this, and her previous book, there has been a shift in her depiction of men with a noticeable souring in her attitude. In this book the two male characters are caricatures: the dead one totally over-bearing and vain and the live one weak and timid. Where before her interactions between men and women were more playful and realistic, in this book she has a middle-aged woman appearing to have not the slightest sadness over the recent death of her husband: even the most jaded wife would have some regrets in real life. This heartlessness diminishes ones sympathy for the widow and makes her seem self-righteous. There are very few marriages where one one partner is totally without blame. The personal story of the widow is intermingled with the story of Anna of Cleves ill-starred marriage to Henry VIII. The latter certainly adds an interesting dimension to the book but the final, supposed revelation connected with a commemorative stone in the widow's garden, is a bit of a damp squib. I found the supernatural element of the characters in portraits supposedly conversing with one another a rather forced device to illustrate history.

Not the Flanders Mare, 09 Apr 2008
I bought this book because of a very good write-up in the Telegraph but it's not really my bag. I found it full of waffle interspersed with tantalizing snippets about Anne of Cleves. However it was very well put together but only came alive when mentioning Anne. Overall a bit disappointing. I think Henry only called Anne names because when they first met at Rochester she showed that she found him repulsive instead of falling on her knees and pretending to be dazzled

Being amenable can get you what you want, 07 Apr 2008
This is Mavis Cheek back to her old form. I was quite disappointed by her last two books but I loved this one. Flora has always lived in the shadow of her husband. When he dies unexpectedly in a bizarre baloon accident, she finds she relishes her freedom to plan her own life. Casting around for something to occupy her mind she comes across a half finished local history which Edward was working on, and in it a reference to Anne of Cleves - Henry VIII's fourth wife - and her connections with the area. This sparks her interest and she decides to find out Anne's story. She visits Paris to view the original portrait by Holbein and feels as though the picture is speaking to her. Fending off her daughter's attempt to wrest her inheritance from her and some startling revelations about her husband seem minor irritations compared with her search for information about Anna (Anne) of Cleves. Her search helps her come to terms with her own life and she finds many parallels in Anna's story.
This is a multilevelled story which shows while circumstances may change people stay the same. Behaviour which works in one century may well be effective in a later one. Mavis Cheek's sentences sometimes meander along for several lines, but her style suits the story and there is much gentle humour. Characters are well realised and I will certainly look at Henry VIII's 4th wife with fresh eyes from now on.

THE BAD LIFE TURNED GOOD!, 28 Dec 2007
Mavis Cheek shows us once again why she is our funniest and one of our most thought provoking women writers - the realities of country life behind the picture book facade are perfectly delineated and the new life of a wronged wife is hilarious - a joy to read!

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwithoute

enjoyable, 13 Nov 2007
I did think this book was enjoyable but it didn't sparkle enough for me. There are other more cleverly constructed books out there. I did think it was a nice relaxing book though, so have gone for 3* as a compromise

Disappointing............., 11 Jan 2006
I'm halfway through this book and quite frankly I'm struggling with it. The only thing that is keeping me going is the fact that I hate not finishing a book and also I'm intrigued to see whether Angela gets her husband back!

What I am finding difficult is the style of writing - a bit odd and over the top and not my cup of tea at all. And the characters are totally implausible to me. It's a sort of fantasy type story and I find it difficult to relate to any of the characters. A pity because the storyline is good and, as a dumped wife myself, something I could relate to. But I just don't enjoy this particular style of writing and will not attempt to read any more books by this author. Sorry! However, I am glad to see that most of the above reviews are positive and please don't let me put you off this book as it's just my personal opinion!

Why doesn't this author do her research properly?, 01 Aug 2005
This was the second Mavis Cheek I'd read. The first (Patrick Parkers Progress) was ok - I read it because it was on the list for my book group - rather implausible but OK apart from the author's failure to do her research properly. Quinton Road Coventry just wasn*t the right address for the Parker family (go and visit it if you don't believe me).

But then in Mrs. Flytton she makes the same sort of mistake - you don't have godparents at an adult christening. This sort of stuff is elementary. An author owes it to her readers to take more care than that. And why is her editor not picking up on these inaccuracies?

Apart from the factual blunders, I just don't think Mavis Cheek hits the right note. She seems to be trying to be a latter-day Fay Weldon, but the absurdity of Cheek's stories just doesn't ring true enough to be funny.

The shame is that Mavis Cheek could have been an OK writer. However, I shan't be reading any more.

The dumped wife hits back again!, 16 Feb 2004
I enjoyed this tale of a dumped wife reacting positively to one of life's unfairest blows, and winning, more or less.

Angela met Ian at University and from then on their fortunes were joined. Angela was arguably the major force in building a new business as well as being supermum and superwife. But the wiles of petite dentist(e) Belinda destabilise this perfect match.

One of the subtexts of this novel is the total subjugation of women in our history and culture, and the comparison is made with the break-up of a marriage and the contrasting effects on ex-husband and ex-wife. Angela is driven from London by the hostility of her former Sloane Ranger and Stepford friends.

Thinking, erroneously in this case, that she will meet good folk in the country, she heads off to Somerset and makes a reasonable fist out of being a countrywoman. Meanwhile she is pleased to hear that in London her selfish teenager children are driving their new stepmother crazy.

Angela learns how to make excellent beer but makes serious mistakes in other domestic matters, but it's enough that her ex-husband still holds a torch for her.

Mrs Fytton reminds me most strongly of Mr Weston's Good Wine by T F Powys and The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon, so if you like those books you will like Mrs Fytton.

Two loose ends I take the author to task on: Angela manufactures some revolting candles without ever checking on what she's doing, and she fails to react when a neighbour tries to kill her by giving her some poisonous herbs. At the end of the book the poison is still on the kitchen shelf.

In summary: extremely readable with lurking humour, and an educational trip into social history
thrown in as well.

Too many horribles, 10 Jul 2008
A girl of the seventies grows up, slowly and sometimes painfully, though always with a sense of humour. The seventies part is very well drawn. For those of us who shared that period it brings back some memories. But the book is not always well written - for example I got sick of the word "horrible" which occurred many many times, often on the same page. Later "crap" comes in to complement it! Some passages, such as her dinner party comedy cooking episode, were just too long.
The bathroom theme which recurrs through the novel is different, but I agree with another reviewer that Marianne could have made changes to the houses herself rather than moaning that the current man in her life did not do it. A little more do-it-yourself as she grew up would have rung more true that the continuance of her male-dependence.
Sometimes the book's structure was clever, leaving gaps in the story which got filled in gradually.
All in all I would say a good read, though lacking depth.

Rising Above, 03 Jun 2007
In the opening chapter we find Marianne, a seventeen year old poorly educated shop assistant in the cosmetics department of a store, being casually invited by a total stranger to a party in a middle class house. There she meets Charles. We are told nothing of their courtship - simply, on page 13, that they are married.

Charles comes from a bourgeois family. He has a charming and sensible mother, who will be tower of strength to Marianne. But Charles himself is a thoroughly unpleasant character. As a parlour socialist, he claims to dislike everything bourgeois. The first home of Charles and Marianne is a horrid basement, but he is saving up to be able to afford a mortgage for something better. Unwilling to spend money on professionals, he is an incompetent DIY fanatic and in their second and third house Marianne has to live uncomfortably for months on end while he rips up floorboards and makes a mess in every room at the same time (including the bathroom, when a comfortable and cheerful bathroom is something Marianne longs for with the passion of someone whose own parental home had a horrid one.) He is completely self-centred, randy, and imposing kinky couplings on his wife. Marianne doesn't see the point of them, but for some time (touchingly almost too good to be true) she goes along with all his ways: she knows he is odd (perhaps all men are), but she keeps her thoughts to herself, for she likes being married; and she thinks she has a lot to learn, socially and educationally. Her mother-in-law introduces her to Greek mythology; and whenever Marianne hears a word or a name she does not know, she looks it up - and so she gradually educates herself and comes to respond to great literature.

It takes Marianne about seven years (about a third of the way through the book) to admit to herself how sterile (in more senses than one) is her marriage and how bleak her life. And then she begins to stand up for herself and for a while to become independent in ways that are exhilarating to read about. But just as we have come to cheer for her, she finds herself on another roller-coaster of fulfilment and despair, despair and fulfilment - of sorts. And brilliantly though it is done, I for one began to lose some of my sympathy (though not my liking) for Marianne. Her choice of men and of houses is always, to say the least, unwise; and as she moves from one grotty house to another, surely she could have done at least something during so many years to do them up a bit and get that decent bath-tub she was longing for: even her coarse proletarian neighbours manage that. Maybe in her last house - the eighth - she will get round to it. She'd deserve it - but I wouldn't bet on it.

So I had to suspend my disbelief from time to time, (and, just in case there are autobiographical elements in the book, I hope Mavis Cheek will forgive me for that remark), but it was an enjoyable, witty and sardonic read.




The wit of (Jane) Austen, 20 Apr 2007
Mavis Cheek has the wit of (Jane) Austen, the seriousness of (Virginia) Woolf and the morality of (George) Eliot, while remaining her original and thoroughly modern self. This is probably her best book so far. I heard her read at the Edinburgh Book festival and, reading this much later, felt she didn't then pick the 'best bits' but then the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. If it has any faults it seemed a little drawn-out at the end but I expect the author wanted to tie up loose ends.

WHAT WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT....., 22 Jun 2006
Mavis Cheek never lets you down. Not only are her books terrific fun, but they have the serious and intelligent observations in them which cause one to realise that they are not a succession of pot-boilers.
Although the covers always make you think that the books are going to be a light, holiday read with very little to engage your mind, once you begin to read, there is so much more to think about than the cover suggests.
In this book, the theme which runs through and links the chapters is the house in which the main character is living at the time. In her search for a beautiful house - and a perfect bathroom - she subjects herself to a succession of imperfect lovers.
She also teaches herself, with the help of a wonderful mother-in-law, all the important lessons that art, music and literature can help her to understand.
It is a book which is full of fun, with its serious parts and it is well worth buying to read over and over.

FROM ROMANCE TO RAUNCH - GENTLY DOES IT!, 22 Dec 2007
Mavis Cheek gives us another extremely funny yet sympathetic comic character in the form of Janice Gently - overweight, highly romantic, and exploited by her agent, Janice is persuaded to spice up her romances and does just that - she seeks her one true love in Ireland and unfortunately finds him! A comic gem from our funniest woman writer.

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwthoute

A departure for Cheek!, 04 Oct 2004
I've read six other Mavis Cheek books and found them all witty and enthralling. This one is more of a challenge. It has numuerous themes rather than one simple premise - but cleverly this reflects the story itself concerning an author experimenting with an unusual style. I wasn't entirely convinced that this new Cheek suited me so it might be best for those readers who are new to the writer to start with this one and then move on to the others.
I couldn't always remember which characters were which! I certainly didn't care as much about them as I did with those in other Cheek novels. However I hope Mavis Cheek returns to her original style which I would always rate at 5 star.

Really clever, really original, really good read, 10 May 2002
Janice Gentle is plump, old fashioned and emotionally narrow - romance for her is of the "across a crowded room" type only - and she has a talent for writing slushy Mills and Boon style novels which have a wide readership. Her agent has been milking her for years because she says that when she sells enough books to retire she will put down her pen and seek her own true love. Her agent knows that her own income stream will run dry at this point so she must keep JG writing. Along comes another agent from America who wants JG to write a book in which SEX figures. And that's where the fun begins. And it is fun - I think this is the finest of Mavis Cheek's books, all of which rely on humour, because the plot line is so strong and the side characters so clever. I loved this book and have given it to both men and women, young and old and all have agreed that it's a one-off and hugely enjoyable read. And the end is very satisfying and can't be seen a mile off - the whole is very creative and will get your guffaws flowing.

Funny, 06 Apr 2001
Gentle and funny but without being cloying. Cheek is a real champion of the underdog, and good for her. There is a nice sense of irony which stops the book from being too sentimental and keeps it firmly on the real human experience side of things.

genuinely hilarious, 10 Mar 2001
I bought this book because I found the title interesting. It is so often the case that when indulging in this highly subjective form of selection, one is disappointed. One wasn't!

This book has an immensely original plot. Heaven knows how the author came up with it, I suppose it's called being a novelist. All I can say is that she's led a more interesting life than I have. The characters are beautifully described and are unlike anything you might have come across before.

I'm not given to laughing out loud as I read, but I did - countless times whilst reading this book. Highly embarassing on a crowded metro (private joke - read the book). I've given a copy of Janice Gentle to at least three people, and will probably give a few more. Where's my commission? It is a really fun read and her others are great too esp. Three Men on a Plane.

a great read, 11 May 2004
This is the fifth Mavis Cheek novel I've read and I think she gets better with each one. If you're expecting the same book from her every time, you'll be disappointed. Mrs Fitton's Country Life and Aunt Margaret's Lover are hilarious. The Sex Life of My Aunt is moving and very perceptive. Patrick Parker's Progress is more serious, it looks at the role of women, how they've always been expected to play second fiddle to men's creativity and how their own has never been encouraged. It's a really good story with some wonderful characters. Mavis Cheek has a very particular style, which maybe you like or you don't. I love it!

An absorbing,funny and intelligent novel, 06 May 2004
I found this book fascinating as it mirrored the career of my single-minded brother over the same period. I found the single-minded selfishness of Patrick appalling and was so relieved when he got his come-uppance.It was also a dire warning to dominant mothers of talented sons!

Good Holiday Reading, 05 May 2004
Just had to tell you I've finished reading "Patrick Parker's Progress" which I didn't want to put down. This is the second novel I've read by Cheek, the 1st was "Mrs. Fytton ..." which I thought made wonderful holiday reading. This one though I enjoyed because of the arty and architectural background but above all I identified with Audrey - I enjoy Cheek's unobtrusive feminism.

Other books I've read and enjoyed are: Sue Gee's "Hours of the Night, Jane Urquhart's "The Underpainter" and"The Stone Carvers", Mary Stanley's "Revenge",Jane Gardam "Faith Fox" and most of Anita Shreve's novels. Please let Mavis Cheek know there are a few intelligent readers out here thirsting for more. Thank you.

Great Holiday Reading!, 04 May 2004
Just had to tell you I've finished reading "Patrick Parker's Progress" which I didn't want to put down. This is the second novel I've read by Cheek, the 1st was "Mrs. Fytton ..." which I thought made wonderful holiday reading. This one though I enjoyed because of the arty and architectural background but above all I identified with Audrey - I enjoy Cheek's unobtrusive feminism.
Other books I've read are: Sue Gee's "Hours of the Night, Jane Urquhart's "The Underpainter" and"The Stone Carvers", Mary Stanley's "Revenge",Jane Gardam "Faith Fox" and most of Anita Shreve's novels. Please let Mavis Cheek know there are a few intelligent readers out here thirsting for more. Thank you.

Disappointingly bad, 25 Mar 2004
I had heard something of Mavis Cheek and was looking forward to a wittily written story. Instead I got pages and pages of 'and then this happened and then this happened and then this happened.' The first rule of writing is 'show, don't tell' but obviously no one has ever pointed this out to Ms Cheek. As a result her characters are uninvolving and their lives flash before us in a series of lists detailing what happened without any sense of being involved in the process as a reader. I also became more and more annoyed by what I presume is a deliberate style. To put full stops in the middle of. Sentences in a totally arbitrary. Fashion. Annoying huh? The humour was laboured and, as with the bizarre punctuation, became increasingly annoying. All in all one to avoid.

After a traumatic and poverty-stricken childhood, Dilys, the heroine of Mavis Cheek's novel The Sex Life of My Aunt, has led an ideal existence for the past 30 years. Her devoted and successful husband Francis has paid the bills, kept her in fine clothes, indulged her fantasies about writing a book. She's wanted for nothing. Until one day, after a funeral, she finds herself in tears on a railway station, and a handsome young stranger offers her a handkerchief. The innocence of this brief encounter swiftly turns into a hideous campaign of deceit, as Dilys is sucked into an intense love affair, and experiences heights of passion she'd always believed beyond her reach. But the lies she must tell to sustain it lead Dilys to make some shocking discoveries about her own past.

The incorrigible Aunt Eliza of the book's title might be described as a "national treasure". So indeed, might the novel itself. Its cast--composed of well-meaning husbands, earnest radicals in bedsits, redoubtable old ladies in Lichfield--is vivid, irresistible, yet utterly familiar. Its backdrop of local trattorias, mini-breaks and Dorset holiday cottages is as comforting as a much-loved cardigan. But this is how--like Barbara Pym before her--Mavis Cheek establishes herself as a genius of the modern morality tale. In depicting the ordinary with such vigour, she prepares us to confront the extraordinary, the sometimes brutal truths that lurk behind the most homely façade. To do so--and be hilariously funny at the same time--is a rare gift. --Matthew Baylis

A treat of a history lesson, 23 Jun 2008
I was really looking forward to this book and was thrilled when I had it in the post! It is a beautiful book promising exquisite entertainment. The first half was a real pleasure and very much in the usual Cheek fashion. But then the portraits communicating with each other really were too arty. In the end the book become downright boring, leaving me a bit disappointed. It reminded me a bit of "Getting Back Brahms" which had an equally melancholic touch about it. But finally I have to admit that up to now I hadn't known Anne of Cleves at all and I'm truly thankful for this new piece of knowledge.

Oh those insufferably proud, wonderfully passionate Tudors...., 24 May 2008
Well done, Mavis Cheek!
I have always enjoyed Mavis Cheek's novels not only because of the plots and the humour which is characteristic of her, but for the amount of research which goes into the sub-plot.

Be it music, or poetry or art, she carefully explores her subject so that she knows exactly what is relevant and also historically or technically correct.
In 'Amenable Women' she has researched the life of Anne of Cleves and while the story of Flora Chapman who is coming to terms with the freedom which she experiences after her husband's death is the first plot which we encounter, there is a concomitant plot in the story of the life of Henry VIII's fourth wife.

The two lives begin to converge and in the denouement, Anne is vindicated and shown not to be the 'Flanders Mare' and Flora realises her own inner strength and how important it is not to crave the limelight as her husband used to.

There are some wonderfully funny lines:
' Inevitably where three or more are gathered together there is always a fruitcake in attendance for the specific purpose of driving everybody else nuts.'

The device of having the portraits together in London for a while so that they can converse is skilfully managed and very effective.

Mavis Cheek has achieved a tour de force here in 'Amenable Women'.
Do buy it - you will enjoy it thoroughly.

Val De Beer.




Enjoyable, but unrealistic, 10 May 2008
Mavis Cheek continues to write in the lively style that has been her hall-mark, but in this, and her previous book, there has been a shift in her depiction of men with a noticeable souring in her attitude. In this book the two male characters are caricatures: the dead one totally over-bearing and vain and the live one weak and timid. Where before her interactions between men and women were more playful and realistic, in this book she has a middle-aged woman appearing to have not the slightest sadness over the recent death of her husband: even the most jaded wife would have some regrets in real life. This heartlessness diminishes ones sympathy for the widow and makes her seem self-righteous. There are very few marriages where one one partner is totally without blame. The personal story of the widow is intermingled with the story of Anna of Cleves ill-starred marriage to Henry VIII. The latter certainly adds an interesting dimension to the book but the final, supposed revelation connected with a commemorative stone in the widow's garden, is a bit of a damp squib. I found the supernatural element of the characters in portraits supposedly conversing with one another a rather forced device to illustrate history.

Not the Flanders Mare, 09 Apr 2008
I bought this book because of a very good write-up in the Telegraph but it's not really my bag. I found it full of waffle interspersed with tantalizing snippets about Anne of Cleves. However it was very well put together but only came alive when mentioning Anne. Overall a bit disappointing. I think Henry only called Anne names because when they first met at Rochester she showed that she found him repulsive instead of falling on her knees and pretending to be dazzled

Being amenable can get you what you want, 07 Apr 2008
This is Mavis Cheek back to her old form. I was quite disappointed by her last two books but I loved this one. Flora has always lived in the shadow of her husband. When he dies unexpectedly in a bizarre baloon accident, she finds she relishes her freedom to plan her own life. Casting around for something to occupy her mind she comes across a half finished local history which Edward was working on, and in it a reference to Anne of Cleves - Henry VIII's fourth wife - and her connections with the area. This sparks her interest and she decides to find out Anne's story. She visits Paris to view the original portrait by Holbein and feels as though the picture is speaking to her. Fending off her daughter's attempt to wrest her inheritance from her and some startling revelations about her husband seem minor irritations compared with her search for information about Anna (Anne) of Cleves. Her search helps her come to terms with her own life and she finds many parallels in Anna's story.
This is a multilevelled story which shows while circumstances may change people stay the same. Behaviour which works in one century may well be effective in a later one. Mavis Cheek's sentences sometimes meander along for several lines, but her style suits the story and there is much gentle humour. Characters are well realised and I will certainly look at Henry VIII's 4th wife with fresh eyes from now on.

THE BAD LIFE TURNED GOOD!, 28 Dec 2007
Mavis Cheek shows us once again why she is our funniest and one of our most thought provoking women writers - the realities of country life behind the picture book facade are perfectly delineated and the new life of a wronged wife is hilarious - a joy to read!

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwithoute

enjoyable, 13 Nov 2007
I did think this book was enjoyable but it didn't sparkle enough for me. There are other more cleverly constructed books out there. I did think it was a nice relaxing book though, so have gone for 3* as a compromise

Disappointing............., 11 Jan 2006
I'm halfway through this book and quite frankly I'm struggling with it. The only thing that is keeping me going is the fact that I hate not finishing a book and also I'm intrigued to see whether Angela gets her husband back!

What I am finding difficult is the style of writing - a bit odd and over the top and not my cup of tea at all. And the characters are totally implausible to me. It's a sort of fantasy type story and I find it difficult to relate to any of the characters. A pity because the storyline is good and, as a dumped wife myself, something I could relate to. But I just don't enjoy this particular style of writing and will not attempt to read any more books by this author. Sorry! However, I am glad to see that most of the above reviews are positive and please don't let me put you off this book as it's just my personal opinion!

Why doesn't this author do her research properly?, 01 Aug 2005
This was the second Mavis Cheek I'd read. The first (Patrick Parkers Progress) was ok - I read it because it was on the list for my book group - rather implausible but OK apart from the author's failure to do her research properly. Quinton Road Coventry just wasn*t the right address for the Parker family (go and visit it if you don't believe me).

But then in Mrs. Flytton she makes the same sort of mistake - you don't have godparents at an adult christening. This sort of stuff is elementary. An author owes it to her readers to take more care than that. And why is her editor not picking up on these inaccuracies?

Apart from the factual blunders, I just don't think Mavis Cheek hits the right note. She seems to be trying to be a latter-day Fay Weldon, but the absurdity of Cheek's stories just doesn't ring true enough to be funny.

The shame is that Mavis Cheek could have been an OK writer. However, I shan't be reading any more.

The dumped wife hits back again!, 16 Feb 2004
I enjoyed this tale of a dumped wife reacting positively to one of life's unfairest blows, and winning, more or less.

Angela met Ian at University and from then on their fortunes were joined. Angela was arguably the major force in building a new business as well as being supermum and superwife. But the wiles of petite dentist(e) Belinda destabilise this perfect match.

One of the subtexts of this novel is the total subjugation of women in our history and culture, and the comparison is made with the break-up of a marriage and the contrasting effects on ex-husband and ex-wife. Angela is driven from London by the hostility of her former Sloane Ranger and Stepford friends.

Thinking, erroneously in this case, that she will meet good folk in the country, she heads off to Somerset and makes a reasonable fist out of being a countrywoman. Meanwhile she is pleased to hear that in London her selfish teenager children are driving their new stepmother crazy.

Angela learns how to make excellent beer but makes serious mistakes in other domestic matters, but it's enough that her ex-husband still holds a torch for her.

Mrs Fytton reminds me most strongly of Mr Weston's Good Wine by T F Powys and The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon, so if you like those books you will like Mrs Fytton.

Two loose ends I take the author to task on: Angela manufactures some revolting candles without ever checking on what she's doing, and she fails to react when a neighbour tries to kill her by giving her some poisonous herbs. At the end of the book the poison is still on the kitchen shelf.

In summary: extremely readable with lurking humour, and an educational trip into social history
thrown in as well.

Too many horribles, 10 Jul 2008
A girl of the seventies grows up, slowly and sometimes painfully, though always with a sense of humour. The seventies part is very well drawn. For those of us who shared that period it brings back some memories. But the book is not always well written - for example I got sick of the word "horrible" which occurred many many times, often on the same page. Later "crap" comes in to complement it! Some passages, such as her dinner party comedy cooking episode, were just too long.
The bathroom theme which recurrs through the novel is different, but I agree with another reviewer that Marianne could have made changes to the houses herself rather than moaning that the current man in her life did not do it. A little more do-it-yourself as she grew up would have rung more true that the continuance of her male-dependence.
Sometimes the book's structure was clever, leaving gaps in the story which got filled in gradually.
All in all I would say a good read, though lacking depth.

Rising Above, 03 Jun 2007
In the opening chapter we find Marianne, a seventeen year old poorly educated shop assistant in the cosmetics department of a store, being casually invited by a total stranger to a party in a middle class house. There she meets Charles. We are told nothing of their courtship - simply, on page 13, that they are married.

Charles comes from a bourgeois family. He has a charming and sensible mother, who will be tower of strength to Marianne. But Charles himself is a thoroughly unpleasant character. As a parlour socialist, he claims to dislike everything bourgeois. The first home of Charles and Marianne is a horrid basement, but he is saving up to be able to afford a mortgage for something better. Unwilling to spend money on professionals, he is an incompetent DIY fanatic and in their second and third house Marianne has to live uncomfortably for months on end while he rips up floorboards and makes a mess in every room at the same time (including the bathroom, when a comfortable and cheerful bathroom is something Marianne longs for with the passion of someone whose own parental home had a horrid one.) He is completely self-centred, randy, and imposing kinky couplings on his wife. Marianne doesn't see the point of them, but for some time (touchingly almost too good to be true) she goes along with all his ways: she knows he is odd (perhaps all men are), but she keeps her thoughts to herself, for she likes being married; and she thinks she has a lot to learn, socially and educationally. Her mother-in-law introduces her to Greek mythology; and whenever Marianne hears a word or a name she does not know, she looks it up - and so she gradually educates herself and comes to respond to great literature.

It takes Marianne about seven years (about a third of the way through the book) to admit to herself how sterile (in more senses than one) is her marriage and how bleak her life. And then she begins to stand up for herself and for a while to become independent in ways that are exhilarating to read about. But just as we have come to cheer for her, she finds herself on another roller-coaster of fulfilment and despair, despair and fulfilment - of sorts. And brilliantly though it is done, I for one began to lose some of my sympathy (though not my liking) for Marianne. Her choice of men and of houses is always, to say the least, unwise; and as she moves from one grotty house to another, surely she could have done at least something during so many years to do them up a bit and get that decent bath-tub she was longing for: even her coarse proletarian neighbours manage that. Maybe in her last house - the eighth - she will get round to it. She'd deserve it - but I wouldn't bet on it.

So I had to suspend my disbelief from time to time, (and, just in case there are autobiographical elements in the book, I hope Mavis Cheek will forgive me for that remark), but it was an enjoyable, witty and sardonic read.




The wit of (Jane) Austen, 20 Apr 2007
Mavis Cheek has the wit of (Jane) Austen, the seriousness of (Virginia) Woolf and the morality of (George) Eliot, while remaining her original and thoroughly modern self. This is probably her best book so far. I heard her read at the Edinburgh Book festival and, reading this much later, felt she didn't then pick the 'best bits' but then the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. If it has any faults it seemed a little drawn-out at the end but I expect the author wanted to tie up loose ends.

WHAT WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT....., 22 Jun 2006
Mavis Cheek never lets you down. Not only are her books terrific fun, but they have the serious and intelligent observations in them which cause one to realise that they are not a succession of pot-boilers.
Although the covers always make you think that the books are going to be a light, holiday read with very little to engage your mind, once you begin to read, there is so much more to think about than the cover suggests.
In this book, the theme which runs through and links the chapters is the house in which the main character is living at the time. In her search for a beautiful house - and a perfect bathroom - she subjects herself to a succession of imperfect lovers.
She also teaches herself, with the help of a wonderful mother-in-law, all the important lessons that art, music and literature can help her to understand.
It is a book which is full of fun, with its serious parts and it is well worth buying to read over and over.

FROM ROMANCE TO RAUNCH - GENTLY DOES IT!, 22 Dec 2007
Mavis Cheek gives us another extremely funny yet sympathetic comic character in the form of Janice Gently - overweight, highly romantic, and exploited by her agent, Janice is persuaded to spice up her romances and does just that - she seeks her one true love in Ireland and unfortunately finds him! A comic gem from our funniest woman writer.

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwthoute

A departure for Cheek!, 04 Oct 2004
I've read six other Mavis Cheek books and found them all witty and enthralling. This one is more of a challenge. It has numuerous themes rather than one simple premise - but cleverly this reflects the story itself concerning an author experimenting with an unusual style. I wasn't entirely convinced that this new Cheek suited me so it might be best for those readers who are new to the writer to start with this one and then move on to the others.
I couldn't always remember which characters were which! I certainly didn't care as much about them as I did with those in other Cheek novels. However I hope Mavis Cheek returns to her original style which I would always rate at 5 star.

Really clever, really original, really good read, 10 May 2002
Janice Gentle is plump, old fashioned and emotionally narrow - romance for her is of the "across a crowded room" type only - and she has a talent for writing slushy Mills and Boon style novels which have a wide readership. Her agent has been milking her for years because she says that when she sells enough books to retire she will put down her pen and seek her own true love. Her agent knows that her own income stream will run dry at this point so she must keep JG writing. Along comes another agent from America who wants JG to write a book in which SEX figures. And that's where the fun begins. And it is fun - I think this is the finest of Mavis Cheek's books, all of which rely on humour, because the plot line is so strong and the side characters so clever. I loved this book and have given it to both men and women, young and old and all have agreed that it's a one-off and hugely enjoyable read. And the end is very satisfying and can't be seen a mile off - the whole is very creative and will get your guffaws flowing.

Funny, 06 Apr 2001
Gentle and funny but without being cloying. Cheek is a real champion of the underdog, and good for her. There is a nice sense of irony which stops the book from being too sentimental and keeps it firmly on the real human experience side of things.

genuinely hilarious, 10 Mar 2001
I bought this book because I found the title interesting. It is so often the case that when indulging in this highly subjective form of selection, one is disappointed. One wasn't!

This book has an immensely original plot. Heaven knows how the author came up with it, I suppose it's called being a novelist. All I can say is that she's led a more interesting life than I have. The characters are beautifully described and are unlike anything you might have come across before.

I'm not given to laughing out loud as I read, but I did - countless times whilst reading this book. Highly embarassing on a crowded metro (private joke - read the book). I've given a copy of Janice Gentle to at least three people, and will probably give a few more. Where's my commission? It is a really fun read and her others are great too esp. Three Men on a Plane.

a great read, 11 May 2004
This is the fifth Mavis Cheek novel I've read and I think she gets better with each one. If you're expecting the same book from her every time, you'll be disappointed. Mrs Fitton's Country Life and Aunt Margaret's Lover are hilarious. The Sex Life of My Aunt is moving and very perceptive. Patrick Parker's Progress is more serious, it looks at the role of women, how they've always been expected to play second fiddle to men's creativity and how their own has never been encouraged. It's a really good story with some wonderful characters. Mavis Cheek has a very particular style, which maybe you like or you don't. I love it!

An absorbing,funny and intelligent novel, 06 May 2004<