The Cure for Disgruntlement

by Magnus Mills

In a country not far from here the people are thoroughly disgruntled. Unfortunately, nobody knows the reason for their disgruntlement. They’re seemingly beyond help but then some visitors arrive from overseas in the hope of finding a cure.

Genres: Fiction

316 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2023

Reviews

[Anna]

In The Cure for Disgruntlement Magnus Mills turns his gently anthropological eye upon English resentment of and dependence upon migrants. The narrative follows a man who arrives on England's shores in a small boat with three companions and a mission to cheer up the locals. Needless to say, this proves more difficult than anticipated. His farcical encounters with the authorities and attempts to familiarise himself with the area are neatly done. Mills is particularly good at conveying the mundane struggles of the workplace, here and in his other fiction. I consider most of his novels to be fables, as they aren't hugely fantastical but usually contain some kind of self-contained allegory with an odd twist on the real world. He has a distinctively mild writing style that can still make a sharp point or two:

"I suppose I'll be issued with some kind of identity card?" I ventured.
"Oh, no," he said. "This country doesn't believe in identity cards."
"Why is that then?"
"They're regarded as an infringement of liberty."
"Well, how will I be able to prove I've registered?"
Joseph shrugged.
"That's a question I haven't been asked before," he said. "I'm afraid you'll just have to put your faith in the system."

I find it interesting that this is probably the least allegorical and most overtly political of the ten Magnus Mills novels I've read, as well as the only one of them to be self-published via Kindle Direct.

[Nathan]

Mills continues to impress with this, his latest oddity from this year. A group of well-meaning activists visits a remote island country to see if they can’t help them figure out a way to escape their apparent melancholy. If the country flourishes so, then why all the long faces? They shipwreck and become stuck, forced to take on working class jobs while navigating local customs and mores, integrating with the natives, and trying to figure what, if anything, needs to change, and if they are really the ones to do so. The usual mundane disputes, political commentary, and slice of life humor blended with regular Joe no-nonsenesss with just a smattering of the surreal. Mr. Mills, how do you do it? Love this guy, can’t wait for the next one!

[Paul Dembina]

Yet another gentle satire from Mr Mills. I always enjoy these quick reads which poke fun at British attitudes to various issues. In this case it's the treatment of immigrants.

Although I did feel it meandered rather, it was still good fun

[Anni]

It’s been a while since I read some of this author’s addictive output, so I’m feeling it’s time to get re-acquainted with his ‘making it up as I go along’ idiosyncratic style.

[James]

If you’ve enjoyed any of Mills previous books then you’ll enjoy this one too. Once again he mocks England and working life with dry wit as the narrator stumbles through misadventures. Occasionally it’s a bit too silly but he always pulls it back before it goes too far. It’ll be interesting to see what he does next after.

[Darren]

Disappointingly formulaic outing here as we get MM's take on migrant workers, with very little to recommend it other than the "usual", although I was quite impressed that the Scheme For Full Employment got mentioned!

[Steve Gillway]

Classic Mills. Exploring Englishness and illegal migration in a tangential and personalised way.

[Chrystal]

I am disgruntled after reading this. I hate to say it, but I have been disgruntled for some time with this author, who I used to like.

[Andy Kershaw]

Not to be read by Reform readers (either of them).

[Chris Wells]

As with every book by Magnus Mills this one features an unnamed narrator that struggles with the world around him. Mills creates a strong sense of foreboding in all his novels and this time it’s at its strongest as our unnamed hero travels to a foreign land to help the people there break out of their collective malaise. A country that has all its wants catered for shouldn’t be unhappy, so why is it? It doesn’t take a genius level imagination to see which country the author is referring to. This nation (that just has to be Britain!) has many flags of red, white and blue flying alongside others of simple red and white. The story really focuses on the lives of people entering this never named country and how they are treated as they try to find work. Mills has always had a great knack for creating tales that leave me wondering if I’ve missed something. This book takes many turns and it’s addictive reading for me and I really couldn’t get enough of it.

[Ricky]

Normally a big fan of Mills, but this one really erred far too much on the side of quiet normalcy to scratch any itch. There's some fun bits here and there, and I like it on a conceptual level, but it's really just a lot of "I went to work today and then I got back in my van" for me to enjoy going day to day.

It felt very "literary" in the sense that I could imagine it being the book that no one really cares about in your high school reading class.

Love Mills! I don't love this one!

[Steven]

Good.

[Stuart Beaney]

Magnificent. 4.5 stars. Didn’t want it to end.

[Ivan Monckton]

Another off beat fun read from Magnus Mills, basically about migrant workers and the British love of chips, but with fewer laugh-out-loud moments than usual.