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All at Sea
The wife: Enid has been married to the handsome, charismatic lecturer Bernard Finch for over 20 years. But after one fateful supper on board a cruise ship, she starts to wonder, is her husband all that he seems? The husband: Bernard said his life began when he met his wife. But, like everyone, he's got a past. And it's threatening to catch up with him. And a whole lot of trouble at sea: Frankie Gleeson is a fellow passenger. A man with a long memory and the unshakeable conviction that he and Bernard have met before. Enid's interest is piqued...
- GenresFiction
392 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
8 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Laurie Graham
41 books139 followersLaurie Graham was first published at the advanced age of 40. Gentle comedy is her style. She is the author of seventeen novels, including the best-selling The Future Homemakers of America and its sequel, The Early Birds
Mother of four, grandmother of many, Laurie is married to a New Yorker and lives in County Dublin, Ireland.
You can visit her website, read what she's up to and say hello at http://lauriegraham.com
Mother of four, grandmother of many, Laurie is married to a New Yorker and lives in County Dublin, Ireland.
You can visit her website, read what she's up to and say hello at http://lauriegraham.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
January 22, 2012
Bernard Finch is a lecturer working on a cruise liner. He deems his audience to be a nuisance and to be avoided at all costs once the tour and talk is over and the liner has left port. One particular passenger Frankie Gleeson has unnerved Bernard so much that he takes to his bed!
The star of the novel is Bernard's wife of 20 years, Enid. When the story begins we see Enid as the dutiful wife following her husband on his tours and supporting him in every possible way. They have been married for 20 years and know everything there is to know about each other. Or do they?
Frankie Gleeson is like a dog with a chew and will not give up on his belief that he knows Bernard from childhood.
As the days go by on the cruise, Enid begins to wonder if she really does know Bernard as well as she believes she does. She makes discoveries about her husband , activities to be enjoyed on board the liner and the unfamiliar world of the internet.
I loved the way Laurie Graham gave us just enough to know that Enid and Bernard had missing pieces to their history without giving everything away. I felt Enid's frustration about the situation. She left me wondering whether Enid still had unanswered questions about Bernard at the end of the novel. I found the way Enid handled Bernard at the end of the novel satisfying and funny.
5 out of 5 for me!
thank you to Quercus for a review copy
The star of the novel is Bernard's wife of 20 years, Enid. When the story begins we see Enid as the dutiful wife following her husband on his tours and supporting him in every possible way. They have been married for 20 years and know everything there is to know about each other. Or do they?
Frankie Gleeson is like a dog with a chew and will not give up on his belief that he knows Bernard from childhood.
As the days go by on the cruise, Enid begins to wonder if she really does know Bernard as well as she believes she does. She makes discoveries about her husband , activities to be enjoyed on board the liner and the unfamiliar world of the internet.
I loved the way Laurie Graham gave us just enough to know that Enid and Bernard had missing pieces to their history without giving everything away. I felt Enid's frustration about the situation. She left me wondering whether Enid still had unanswered questions about Bernard at the end of the novel. I found the way Enid handled Bernard at the end of the novel satisfying and funny.
5 out of 5 for me!
thank you to Quercus for a review copy
August 24, 2011
Lady Enid has been quietly accompanying her professor husband, Bernard, for years on cruises where he provides guest lectures. But when a passenger is convinced he knows Bernard from somewhere, Enid starts to wonder if it really is just a case of mistaken identity or does her husband have a hidden past?
On one hand, At Sea is a wonderfully funny parody of cruise ship life, just imagine being stuck on a ship for weeks on end with the same people and not being able to escape them! That's exactly what Bernard thinks of his fellow passengers but Enid is much more inclined to give people a chance.
Enid has been through life accepting her lot however during this fateful cruise she begins to learn not just more about her husband but also what she wants out of life. And maybe what she wants is to let her hair down now and then. There's some fantastic moments where Enid is learning about the internet for the first time and then goes on to try and explain things to Bernard who is having none of it. They are both examples of certain a generation who either embrace new technology and the things it can for them or shun it as nonsense.
As Enid would say, Bernard is a rather beastly character and I'm not sure you'll feel much sympathy towards him but I loved Enid and slowly began to like her little cruise ship family even if they were a little unorthodox.
It's really not the sort of book I would be drawn to and I think I am a little younger than the intended audience but overall I found it an enjoyable read. Definitely one to pack in the bags if you're heading on a cruise any time soon!
On one hand, At Sea is a wonderfully funny parody of cruise ship life, just imagine being stuck on a ship for weeks on end with the same people and not being able to escape them! That's exactly what Bernard thinks of his fellow passengers but Enid is much more inclined to give people a chance.
Enid has been through life accepting her lot however during this fateful cruise she begins to learn not just more about her husband but also what she wants out of life. And maybe what she wants is to let her hair down now and then. There's some fantastic moments where Enid is learning about the internet for the first time and then goes on to try and explain things to Bernard who is having none of it. They are both examples of certain a generation who either embrace new technology and the things it can for them or shun it as nonsense.
As Enid would say, Bernard is a rather beastly character and I'm not sure you'll feel much sympathy towards him but I loved Enid and slowly began to like her little cruise ship family even if they were a little unorthodox.
It's really not the sort of book I would be drawn to and I think I am a little younger than the intended audience but overall I found it an enjoyable read. Definitely one to pack in the bags if you're heading on a cruise any time soon!
December 2, 2022
I liked the fact that the characters in this novel were of the older generation and the setting was more unusual - a cruise liner (though I suspect other authors will get on this bandwagon which could provide such rich material). I must admit the book would put me off ever going on a cruise. Told in the first person by Enid, married to lecturer Bernard for over 20 years, but an encounter on board makes her wonder if she really knows him. This was an entertaining read, with touches of comedy and with some twists in the story to keep me guessing (I was wrong). The first book I have read by Laurie Graham, but I will be hunting out more.
July 6, 2012
I love Laurie Grahams books n this was as good as all the others. Really funny and also sad too. Poor lady Enid being stuck with boring Bernard tho. it kept me wanting to find out the big secret about bernard. A good holiday book.
October 23, 2024
Laurie Graham writes strong, fascinating female characters. The protagonist in this book, Lady Enid, is - at first - a little off-putting. She is posh, she says things like 'One never mixes...', but gradually you come to know, appreciate and cheer her on. Her husband, Bernard, is not what he seems at all, and as she starts to mingle with the other people on the cruise, she finds out more about him, and herself. All the characters are colourful, funny, interesting; the setting is brilliant (what could be more claustrophobic than a little cabin in the depths of a cruise ship?) I loved the humour and sharpness, I loved the plot and the twists and turns. Some great dialogue and scenes, especially the point where Enid asks Bernard if she has a nice smile and gets an unexpected response. And now the phrase 'meat and potatoes' has a completely new meaning to me!
April 28, 2018
Most of this book was so good... Funny and observant and if you have ever been on a cruise you will recognise all the characters that Enid and Bernard wanted to avoid and laugh out loud. I was really hoping to choose this for my next book club choice, but unfortunately the ending really didn't work for me.
Such a shame because I was ready to quote several episodes in the book that are brilliant. It's still worth a read but not in the 'this is amazing' section. Such a shame... It is so close to brilliance.
Such a shame because I was ready to quote several episodes in the book that are brilliant. It's still worth a read but not in the 'this is amazing' section. Such a shame... It is so close to brilliance.
January 19, 2022
Now a possible new recruit!
This is my first read of a Laurie Graham novel. An easy read, to cheer me up on a feeling grey sort of day. Loved the mystery side of things, alongside the comedy of the on board goings one, and also the twist at the end. Just goes to show how well do we know our nearest and dearest?! Abit of fun.
This is my first read of a Laurie Graham novel. An easy read, to cheer me up on a feeling grey sort of day. Loved the mystery side of things, alongside the comedy of the on board goings one, and also the twist at the end. Just goes to show how well do we know our nearest and dearest?! Abit of fun.
October 15, 2019
As always I love Laurie Graham’s books. Not such an in-depth book as she normally writes but a fun, easy read which I really enjoyed. Poor Edith.....what a horrible, arrogant man her husband Bernard is. I couldn’t have put up with him and his ways before I slapped him one.
March 8, 2021
Loved it, as I always do with this author’s books.
Especially enjoyable as I’ve been on 3 cruises, albeit on much smaller boats. I never saw the endings coming, and I use a plural word here because I felt there were 2 different finales.
Especially enjoyable as I’ve been on 3 cruises, albeit on much smaller boats. I never saw the endings coming, and I use a plural word here because I felt there were 2 different finales.
January 18, 2018
Holiday read
November 22, 2019
Perfect
Love this so many quotes Id like to remember.
One is a new LG fan as of this very moment.
Love this so many quotes Id like to remember.
One is a new LG fan as of this very moment.
January 7, 2020
Loved this book. Never been on a cruise before - seems quite exciting 😉
I didn't think it would end the way it did. Good old Enid, she grew a pair and I'm pleased for her. The wonders of the web!
I didn't think it would end the way it did. Good old Enid, she grew a pair and I'm pleased for her. The wonders of the web!
August 26, 2020
A good light hearted read
March 7, 2024
Read 2 chapters, awful@
November 2, 2024
This book was as boring as the main man, Bernard. How I got through it I don’t know but it was only at Chapter 27 that things looked up a bit.
Not my cup of tea at all.
Not my cup of tea at all.
October 31, 2011
I love settling down with a new Laurie Graham book. I really enjoyed the set up of all the characters on the cruise ship forced to encounter each other owing to the nature of the holiday and how one's past can catch up with one.
I did feel sorry for Enid, and wondered if she was just too naive and trusting to be believable. That said, the naivety allowed us to get the low-down on her rackety family life and how she met her husband. It made her realisation of her situation and her determination to find a way through very plausible.
Laurie Graham is probably an avid people watcher, and can write just a few words about her characters and one can clearly envision them. Her website is worth a visit as she writes how she came up with the ideas for her books.
A brill read if you want a satisfying book, but not looking for high-brow lit-crit.
I did feel sorry for Enid, and wondered if she was just too naive and trusting to be believable. That said, the naivety allowed us to get the low-down on her rackety family life and how she met her husband. It made her realisation of her situation and her determination to find a way through very plausible.
Laurie Graham is probably an avid people watcher, and can write just a few words about her characters and one can clearly envision them. Her website is worth a visit as she writes how she came up with the ideas for her books.
A brill read if you want a satisfying book, but not looking for high-brow lit-crit.
January 16, 2017
I've loved every Laurie Graham I've read so far, but I'd say this is the weakest one I've read.
Graham's great strength, usually, is creating a completely believable person as the narrator. Reading Laurie Graham, I can hear the narrator's voice in my head! That was less so with Enid in this book - it took me a while to "hear" her accent and the timbre of her voice, and I'm still not sure I got it right.
So, although the story was amusing and I enjoyed it, I didn't get swept along by it, as I usually do with Graham's stories.
One tiny continuity error: Enid discovers the internet on board and uses it constantly. I don't know if the internet is free on American cruises, but on European ones it definitely isn't - in fact it costs an arm and a leg to use the internet for just a few minutes. So I don't see how Enid, on her tight budget, afforded it.
Graham's great strength, usually, is creating a completely believable person as the narrator. Reading Laurie Graham, I can hear the narrator's voice in my head! That was less so with Enid in this book - it took me a while to "hear" her accent and the timbre of her voice, and I'm still not sure I got it right.
So, although the story was amusing and I enjoyed it, I didn't get swept along by it, as I usually do with Graham's stories.
One tiny continuity error: Enid discovers the internet on board and uses it constantly. I don't know if the internet is free on American cruises, but on European ones it definitely isn't - in fact it costs an arm and a leg to use the internet for just a few minutes. So I don't see how Enid, on her tight budget, afforded it.
September 29, 2012
Is this the new Agatha Christie without the body in the library? No, it certainly is not. Yet, this book will keep you guessing and longing for high tea in the afternoon.
'At Sea', by Laurie Graham, is a novel about appearances, set on-board a cruise ship where people can easily adopt a new identity and live out their fantasies for a few weeks at least, before returning to normality on shore.
To read my full review, see my blog: http://www.mybookaffair.net/2012/09/a...
'At Sea', by Laurie Graham, is a novel about appearances, set on-board a cruise ship where people can easily adopt a new identity and live out their fantasies for a few weeks at least, before returning to normality on shore.
To read my full review, see my blog: http://www.mybookaffair.net/2012/09/a...
December 16, 2015
After a bit of a shaky start (this was NOTHING like the other Laurie Graham books I've read), I really got into this and enjoyed it immensely!
There were so many quirky bits in here, sometimes just a few lines, but amusing or witty.
It's getting 4 stars not because it's so brilliant but because it's better than the books I've given 3 stars to.
There were so many quirky bits in here, sometimes just a few lines, but amusing or witty.
It's getting 4 stars not because it's so brilliant but because it's better than the books I've given 3 stars to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2012
A frothy, funny tale about a man, working on a cruise ship, who has invented a past for himself. His unravelling when he is unmasked is a joy, as is his wife's assertion of her independence. Made me laugh out loud. An easy and very amusing read.
May 26, 2012
I bought this book because I wanted to read another Laurie Graham having so much enjoyed The Future Homemakers of America years ago and because the cruise ship theme had obvious appeal. What an enjoyable read this turned out to be, great fun and a few laugh-out-loud moments.
March 28, 2013
Having read 'Future Home-makers of America' I looked forward to this book immensely. It did not disappoint. Really good fun, great comic writing, a touch of PG Wodehouse. I shall definitely be reading more Laurie Graham.
June 2, 2013
Well written and perceptive of people and their surroundings. A very easy light read, good for a holiday, cheap and easy to recycle on to another who take up your accommodation after you. Are similar things happening in your relationship? You might start to question!
November 6, 2013
First book I've read by Laurie Graham and definitely wont be the last. It has made me really excited for the cruise holiday I have booked for early next year.
Took a bit of time to get into the book but once I got used to the writing style, it was a very enjoyable read.
Took a bit of time to get into the book but once I got used to the writing style, it was a very enjoyable read.
January 16, 2014
Loved this book about the unravelling of two people's lives whilst on a cruise; neither is what they seem and as the trip progresses the revelations take their toll and all with Laurie Graham's touch of humour.
February 16, 2015
Very engagingly written with a lovely twist at the end. Characterizations are spot on and very funny and national differences in outlook and behaviour very apt. I read this while on a cruise, though a much smaller vessel than in the book which added to the fun. Thoroughly recommended!
December 6, 2015
A lovely easy read, just what I expect of Laurie Graham.
Lady Enid and her husband Professor Bernard Finch, a celebrated lecturer on Aegean cruises, spend 10 action bound days on their latest cruise. By the time the cruise is over, all has changed, as the past is revealed.
Lady Enid and her husband Professor Bernard Finch, a celebrated lecturer on Aegean cruises, spend 10 action bound days on their latest cruise. By the time the cruise is over, all has changed, as the past is revealed.
February 8, 2016
I did not enjoy this offering from Laurie Graham as much as previous titles. It was an ok holiday read but not much depth to some of the characters. The heroine seems to have been in some weird time warp too! - and I'd have pushed the horrible Prof off the boat early on!
December 30, 2011
Now I know why I never fancied cruising!!
July 29, 2011
Another entertaining and humorous read from the pen of Laurie Graham.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews