Man and Boy

by Tony Parsons | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0006512135 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingIcilawing of Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on 6/3/2005
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10 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingIcilawing from Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Friday, June 3, 2005

Harry Silver, the book's anti-hero, has it all: a beautiful wife, an angelic son and a high-paying job. His life is just about perfect, until one night he casually sleeps with a slim redheaded coworker who has "that kind of fine Irish skin that is so pale it looks as though it has never seen the sun". After the fateful night, his life falls apart. He loses his job and his wife in rapid succession, and finds himself a single, unemployed parent.


I bought this book after reading "one for man baby" the ring of milly1401.

I like Tony Parson and its search for "a more chance".

Journal Entry 2 by wingIcilawing from Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Saturday, June 4, 2005
My bookring :

- -JAFFA- (UK)
- Hawkette (UK)
- Seacloud49(Germany)
- Kanapoutz (France)
- Brujula (France)
- your-book-fairy (USA)
- chrisim (Finland)


-
-

-back to Icila (France)

Journal Entry 3 by wingIcilawing from Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Friday, June 17, 2005
On its way to -JAFFA-

Journal Entry 4 by rem_-JAFFA- on Tuesday, June 21, 2005
It arrived today - thanks

Journal Entry 5 by rem_-JAFFA- on Monday, July 4, 2005
What an excellent read! Not the sort of book I would normally pick up, but I am very glad I did.

Hawkette - it's on its way - enjoy!

Journal Entry 6 by Hawkette from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, July 9, 2005
Arrived with me this week. Am looking forward to it - have heard great things!
Also bought the sequel this week, and will ray it, if there is interest? PM me!

Journal Entry 7 by Hawkette from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, August 20, 2005
I had heard brilliant things about this one, which included confessions from a couple of tough lads I know that they cried several times during this...interesting....

I enjoyed Parsons' writing styles, and his character development was great. Loved Harry and his beautiful relationship with his son, and also his growth through understanding his own father. I liked that he was a dreamer, and was looking for the romantic fairytale.

That said, the double X in me could not help feeling irritated at his poor me syndrome. You cheated, man!! You did!!! You got yourself into this mess!! And who's to say you won't do it again. Grrr!
Sure, he learnt all the hard parts about parenting that he hadn't bothered about before, cos his wife did all that. And he was man enough to let his wife go, and he took responsibility for his son's care while she started out with something she had always wanted - sorry, you get no medal from me!!
Am I too harsh!!??

Liked this book alot, made me think, made me mad at Harry, and made me like him for all his good points. A rare author can manage to evoke all that in the one read!!! Looking forward to more Parsons now!

Journal Entry 8 by seacloud49 from Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg Germany on Monday, September 12, 2005
This just arrived today. It has another bookring in front of it, but I'll try to get to it soon.

Journal Entry 9 by seacloud49 from Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg Germany on Saturday, September 17, 2005
I really liked this book. It made me laugh and it made me cry. I still don't understand couples like Gina and Harry, who throw away their marriage just because one of them had a one-night-stand, but that is just my personal opinion. I think people give up way too easily these days. I didn't like Gina at all, but I loved Cyd! And Pat was just adorable! I'm glad that I read this book and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel sometime.

I'll send the book on as soon as I have Kanapoutz's address.

Journal Entry 10 by KanaPoutz from Cannes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur France on Monday, September 26, 2005
Received today, thanks!

Journal Entry 11 by KanaPoutz from Cannes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur France on Monday, October 10, 2005
Well, I've got mixed feelings about this one. I really enjoyed it, and got to like all the characters with their strengths and weaknesses, but at the same time it was all a bit too cliché with the relationship between Harry and Gina, and Harry and everybody else actually. Touching but not really realistic I thought.
I'm glad I read it and discovered this author though.
Sending to Brujula today.

Journal Entry 12 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Received today.
Thank you for the candy, Kanapoutz!

Journal Entry 13 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Thursday, December 22, 2005
I finished this book last week-end. I liked the story, although I got a little bored (or impatient) in the middle. The happy end seemed a little artificial, but I enjoyed reading this book anyway.
I will mail it to the next in line as soon as christmas holidays are over (so it will not get lost in the mail!)

Journal Entry 14 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Tuesday, January 3, 2006
Mailed yesterday

Journal Entry 15 by your-book-fairy from South Orange, New Jersey USA on Monday, January 23, 2006
Arrived safely in the USA today, and not a day too soon as I had just finished another bookring and was sort of putzing around, looking for my next read. I'll be starting this one tonight and am really looking forward to it based on everyone's reviews. Thank you to Icila for ringing it and to everyone else for getting it this far!

Journal Entry 16 by your-book-fairy from South Orange, New Jersey USA on Monday, January 30, 2006
I really enjoyed reading this! I think a lot of authors could probably have laid out a similar plot, but Parsons did a great job describing the emotions behind the events which added a whole other layer to the story (sometimes a gut wrenching one). I agree that it's hard to be sympathetic towards Harry, since he did mess everything up and he did just take over what his wife had been doing the whole time, but I also found Cyd and Gina somewhat hard to sympathize with as well. Gina especially really needs to get over her father issues -- clearly Harry screwed up in a big, bad, way, but it seemed like Gina was waiting to pull the "You're just like my father" card eventually. I also think she really resented the life she got into with Harry and was secretly pleased to have a solid excuse to ditch it all and go pursue her own thing for a while. Overall I agree with Hawkette that it's rare for an author to create a character you can like and be mad with all at once, and I'll definitely be reading more Parsons in the future!

Journal Entry 17 by chrisim from Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Saturday, April 1, 2006
Thanks, the book has arrived. I'll try to read it during my holidays after Easter.

I liked the book ok but something disturbed with the characters. At first there was a little bit too much about Harry and his oldfashioned habit that he couldn't take care of his child if he is the one who earns money. Also I'm sick of the myth saying that the best mother stays home with children and takes care of the home. Yuk yuk. I'm saying that Gina was unhappy with her situation staying home and quite reliefed when she got a reason to leave. Why didn't she get a job before becoming so embittered or leave just earlier? Or why did she sacrifice her career in Japan in the first place?

Harry made stupid mistakes and eventually learned to be a good father. How is that an achievement? Shouldn't a man accept his fatherhood and act like a good father from the very beginning? Why did Gina rule evrything in their family?

Despite the stereotypic saint-mother and sinner-father the story was well written. The relationship between Harry and his own parents was warmly written and it feeled real. The romantic part was something expected and that carried the story till the end.

Icila told me that I can release this book. Cool! Thanks :)

Journal Entry 18 by chrisim from Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Saturday, June 3, 2006
I'll send this book yet to another continent as a RABCK! The book's journey (ie. shipping) can take a while...

Journal Entry 19 by blakkat-BNE from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Thursday, June 22, 2006
What a nice surprise!! This book arrived in the mail a few days ago and I've already started reading it :) Thank you very much, chrisim!!

Journal Entry 20 by blakkat-BNE from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Monday, July 10, 2006
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it was very well written. Thank you so very much, chrisim for sending it all this way. I've now lent this book to my Mum to read. I might send it off on a ring or ray once she's finished with it.

Journal Entry 21 by blakkat-BNE from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Sunday, January 21, 2007
Passing on to bookworm-bne

Journal Entry 22 by bookworm-BNE from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Friday, March 2, 2007
Sorry about the delay in journaling. Blakkat-BNE is going overseas and has bestowed me with A LOT of books. At the same time another frined is moving house and is giving me a lot of her books. Nice problem to have but I'm behind on journals and registration.
This one looks really interesting (and well travelled!) I will keep it to read.

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