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Harry Silver #3
Men from the Boys
The final episode in the trilogy that began with the million-copy bestseller MAN AND BOY
Ten years on from MAN AND BOY, it is crunch time for Harry…
Life is good for Harry Silver. He has a beautiful wife, three wonderful children and a great job as producer of the cult radio show, A Clip Round the Ear. But Harry is about to turn forty and his ex-wife is back in town. Soon it could be time to kiss the good life goodbye…
When Harry's fifteen-year-old son Pat moves out to live with his mother, the hard times have only just begun. With his son gone, his job at risk and his wife unsettled by the reappearance of her own ex, their dream seems to be falling apart.
Into the chaos of Harry Silver's life stroll two old soldiers who fought alongside Harry's late father in The Battle of Monte Cassino in the spring of 1944. Will these two grumpy old men help Harry reclaim his son, his family and his life? And can they show Harry Silver what it really means to be a man?
Funny, moving and unforgettable, MEN FROM THE BOYS is a story of how we live now.
Ten years on from MAN AND BOY, it is crunch time for Harry…
Life is good for Harry Silver. He has a beautiful wife, three wonderful children and a great job as producer of the cult radio show, A Clip Round the Ear. But Harry is about to turn forty and his ex-wife is back in town. Soon it could be time to kiss the good life goodbye…
When Harry's fifteen-year-old son Pat moves out to live with his mother, the hard times have only just begun. With his son gone, his job at risk and his wife unsettled by the reappearance of her own ex, their dream seems to be falling apart.
Into the chaos of Harry Silver's life stroll two old soldiers who fought alongside Harry's late father in The Battle of Monte Cassino in the spring of 1944. Will these two grumpy old men help Harry reclaim his son, his family and his life? And can they show Harry Silver what it really means to be a man?
Funny, moving and unforgettable, MEN FROM THE BOYS is a story of how we live now.
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
32 people are currently reading
622 people want to read
About the author
Tony Parsons
63 books893 followersThere is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Tony Parsons (born 6 November 1953) is a British journalist broadcaster and author. He began his career as a music journalist on the NME, writing about punk music. Later, he wrote for The Daily Telegraph, before going on to write his current column for the Daily Mirror. Parsons was for a time a regular guest on the BBC Two arts review programme The Late Show, and still appears infrequently on the successor Newsnight Review; he also briefly hosted a series on Channel 4 called Big Mouth.
He is the author of the multi-million selling novel, Man and Boy (1999). Parsons had written a number of novels including The Kids (1976), Platinum Logic (1981) and Limelight Blues (1983), before he found mainstream success by focussing on the tribulations of thirty-something men. Parsons has since published a series of best-selling novels – One For My Baby (2001), Man and Wife (2003), The Family Way (2004), Stories We Could Tell (2006), My Favourite Wife (2007), Starting Over (2009) and Men From the Boys (2010). His novels typically deal with relationship problems, emotional dramas and the traumas of men and women in our time. He describes his writing as 'Men Lit', as opposed to the rising popularity of 'Chick Lit'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Par...
Tony Parsons (born 6 November 1953) is a British journalist broadcaster and author. He began his career as a music journalist on the NME, writing about punk music. Later, he wrote for The Daily Telegraph, before going on to write his current column for the Daily Mirror. Parsons was for a time a regular guest on the BBC Two arts review programme The Late Show, and still appears infrequently on the successor Newsnight Review; he also briefly hosted a series on Channel 4 called Big Mouth.
He is the author of the multi-million selling novel, Man and Boy (1999). Parsons had written a number of novels including The Kids (1976), Platinum Logic (1981) and Limelight Blues (1983), before he found mainstream success by focussing on the tribulations of thirty-something men. Parsons has since published a series of best-selling novels – One For My Baby (2001), Man and Wife (2003), The Family Way (2004), Stories We Could Tell (2006), My Favourite Wife (2007), Starting Over (2009) and Men From the Boys (2010). His novels typically deal with relationship problems, emotional dramas and the traumas of men and women in our time. He describes his writing as 'Men Lit', as opposed to the rising popularity of 'Chick Lit'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Par...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
March 8, 2012
This is a novel of old men with steel in their spines, ice at their core, disdain for the soft purgatory of modern life in twenty-first century UK, but tenderness remaining deep down in their souls for those who can touch their hearts. It is a novel of what love has become in this new millennium – a very confusing place to be at the best of times, let alone the worst of times. It is a novel of the ‘Karate Kid’ cliché, and of failing to be alive at a time of the great moments in history where men were called on to pay, en masse, the ultimate price to protect the world from evil. This is a novel that ends with ‘A pretty young woman with Melbourne in her voice and sunshine in her hair’ heading off on a ‘flying kangaroo.’ It is a beautiful novel – but ever since Tony Parsons first hit the stands with ‘Man and Boy’ in the dying days of the previous century and captured hearts, one would expect no less.
Reflecting his own history in so many ways in his novels, particularly those continuing the story of Harry Silver as he advances through the decades, as this does, Parsons continues to shed gilded light on what it means to be a man in perplexing times. Male ‘baby-boomers’ will never measure up to their fathers who answered the call, who had to contend with the possibility of death just around the corner, but even so, it was all so straight forward back then when England (and our nation) was mono-cultural and people knew their place, the proper way to behave. ‘Life was so much simpler then’.
Our Harry in his forties loves his wife and blended family, but all is disrupted by job loss, returning ex-spouse and Elizabeth Montgomery. Plot-wise a few through-lines don’t quite gel, and making a point about reality television through the use of ridiculous names did grate. It remains, though, that there is little else to fault this seamlessly written contribution to a more mature form of ‘lad-lit’. Tissues may be required at the end, indicative of a practitioner who entices the reader really care about his fictional creations.
Did I see anything of may own father, who shared a war with the old soldiers, in these pages? I must admit there was very little, but I recall mates of his that were much like Ken Grimwood – damaged in so many ways by the terrors of those great and terrible events. Parsons own father was a war hero, so we know his words come from the heart. His words also spoke to me.
Reflecting his own history in so many ways in his novels, particularly those continuing the story of Harry Silver as he advances through the decades, as this does, Parsons continues to shed gilded light on what it means to be a man in perplexing times. Male ‘baby-boomers’ will never measure up to their fathers who answered the call, who had to contend with the possibility of death just around the corner, but even so, it was all so straight forward back then when England (and our nation) was mono-cultural and people knew their place, the proper way to behave. ‘Life was so much simpler then’.
Our Harry in his forties loves his wife and blended family, but all is disrupted by job loss, returning ex-spouse and Elizabeth Montgomery. Plot-wise a few through-lines don’t quite gel, and making a point about reality television through the use of ridiculous names did grate. It remains, though, that there is little else to fault this seamlessly written contribution to a more mature form of ‘lad-lit’. Tissues may be required at the end, indicative of a practitioner who entices the reader really care about his fictional creations.
Did I see anything of may own father, who shared a war with the old soldiers, in these pages? I must admit there was very little, but I recall mates of his that were much like Ken Grimwood – damaged in so many ways by the terrors of those great and terrible events. Parsons own father was a war hero, so we know his words come from the heart. His words also spoke to me.
May 7, 2011
I'm almost certain that I read the first two books in this trilogy. What does it say that I had NO recollection of the characters, and didn't even realize it was part of a series until I saw a review? I thought I really liked Tony Parsons' books, but it turns out that I find them very unmemorable! This one was ok, about the differences between generations. It did state quite a few profound truisms, but on the whole I didn't love the story, and didn't find the ending particularly satisfying.
October 21, 2019
Interesantna tema, pomalo dosadno napisana, ali sa toliko emotivnim krajem da je teško čitati bez suza.
October 31, 2020
Kupio samo ovu knjige jer sam mislio da je nastavak knjige "Čovjek i dječak". Kada sam došao kući shvatio sam da je ovo 3. dio i da ima još jedna knjiga prije ove iako na koricama piše da je NASTAVAK KNJIGE ČOVJEK I DJEČAK. Bilo kako bilo, odlučio sam da je pročitam.
Pisanje Parsonsa je i dalje tu, neke lijepe rečenice, ma divne rečenice. Međutim, ono što me nije zanimalo jeste sve ostalo. Od teme, njegovog života i nekih sporednih likova koji su bili previše glavni u ovoj knjizi. Daleko od prve knjige, možda i loš nastavak koji ima dobro pisanje (jer Parsons može da opiše porodicu kao niko) ali loše sve ostalo.
Proletio sam kroz ovu knjigu jer nema puno stranica i jer volim Parsonsa. Ipak će prvi dio da ostane kao nešto najljepše pročitano od ovog autora.
Pisanje Parsonsa je i dalje tu, neke lijepe rečenice, ma divne rečenice. Međutim, ono što me nije zanimalo jeste sve ostalo. Od teme, njegovog života i nekih sporednih likova koji su bili previše glavni u ovoj knjizi. Daleko od prve knjige, možda i loš nastavak koji ima dobro pisanje (jer Parsons može da opiše porodicu kao niko) ali loše sve ostalo.
Proletio sam kroz ovu knjigu jer nema puno stranica i jer volim Parsonsa. Ipak će prvi dio da ostane kao nešto najljepše pročitano od ovog autora.
May 5, 2014
This is a book that was passed onto me by my wife who said “you really must read this”. Fair enough I thought. Why not? What she didn’t tell me was that is the third of a three part series! Mind you, if she hadn’t said that I would never have known, as it is self-contained and does not rely on having read the other two.
For some reason I had been expecting a funny story. Not sure why, as none of the sleeve notes said it was, but what I found was a very engaging and touching tale of a man trying desperately to hold onto his family.
The central character is Harry Silver, a radio producer who lives in London with his second wife, his son, her daughter and their own daughter. About as complex a modern family as you can get! And on the face of it, life is good for the Silvers, but underneath there are cracks beginning to emerge.
As Harry approaches his fortieth birthday, events outside his cosy household bring chaos and frustration into their lives. With the return of his ex-wife and the appearance of two old army comrades of his father’s, Harry’s world begins to change.
Every parent will recognise the frustrations and seeming futility of trying to understand and deal with teenagers. And I think most of us have faced the frustration of dealing with elderly friends and relatives who refuse to play by the rules of the modern world – any why should they?
In Harry Silver we have a character that most modern men can relate to. Often in the shadow of his strong father, unable to fully understand the world his teenage son and daughter inhabit, he finds himself loosing grip on everything he holds dear.
“Men from the Boys” is a touching and, yes, sometimes funny look at the trials and tribulations of 21st century men.
I read all 320 pages in just over two days, something I haven’t managed for quite some time, but I couldn’t put the book down. Certainly a welcome change from the more intense books I seem to be reading of late.
Thanks to my wife, I have several more Tony Parsons novels waiting for me on the book shelves. I am looking forward to reading them.
For some reason I had been expecting a funny story. Not sure why, as none of the sleeve notes said it was, but what I found was a very engaging and touching tale of a man trying desperately to hold onto his family.
The central character is Harry Silver, a radio producer who lives in London with his second wife, his son, her daughter and their own daughter. About as complex a modern family as you can get! And on the face of it, life is good for the Silvers, but underneath there are cracks beginning to emerge.
As Harry approaches his fortieth birthday, events outside his cosy household bring chaos and frustration into their lives. With the return of his ex-wife and the appearance of two old army comrades of his father’s, Harry’s world begins to change.
Every parent will recognise the frustrations and seeming futility of trying to understand and deal with teenagers. And I think most of us have faced the frustration of dealing with elderly friends and relatives who refuse to play by the rules of the modern world – any why should they?
In Harry Silver we have a character that most modern men can relate to. Often in the shadow of his strong father, unable to fully understand the world his teenage son and daughter inhabit, he finds himself loosing grip on everything he holds dear.
“Men from the Boys” is a touching and, yes, sometimes funny look at the trials and tribulations of 21st century men.
I read all 320 pages in just over two days, something I haven’t managed for quite some time, but I couldn’t put the book down. Certainly a welcome change from the more intense books I seem to be reading of late.
Thanks to my wife, I have several more Tony Parsons novels waiting for me on the book shelves. I am looking forward to reading them.
June 19, 2019
Nicely written, easy-going and unchallenging book alltogether. It is the last book in the trilogy about Harry Silver, where we get to see his life as a father of three, one of whom is a teenager and will put Harry’s parenting skills to a test.
However, I liked “Man and Boy” better, since Harry Silver was 10 years younger there and you could understand his insecurities and eagerness for having a settled life and family, just like his parents had. But in this book, those insecurities just got me irritated. I hoped he would mature over the time and start to see beyond his own problems.
Moreover, the characterization of his ex-wife is something that bothered me in the first book, and it hasn’t changed throughout the whole trilogy. I believe there is more to her than the pure spite and vengeance towards Harry, as it seems while he talks about her.
Also, the newly introduced characters of Ken and Singe Rana did not impress me but I don’t think they were a bad addition to the storyline.
All in all, this book had some good insights in hardships of parenting, maintaining a steady marriage, succeeding in carrier while trying to find yourself along the way.
The quote that stood out to me was: “They say a child needs your love most when he deserves it the least.”
However, I liked “Man and Boy” better, since Harry Silver was 10 years younger there and you could understand his insecurities and eagerness for having a settled life and family, just like his parents had. But in this book, those insecurities just got me irritated. I hoped he would mature over the time and start to see beyond his own problems.
Moreover, the characterization of his ex-wife is something that bothered me in the first book, and it hasn’t changed throughout the whole trilogy. I believe there is more to her than the pure spite and vengeance towards Harry, as it seems while he talks about her.
Also, the newly introduced characters of Ken and Singe Rana did not impress me but I don’t think they were a bad addition to the storyline.
All in all, this book had some good insights in hardships of parenting, maintaining a steady marriage, succeeding in carrier while trying to find yourself along the way.
The quote that stood out to me was: “They say a child needs your love most when he deserves it the least.”
May 20, 2019
Now I remember why I don't like Tony Parsons' books. His characters are unlikeable and the story is boring. Some authors are sympathetic to their characters and treat them with warmth, even the minor characters. Parsons doesn't. The book is bitter and mean-spirited. It gets a couple of stars, though, because it's an attempt to look at a valid subject, and it's about London. I'm being generous.
March 4, 2024
This is the 3rd and last in the Harry Silver series of novels. I enjoyed the 1st 2 but this one I think was a book too many. Was not as interesting as the first 2 and meandered a bit. Having read and enjoyed the first two this one turned out a disappointment.
April 2, 2017
An OK read.
October 10, 2015
Prvu iz triologije sam pročitala na ljeto, i onda me nekako mama nagovorila da i ovoj knjizi dam šansu... I da, totalno neinformirano smo propustile 2. dio, eh...
Roman mi vuče na Adriana Molea zbog toga što pratimo život još jednog Engleza našeg doba, no ovom Silveru fali doza samoironije koje egoistični Mole ima na lopate. I da, reći će svijet: o ne, još jedan roman o srednjovječnoj krizi bijelog muškarca srednje klase, no mene taj dio toliko i ne smeta jer gledam onu drugu stranu - kako je to biti muškarac u današnjem svijetu kada "žene sve mogu same"... Silver, kao i Mole, prva su generacija muškaraca koja odrastaju u svijetu u kojem više nema podjele rada i uloga, svi skupa svaštarimo, od ljubavnih veza preko karijere do odgoja djece... Da li je prije bilo lakše - nije, ali ljudi su bili pomireni sa životom koji je stavljen pred njih, i naš Silver kroz ovaj roman to pokušava shvatiti balansirajući između bivše i sadašnje žene, svoje, tvoje i naše djece, te svega ostalog što donosi današnji svijet.
Roman mi vuče na Adriana Molea zbog toga što pratimo život još jednog Engleza našeg doba, no ovom Silveru fali doza samoironije koje egoistični Mole ima na lopate. I da, reći će svijet: o ne, još jedan roman o srednjovječnoj krizi bijelog muškarca srednje klase, no mene taj dio toliko i ne smeta jer gledam onu drugu stranu - kako je to biti muškarac u današnjem svijetu kada "žene sve mogu same"... Silver, kao i Mole, prva su generacija muškaraca koja odrastaju u svijetu u kojem više nema podjele rada i uloga, svi skupa svaštarimo, od ljubavnih veza preko karijere do odgoja djece... Da li je prije bilo lakše - nije, ali ljudi su bili pomireni sa životom koji je stavljen pred njih, i naš Silver kroz ovaj roman to pokušava shvatiti balansirajući između bivše i sadašnje žene, svoje, tvoje i naše djece, te svega ostalog što donosi današnji svijet.
July 31, 2014
This is a continuing plot from the two books earlier.
Kinda like this book as unlike most fiction novels where sometimes, the books will leave you in awe and then, realizing its just a mere fiction. However, for this novel, it's more related to our lives and makes you realize a certain things in life, like,
-do you want to get married, and divorce will be a solution when the marriage ain't working?
-will you accept the other half with an extra baggage?
-do you want to have your own kids?
-what bout adopting kids who aren't your own blood and flesh?
-where will you and what will you do when you are turning old and fragile?
This novel really makes you stop and ponder a lil while about life. Midlife crisis, employment and stuff.
Kinda like this book as unlike most fiction novels where sometimes, the books will leave you in awe and then, realizing its just a mere fiction. However, for this novel, it's more related to our lives and makes you realize a certain things in life, like,
-do you want to get married, and divorce will be a solution when the marriage ain't working?
-will you accept the other half with an extra baggage?
-do you want to have your own kids?
-what bout adopting kids who aren't your own blood and flesh?
-where will you and what will you do when you are turning old and fragile?
This novel really makes you stop and ponder a lil while about life. Midlife crisis, employment and stuff.
January 21, 2011
I won the book from a competition. I haven't read the books earlier form this series, nor the latter ones nor am I going to. The story was good, and the narration fresh. I enjoyed how the writer wrote everything he felt, in simple words. I enjoyed the story of 3 different generations, of the army, of broken families, and of today's youth. I enjoyed the words at the end.
October 21, 2020
Another pointless sequel to Man and Boy. Harry, Cyd, and Pat are so far from likeable in this, and the plot is thin at best. Also signs that Parsons was well on his way to going full Tory here.
October 11, 2022
Mình đã quyết định đọc trọn bộ này mặc dù cảm xúc và niềm yêu thích dã giảm dần từ phần 2. Mình đã nghĩ rằng mình thực sự thích những cuốn sách của Tony Parsons, nhưng nhìn chung, mình không thích câu chuyện kéo dài ở phần 3 này và cái kết thì không có gì đặc biệt ngoài 2 chữ happy ending.
“Khi ta ba mươi tuổi thì ta muốn tự do.
Nhưng khi bốn mươi, ta sẽ muốn thuộc về ai đó.”
Cuộc sống của Harry Silver ở tuổi bốn mươi có thể nói là viên mãn: vợ đẹp, ba đứa con đáng yêu, công việc hoàn hảo ở nhà đài, những xao nhãng lôi kéo con người ta đi chệch khỏi con đường hôn nhân cũng đã rời xa. Tưởng chừng mọi thứ sẽ bình yên trôi đi như thế cho đến khi hàng loạt biến cố kéo đến. Mở đầu bằng sự kiện người vợ cũ Gina quay trở lại và cú sốc thất nghiệp đột ngột,... 2 trong số những điều khiến cho cả Harry và con trai phải bắt buộc trưởng thành nếu như không muốn bị cuộc sống khắc nghiệt nhấn chìm.
Hai điểm sáng nhất mình thấy được ở phần 3 này là sự trưởng thành của Pat và sự quyết đoán của Cyd để Harry có thời gian nhìn nhận lại bản thân mình ở tuổi 40 tệ rạc.
...
Tóm lại, cuốn Phần 3 này là một cái nhìn cảm động và đôi khi hài hước về những thử thách và gian khổ của những người đàn ông thế kỷ 21. Cả 3 phần nói chung sẽ khiến bạn kinh ngạc và sau đó, nhận ra nó chỉ là một tiểu thuyết hư cấu. Tuy nhiên, vì nó liên quan nhiều đến cuộc sống của chúng ta nên sẽ khiến bạn nhận ra một số điều trong cuộc sống như:
- bạn có muốn kết hôn, và ly hôn sẽ là một giải pháp khi cuộc hôn nhân không suôn sẻ?
- bạn có chấp nhận nửa kia với một hành lý bổ sung không?
- bạn có muốn có con riêng của mình không?
- sao lại nhận nuôi những đứa trẻ không phải máu mủ ruột thịt của mình?
- bạn sẽ ở đâu và bạn sẽ làm gì khi bạn đang trở nên già nua và mỏng manh?
Nếu như bạn thích câu chuyện về 3 thế hệ khác nhau, về quân đội, về những gia đình tan vỡ, và về thanh niên ngày nay thì mình nghĩ là bạn nên thử đọc bộ 3 cuốn này. Riêng mình thì vẫn thích nhất Phần 1: Cha và con :))
Review chi tiết ở đây: https://ntquangg.wordpress.com/2022/1...
“Khi ta ba mươi tuổi thì ta muốn tự do.
Nhưng khi bốn mươi, ta sẽ muốn thuộc về ai đó.”
Cuộc sống của Harry Silver ở tuổi bốn mươi có thể nói là viên mãn: vợ đẹp, ba đứa con đáng yêu, công việc hoàn hảo ở nhà đài, những xao nhãng lôi kéo con người ta đi chệch khỏi con đường hôn nhân cũng đã rời xa. Tưởng chừng mọi thứ sẽ bình yên trôi đi như thế cho đến khi hàng loạt biến cố kéo đến. Mở đầu bằng sự kiện người vợ cũ Gina quay trở lại và cú sốc thất nghiệp đột ngột,... 2 trong số những điều khiến cho cả Harry và con trai phải bắt buộc trưởng thành nếu như không muốn bị cuộc sống khắc nghiệt nhấn chìm.
Hai điểm sáng nhất mình thấy được ở phần 3 này là sự trưởng thành của Pat và sự quyết đoán của Cyd để Harry có thời gian nhìn nhận lại bản thân mình ở tuổi 40 tệ rạc.
...
Tóm lại, cuốn Phần 3 này là một cái nhìn cảm động và đôi khi hài hước về những thử thách và gian khổ của những người đàn ông thế kỷ 21. Cả 3 phần nói chung sẽ khiến bạn kinh ngạc và sau đó, nhận ra nó chỉ là một tiểu thuyết hư cấu. Tuy nhiên, vì nó liên quan nhiều đến cuộc sống của chúng ta nên sẽ khiến bạn nhận ra một số điều trong cuộc sống như:
- bạn có muốn kết hôn, và ly hôn sẽ là một giải pháp khi cuộc hôn nhân không suôn sẻ?
- bạn có chấp nhận nửa kia với một hành lý bổ sung không?
- bạn có muốn có con riêng của mình không?
- sao lại nhận nuôi những đứa trẻ không phải máu mủ ruột thịt của mình?
- bạn sẽ ở đâu và bạn sẽ làm gì khi bạn đang trở nên già nua và mỏng manh?
Nếu như bạn thích câu chuyện về 3 thế hệ khác nhau, về quân đội, về những gia đình tan vỡ, và về thanh niên ngày nay thì mình nghĩ là bạn nên thử đọc bộ 3 cuốn này. Riêng mình thì vẫn thích nhất Phần 1: Cha và con :))
Review chi tiết ở đây: https://ntquangg.wordpress.com/2022/1...
August 14, 2022
Loved this book as much as the other two in the trilogy. Very, very moving when the two old men become involved in Harry and Pat’s lives. I could totally relate to this.
In the very unlikely event that Tony Parsons ever reads this I would like to say that I am sorry I discovered your books 20 years after you wrote them but you have given me several weeks of enjoyable reading during this long, hot summer.
Most books I read are passed on, but the Harry Silver books will not be. Thanks!
In the very unlikely event that Tony Parsons ever reads this I would like to say that I am sorry I discovered your books 20 years after you wrote them but you have given me several weeks of enjoyable reading during this long, hot summer.
Most books I read are passed on, but the Harry Silver books will not be. Thanks!
March 10, 2020
Would have been 4-stars but for the ridiculous story involving the kidnapping of a teenager by two adults - locked in the boot of a car - and made to fight their son. For which, by the way, there were no repercussions. It ruined what was otherwise a very real and in places relatable story. Better than than the second, not as good as the first in the trilogy.
July 16, 2017
Parsons has managed to maintain the characterisation and storyline in this series so that this book 3 is every bit as good as the first. There is a gentle underlying humour and a relationship to everyday life which makes the book really enjoyable
August 14, 2020
What a lovely book. So different from what I usually read, thrillers and detective stories. I've read a lot of Tony Parsons books about Max Wolfe and I love them. This was a surprise and a delight to read. I now have to download the first two in the trilogy which I didn't know about.
January 31, 2023
Couldn't get into it. Loved the first two. This one just read like a modern day whinge, a never ending crescendo of family angst and conflict with a 50% blend of autobiography masquerading as fiction.
September 9, 2019
Interesting book about a father’s relationship with his teenage son.
April 19, 2020
Easy read.
Does make you want to shout the main character quite alot, he's a bit of a drip.
Does make you want to shout the main character quite alot, he's a bit of a drip.
September 11, 2020
A masterclass in anxiety and not just teen.
May 22, 2018
I really liked this series. Not a challenging read, but was really enjoyable. Nice to have a male protagonist for once. Also nice to see a difference to the usual boy-meets-girl set up, this is more about the family dynamics.
May 23, 2019
The third and final part of harry and Pats story it was never going to live up to the first two books but its well worth your time and rounds of the trilogy nicely.
Harry after many years finally grows up and finds meaning in his life.
As always well written and the story just flows from the page you can see that Parsons just loves these two characters he has created.
As a final part in a trilogy its the weakest but as a body of work all three books together are outstanding look at fatherhood and our modern society.
Well worth you time and hard spent cash a trilogy that should not be missed.
Harry after many years finally grows up and finds meaning in his life.
As always well written and the story just flows from the page you can see that Parsons just loves these two characters he has created.
As a final part in a trilogy its the weakest but as a body of work all three books together are outstanding look at fatherhood and our modern society.
Well worth you time and hard spent cash a trilogy that should not be missed.
October 25, 2015
Mid-life crisis, that's what it's about.
"They say a child needs your love most when he deserves it the least."
I had that quote lingering in my mind for a few good hours after I finished reading Men From The Boys (actually no was thinking about pizzas). If anything, once again Tony Parsons has done a good job in capturing the thoughts of a man in his 40's, which I personally think a lot of people will be able to relate to and not just bounded by age limit or gender.
This is a story of a son who tried to find his father in the midst of emotional blockage which stems from years of fighting grueling wars. I guess opening yourself up to love and beloved is not easy when you have spent years toughening up your physical to not be affected or be made vulnerable by emotions. The son grew up to find himself lurking in the shadow of his father's acquaintances, trying to find his long gone father. I think this issue is more prevalent in his first book of the series, The Man and The Boys (which I haven't read actually) but in this particular book, you could see how it affects Harry as he goes through fatherhood. It is also a story of how love, as cliche as it sounds, knows no boundaries as Harry shows unconditional love to all of his children, even Peggy. Though the blood always wins, he does not let it set a defining bar in his life.
I also like how the circumstances are (most of the times) grounded in the book. As in, when it comes to the matter of love, as abstract as the definition is, so does the perseverance of it. Especially after years of living together, one might find himself/herself to be dumbfounded by uncertainties from the fights, and the misunderstandings. I think this is a fear that everyone would have in their mind. What if the love dies out? What if you find yourself to live in happiness conditioned by habits rather than enjoying it as it is? What if you get tired of the romance? Dun dun dun. Hence, it is important to cherish love as it is, not because of the privileges of emotional comfort that comes along with the relationship. If love really is subjective, then really, it is up to you on how would you define it. If you manoeuvre your relationship on a checklist of an unbending rules, it might not be able to hold it up for a long time. But if you can learn to always love the simple things and find perfection in them, you can learn to look past trivial characteristics, then you can certainly find a way to love again and again.
"They say a child needs your love most when he deserves it the least."
I had that quote lingering in my mind for a few good hours after I finished reading Men From The Boys (actually no was thinking about pizzas). If anything, once again Tony Parsons has done a good job in capturing the thoughts of a man in his 40's, which I personally think a lot of people will be able to relate to and not just bounded by age limit or gender.
This is a story of a son who tried to find his father in the midst of emotional blockage which stems from years of fighting grueling wars. I guess opening yourself up to love and beloved is not easy when you have spent years toughening up your physical to not be affected or be made vulnerable by emotions. The son grew up to find himself lurking in the shadow of his father's acquaintances, trying to find his long gone father. I think this issue is more prevalent in his first book of the series, The Man and The Boys (which I haven't read actually) but in this particular book, you could see how it affects Harry as he goes through fatherhood. It is also a story of how love, as cliche as it sounds, knows no boundaries as Harry shows unconditional love to all of his children, even Peggy. Though the blood always wins, he does not let it set a defining bar in his life.
I also like how the circumstances are (most of the times) grounded in the book. As in, when it comes to the matter of love, as abstract as the definition is, so does the perseverance of it. Especially after years of living together, one might find himself/herself to be dumbfounded by uncertainties from the fights, and the misunderstandings. I think this is a fear that everyone would have in their mind. What if the love dies out? What if you find yourself to live in happiness conditioned by habits rather than enjoying it as it is? What if you get tired of the romance? Dun dun dun. Hence, it is important to cherish love as it is, not because of the privileges of emotional comfort that comes along with the relationship. If love really is subjective, then really, it is up to you on how would you define it. If you manoeuvre your relationship on a checklist of an unbending rules, it might not be able to hold it up for a long time. But if you can learn to always love the simple things and find perfection in them, you can learn to look past trivial characteristics, then you can certainly find a way to love again and again.
July 31, 2012
Having really enjoyed Man and Boy and Man and Wife, I expected a lot from this third part to the Harry Silver trilogy. And as a page-turner, it delivered; I read it in about three sittings.
Yet, at the same time, I can't help feeling slightly disappointed. The old fire seems to have gone out; maybe it was Harry's fecklessness that made him more interesting, but the calmer, 40-year-old Harry of this final episode seems a different animal. There's enough of the old Pat to keep you interested in his welfare despite his morphing into a vaguely stroppy teenager, and Gina seems to drift in and out of the narrative without much purpose. The Ken/Singe Rana pairing was more interesting, recalling my own grandfather's few tales of his experiences at Monte Cassino during WW2 - if half of the stories told by Singe Rana are true, it wouldn't surprise me that my grandfather didn't mention such events himself.
So, Men from the Boys delivered in places and under-delivered in places. I enjoyed it - and would recommend Harry Silver fans to read it - but I can't help feeling that it could have been so much more.
Still, the fact that my copy was personally signed for me by Tony Parsons at the Hay Festival is something!
Yet, at the same time, I can't help feeling slightly disappointed. The old fire seems to have gone out; maybe it was Harry's fecklessness that made him more interesting, but the calmer, 40-year-old Harry of this final episode seems a different animal. There's enough of the old Pat to keep you interested in his welfare despite his morphing into a vaguely stroppy teenager, and Gina seems to drift in and out of the narrative without much purpose. The Ken/Singe Rana pairing was more interesting, recalling my own grandfather's few tales of his experiences at Monte Cassino during WW2 - if half of the stories told by Singe Rana are true, it wouldn't surprise me that my grandfather didn't mention such events himself.
So, Men from the Boys delivered in places and under-delivered in places. I enjoyed it - and would recommend Harry Silver fans to read it - but I can't help feeling that it could have been so much more.
Still, the fact that my copy was personally signed for me by Tony Parsons at the Hay Festival is something!
January 5, 2011
In this book, the final of the trilogy, Harry Silver forms un unlikely frienship with 2 retired commandos who had served with his late father. Thru his association with them he wraggles with issues he had with his father. Reflective of the times we live in, households no longer consist of parents and kids, with visits to grandparents, aunts and uncles. Harry copes with his wife, wife's ex, step-daugther,his teenage son,Pat, and his daughter fom this marriage. The order is his life is thrown assunder when his ex-wife returns to London and Pat chooses to live with his mother. harry feels abandoned and this strains his relationship with his son. his feelings of insecurities are compounded when he loses his job, and he suspects his wife of cheating on him.
While Parsons does deliver the turmoil and angst of some of the characters in this story, there were certain areas that were rather foggy.
of the trilogy, i liked the 1st novel best.
While Parsons does deliver the turmoil and angst of some of the characters in this story, there were certain areas that were rather foggy.
of the trilogy, i liked the 1st novel best.
July 12, 2012
This novel is the first Tony Parson's that I read. It's actually the third installment of the trilogy, the previous two are Man and Boy, and Man and Wife.
As I hadn't yet read the other two, so my review is based solely on the one book that I'd read.
The story is about Harry Silver who was a single parent who had remarried and live with three children. The plots of the story mainly involves Harry's relationship with his ex-wife concerning their matters and their son, Harry's relationship with his wife, Harry's struggle with the growth of his son, and also Harry's relationship with the friends of his late father, apart from Harry's daily job at a broadcasting company.
The story is easily relatable or connectable with the readers as the problems that the characters endured are mostly problems that people had everyday. I' d say, it's a real-life fiction.
The writing style is good & the level of the language used is grea
As I hadn't yet read the other two, so my review is based solely on the one book that I'd read.
The story is about Harry Silver who was a single parent who had remarried and live with three children. The plots of the story mainly involves Harry's relationship with his ex-wife concerning their matters and their son, Harry's relationship with his wife, Harry's struggle with the growth of his son, and also Harry's relationship with the friends of his late father, apart from Harry's daily job at a broadcasting company.
The story is easily relatable or connectable with the readers as the problems that the characters endured are mostly problems that people had everyday. I' d say, it's a real-life fiction.
The writing style is good & the level of the language used is grea
November 19, 2016
this is the third in a trilogy although I never felt that I had missed out on previous events. On the front cover, the Guardian is quoted as saying it's the best book he's written by far, so maybe I got the best to read first. The book chronicles the mess of modern family life which is too often following divorce, abandonment, parental distance and strong feelings of bitterness and loss that don't die even after years. It is quite depressing actually and the protagonist is sympathetic but still not always the most lovable character - which is great in my opinion because he comes across as so real, faults and all and there is a lot of honesty since it is written in the first person. The ending is optimistic and shows how people can grow and behave better and shift their priorities to what is important in life.
August 27, 2011
I am very much a fan of Tony Parsons and the way he writes. It is no secret that I count One for My Baby as one of my absolute favourite books. Men from the Boys is the third and final installment in the Harry Silver series. Harry Silver is a single dad and the trilogy is basically dedicated to the journey he faces as he raises his son. The first two books meant a lot to me personally. The first especially helped me to consider what my own ex was going through when faced with the inevitability of not being a daily part of his own child's life. I loved getting the male perspective on a lot of ordinary things. I didn't really relate to the this particular book at all though. Most likely because I do have a teenager to deal with yet. I struggled to get into it at first but I did enjoy it in the end. It's definitely a must-read if you've read the other two.
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