My Life on a Plate

by India Knight

Greeted with considerable attention and stellar early reviews in the United Kingdom, this irresistible best-selling novel lifts the lid on what happens after Happily Ever After. The Sunday Times called MY LIFE ON A PLATE "disturbingly funny," the Guardian called it "exemplary," and the Evening Standard published excerpts every day for a week.
MY LIFE ON A PLATE introduces thirty-three-year-old Clara Hutt: irreverent, sometimes unkind, always self-deprecating. Clara is a part-time magazine writer with a perpetually mysterious husband and two small boys, and some days she wakes up with the feeling that her life isn't all it should be. Her extended stepfamily is forever making demands; her sons are constantly "murdering each other"; all the other mothers at the school gate are perfectly groomed, but Clara is in her pajama bottoms and her husband's sweater.
With razor-sharp wit and a healthy dose of insight into married life, India Knight takes readers on a continually entertaining ride through one woman's bumpy search for fulfillment.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Humor, Contemporary, British Literature, Audiobook

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

India Knight is a British journalist. Her novels have been translated into 28 languages.

Knight, a native French speaker, lived in Brussels until about the time she turned nine. After migrating to the United Kingdom, she was educated in London. She was awarded an exhibition to Trinity College, Cambridge, where she read Modern Languages from 1984-1987, before starting her career in journalism.

In addition to writing for and contributing to major British magazines and newspapers, India Knight writes a prominent weekly column for The Sunday Times. She is also a regular guest on British radio and television.

After writing an article in The Sunday Times about her daughter's special needs - her youngest child has DiGeorge syndrome.

Knight lives in London with her three children.

Reviews

[Lyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a terrible waste of a tree

[Karissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books like this tend to make me sad, comparing this persons marriage to my own. It makes me wonder how these two people got together since their differences are so vast. Then I get upset when I hear the cute banter between the two. But then you get to the end of the book and are like WTF?

Clara has managed to snag a great husband, a great house, two great children, and a great job that she can work part time at. But she wakes up one morning feeling that something isn't quite right. One thing is for certain: Clara is tired of always having to take care of her two boys, aged 6 and 3. She'd like an au pair, or a nanny or just someone to help her take care of the boys so she can get two minutes worth of sleep or bath time for herself. But for some reason her husband is against this.

And she doesn't know if her husband poos. This goes on for about a paragraph or so - actually a little bit longer since she brings this question up to a friend of hers, wondering if her husband poos. Really. I'm a married woman. I know my husband poos. I've gone into the bathroom after him. Hell, he even farts in front of me. That's what men do, isn't it?

The subject of weight is brought up constantly by her mother, so she has a bit of complex there that seems to disappear somewhere in the middle of the book. As though she isn't really hungry anymore what with this big party coming up and all.

There are quite a few silly scenes that come with the territory of chic-lit, but that was all they were. They contributed to nothing. Other than maybe showing how haggard Clara is.

When I got to the ending of the book, I admit to wanting to throw it across the room if I had been reading a physical copy instead of listening to the audio form. Really?! This book comes down to this? Honestly? At least make Robert gay so I can feel a little bit better for Clara! Because I'd be hella surprised if he wasn't.

The fact that they made this into a movie has me curious, but I don't think I'll be actively seeking it out to watch. Maybe in the movie they made him gay! Now I'll need to check it out. Just for that.

[The_5ft_reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bits of this was funny, but mostly just an annoying main character who can't see past herself to see her life/marriage falling apart!

[Emmawright · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted something fairly trashy to read & this did the job in an 'entertaining quick read' way. As long as you are prepared to put up with the fact that the lead character is shallow, immature, not a very nice person & rather offensive, you'll enjoy it. Despite all that I did enjoy this book as a guilty pleasure & read it very quickly.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to stop listening to it... I just can't get into it.

[Deborah Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book, very easy to to read and very amusing

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little did I know when I picked out this book that it would be life-changing, but for what you usually expect. Being crystal clear, essentially this book sticks to what it is illustrated on the cover: a comedy led by a stressed mom who needs to find a balance between her work, kids and own identity. However, this biting comedy is way more biting than I was expecting. Let's get into it.

The novel is set in the present time, the early 2000s, in a rich home where a privileged family of four lives. The themes this book sheds light on are quite obscure and morbid, since whilst listening to the “normal” thoughts of an unbalanced mom, some comments stand out more often than not. Reading this book you cannot fail to notice, and be taken aback, by the sarcastic jokes about eating disorders, offensive comments about the black community, homophobic and misogynistic observations, disrespect to the disabled, and the list could go on.

It is imperative to take into account that the author focuses on the main character Clara, and forgets to develop all the other characters for most of the book. Not only are they wooden and unconvincing, but as far as my opinion is concerned, there are too many of them. What’s the point of having so many characters, who could be an escape from the unbearable protagonist if they’re extremely underdeveloped? As mentioned before, the main character is quite out of touch with reality. Despite the fact that I totally get that the author wrote her as stereotypical as she could in order to mock the rich class, she does not make it easy to feel represented by her.

When it comes to the plot, it’s fast-moving and unpredictable. The perfect word to describe the development of the book is: episodic. In a nutshell, My Life on a Plate is a list of humorous gags and conversations between wealthy friends that lack a firm and stable storyline. As individual episodes, they are quite enjoyable and some memorable and relatable situations can be remembered, however, as a whole the plot (if we can call it a plot) is an unmitigated disaster.

I wish the writing had me in stitches at times, unfortunately, I cannot say that. Although, I can state that the writing is fast-paced and it’s packed with informal and vulgar language (perfect if you’re intending to move to the UK and catch their slang and slurs). Basing my opinion on my views of the lives of the rich, I can claim that the script is compelling and realistic.

In my humble opinion, it is true that this book evokes a great variety of messages. In fact, it’s filled with messages (of course, not fairytale-positive messages) that don't leave you indifferent. Honestly, I am perfectly aware that this book is not aimed at my generation or my social status, due to the fact that I find it difficult to find relatable patterns in an upper-class woman in her thirties who calls herself a slut. Owing to the fact that I haven’t especially enjoyed this book, I am still able to consider the experience as peculiar. Having never read a comedy book, I risked my choice to try something new and different from the profound and classic dramas I really enjoy. Long story short, My Life on a Plate is definitely not for everyone, but if you’d like to step outside your comfort zone, laugh at ridiculous people in ridiculous situations, love gossiping with your friends and are always informed when it comes to celebrity drama, I have great news: this book is for you.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my full review here: http://booksaremyfavouriteandbest.wor...

I needed something very light to read. Very, very light. A de-stressor if you will. And India Knight was up to the task with My Life on a Plate. It’s pure chick-lit fluff so if you really don’t like chick-lit, turn away now.

It’s the story of Clare Hutt (known to herself as Jabba the), who has put her single days very much behind her, has ‘Got Her Man’, had two kids and is enjoying life as a Smug Married (to borrow a phrase from Bridget Jones).

“The best way I can think of describing myself is: we’re not talking control pants yet, but we’re not going to pretend that they haven’t struck us as being a pretty damned handy kind of garment either.”

I liked Clara from the beginning, not just for her thoughts on control pants but because of this -

“I feel so tired sometimes, after the school run, even though it’s only 9 a.m.”

Yes. Just yes. And then this -

“How can I be friends with a woman who snacks on kiwis, for God’s sake?”

There are punchlines aplenty – not quite as extreme as an author such as Kathy Lette but I’m sure you won’t miss the funny bits. The first couple of chapters are a little too in-your-face but Knight soon settles into a more ‘readable’ pace – entertaining, sparkly characters, and a plot that actually creeps up on you.

“Robert is flicking between CNN and MTV, as men of his age tend to do. Am I young or old? they ask themselves with each press of the button. Am I still fun, or the kind of person who writes letters to newspapers?… Flick, flick. Woah, baby. Flick. Oh good, the FTSE.”

“The trainers make me look absurd. There’s nothing worse than a size 16 woman pretending she’s on her way to the gym all the time; it’s like having a tattoo on one’s forehead saying ‘I’m seriously delusional.’”

I particularly note the strong plot because while I had my suspicions on the direction things might go, I didn’t really know (and as it turns out, I was wrong anyway). I generally find with chick-lit, you can guess the whole plot, including the ending, by reading the jacket blurb. There’s nothing wrong with a ‘formula’ if it’s well written and entertaining. Thankfully Knight writes well, is very funny and, for bonus marks, doesn’t follow the chick-lit formula.

There’s one writing technique (prevalent in chick-lit) that I have a love/hate relationship with. It’s the Put Something In Capitol Letters To Make It Funny stunt. I love it (sometimes) because it works (sometimes). But I’m also thinking it’s time we moved on. In fairness to Knight, My Life on a Plate, with all of its mid-sentence capitalisations, was written in 2001 when the technique was still Fresh and Quirky. Examples -

“I am Last Season Woman.”

“We used to suffer from Competitive Tiredness Syndrome…”

“Not just any old man, she explains, but The Man.”

4/5 If I’m going to read chick-lit it has to either be very funny or dramatic (romance is not my scene). And although I usually prefer a drier brand of humour, My Life on a Plate is done very well. It’s not in the same league as Bridget Jones or I Don’t Know How She Does It but it was a more than satisfactory end to what would otherwise have been a horrible day.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parts of this book I found entirely amusing. Other parts I found entirely alien. Characters occasionally rang true, but more often clanged in a cardboardy kind of way for me. I found myself not particularly caring what happened to anyone, except the two little boys. The grownups were all entirely too self centered. (And while the bit about the nits was funny, what the hell did she do with him in that interview to have the lice transfer themselves across the table from her head to his?) It was a brief foray into a sort of brainless book that I needed to keep me occupied while taking my mom to radiation therapy. The kind I could pick up and put down with no qualms, and that I wouldn't miss between reading sessions. No particularly endearing characters. I was surprised to read that there were movie options on it, but then, I'm also surprised by many of the movies that come out these days.

[Che · Rating 1 out of 5]

After 5 chapters, I can't bear the thought of finishing this book. The main character dislikes her husband, her children and herself. It was 5 chapters long of Self loathing. And I'm not invested enough in her to care. I don't accept this type of Self sabotage from my friends so I'm definitely not going to sit through this entire book. I have better things to do and read.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second favorite chick lit book after Bridget Jones.

[luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

je mets 5 étoiles car ça appartenait à ma maman et que à chaque fois que je l'ouvre ça me fait sourire, parce que ça me fait penser à elle :,)

[Daniela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tra tanti libri che leggo prima o poi avrei dovuto trovarne uno che non mi convincesse. Mi spiace quasi doverne parlare, ma la sincerità prima di tutto. Inizio presentandovelo per poi motivare il mio ni.
Ho voluto lanciarmi alla scoperta di questo romanzo di narrativa contemporanea, acquistato perché definito da Lea Landucci (chicklit.italia) nel 2019 “il romanzo preferito tra i chicklit di tutti i tempi”.

Concedetemi di dire che non sono rimasta pienamente soddisfatta.

Ho trovato in questo libro battute screditanti, un mare di cliché e un divertimento quasi imposto. Le situazioni simpatiche ci sono anche, ma buttate lì a strappare la risata come nei telefilm americani di una volta, dove in sottofondo si sentiva il pubblico ridere.

Due citazioni per comprendere il primo punto del mio disappunto ( fa persino rima):

"Uno dei più grandi misteri della vita, se ci tenete a saperlo, è la questione dei vestiti che le persone -le donne- possono indossare in campagna senza somigliare a enormi, goffe LESBICHE sottoproletarie."

"Sembro un incrocio fra una patata vecchia e una LESBICA col look da camionista."

Queste sono solo un esempio delle frasi di carattere sessuale trovate nella storia. 20 anni fa si faceva di certo meno attenzione alla discriminazione, ma rimane il fatto che trovo infelice la scelta della scrittrice.

Si è catapultati in una realtà tra “casalinghe disperate” e “sex and the city”: giovani donne che si barcamenano tra chi ha figli da gestire, ma ne farebbe a meno, e chi non ne ha ma lo vorrebbe.

Tutta la questione matrimonio è proposta con leggerezza, perché divorzi e tradimenti appaiono normale routine.

Clara, la protagonista, è inoltre imperterritamente stressata dalla madre per qualche chilo in più, cosa che alla fine risulta noiosa.

"Sei così bella, cara. Non diventare obesa. Fallo per tutti noi."

E vogliamo parlare di un personaggio messo come soprammobile? La presenza di Dunphy, etoile londinese, risulta irrilevante, pur sembrando inizialmente un elemento di conflitto.

Se l’intento era quello di far riflettere le donne sull’emancipazione e sul non sottomettersi alle etichette imposte dalla società, forse avrei esagerato di meno. Risulta tutto troppo!

Non boccio completamente il libro però e vi spiego il perché.

Ho trovato positivo il fatto che si parli di rapporti sereni e distesi tra persone separate, senza almeno qui cadere nel solito stereotipo del rancore e dei dispetti. Le famiglie allargate sono una realtà ormai quotidiana e qui ne abbiamo una rappresentazione positiva.

Si fa anche riferimento a un argomento che da poco ha fatto scalpore in TV per una dichiarazione di Signorini : la libertà di aborto. Di fronte alla scelta se portare avanti o meno una gravidanza trovo sia giusto non puntare il dito, ma aiutare la possibile madre nel decidere, nell’affrontare con serenità la propria decisione.

"“Come faccio a far funzionare tutto per il meglio? Do tutto il mio stipendio a qualcuno per potere andare al lavoro e non vederlo mai? Smetto di lavorare e non riesco più a pagare il mutuo? E non sarei certo la prima madre single, Clara. Come fanno le altre?”
“Evitano di porsi domande di questo tipo. Siamo oneste, Tam, non nascerebbe nemmeno un bambino se si affrontasse la questione usando una logica di questo tipo. O meglio, nascerebbero solo i figli di persone che hanno piani pensionistici, Tessa e risparmi – immagina, roba da brividi.”"

Diciamo che per me è un cinque e mezzo, poco meno che la sufficienza.

Consiglierei la lettura? Mah! Se amate i romance e le letture, passatemi il termine, “leggere” troverete in questo libro ore di divertimento. Io sono forse troppo seria per ridere a questo tipo di storie. Lo avessi letto anni fa forse lo avrei giudicato diversamente. Ora non ha fatto per me.

Se lo avete letto e vi trovate in accordo o disaccordo con il mio pensiero, leggerò con piacere i vostri messaggi.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Книга с особым настроением: не глупая, но смешная, не трагичная, но ранимая, легковесная снаружи, но со смыслом внутри. Индия Найт — мастерица по юмору без яда. Даже когда Клара жалуется, ноет или иронизирует над собой, это не злость, а способ выжить, держаться на плаву. И защищаться от нападок матери. Юмор не отвлекает от драмы, а делает её узнаваемой и выносимой.

Главная героиня, Клара, — не идеальная, не всезнающая, не инстаграмная мать. Она иронична, уязвима, противоречива — и именно поэтому вызывает доверие. Многие женщины могут узнать себя в этих колебаниях между должествованиями (по типу "я хорошая мать") и человеческой слабостью (из разряда "отстаньте от меня все: я хочу побыть одна с бокалом красного в ванне").

А ещё роман «Моя жизнь на тарелке» весьма роднит с культовыми Дневником Бриджит Джонс и Сексом в Большом городе то, каким показан образ женщины 30+ — без глянца и жертвенности. Клара, как и Бриджит или Кэри, или Миранда, не стремится быть "богиней". Она проживает взлёты и падания, которые преподносит возраст, неудовлетворённость, материнство и сексуальность без штампов. Эта честность подкупает — особенно тех, кому за 30 и кто не чувствует себя героиней из глянца.

В романе нет взрывных поворотов или трагедий — зато есть тонкий портрет внутреннего сдвига. Клара взрослеет не через преодоление, а через мелочи: осознания, нюансы отношений, бытовые размышления. Быт, еда и отношения с собственным телом выступают как зеркало состояния главной героини.

[Nadette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read - albeit a bit dated. We meet Clara, a thirty-three year old mother who, on paper, seems to have it all, but in reality, isn't too happy with her set ways in life, her marriage, her two kids and job. And this is precisely why I picked up this book: to take a look at a different perspective, so far from my own situation.

Clara's journey, which may seem a bit immature and without any development at times, is full of ups and downs, with quirky comments that in this day and age may seem offensive (the book was published in 2023 and she makes jokes about anorexia and looking like a 'Chinese lesbian', which definitely wouldn't be made today, and did shock me slightly - then again, Beckham is mentioned as a favourite football player - so this book has been around for a while). Eventually, though, the story develops, and there's a very significant scope to it in a slight twist - maybe we're not as happy as we make ourselves out to be. And the ending brought all this together.

It was a fun read, I laughed, I cried, and most of all, I learned that everyone's journey is different, and just because some people appear to have everything, this doesn't mean this is true.

[Nada Asar · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was quite boring and didn’t make much sense to me. There are a lot of scenarios of different relationships we see through Clara and her friends and family. Yet, the most relevant aren’t really explored well enough. I especially disliked Stella’s, who seems to normalize having a strong libido and justifies cheating with it; she feels no remorse for being unfaithful to her husband that she “loves” and as a result is raising her kids as a single mother without their father/figure. It’s morally wrong, yet she wants the reader to think it’s perfectly alright. Also, what happens with Clara, the ending was so swift and unconvincing. Why Robert decided to leave her instead of moving his family whom he “loves,” and his promise to “not hurt her” is utterly baseless. Because he’s not happy, he said. That’s not really what marriage is about. This book doesn’t discuss marriage, it just briefly touches it and ridicules it to the point of selfishness

[Huw Rhys · Rating 2 out of 5]

At times, this book tries so hard to rise above the levels of schmaltzy romance novels, as it really is quite gritty and insightful at a regular basis.

However, there is an inevitability about the outcome, and when it comes....well, all it's promise of not being stereotypical of the cliched genre is thrown out and some with one of the most disappointing and completely unrealistic conclusions to a book it's been my misfortune to read in a long while.

Sometimes, It's a shame that we can only give one bland mark for a book - this one hovered between a 4 and a 5 at times, settled down to being a fairly solid 3+, then had a 1- ending which undid most of the earlier good work....and therefore ends up with a sort of composite mark somewhere in the middle of the middle. This disguises both the excellent parts of this book - and the thoroughly dreadful ending.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Totally chick-lit, somewhat reminiscent of the Shopoholic series as we are inside the head of a thirtyish young married woman whose life is slowly spinning out of control. I was alternately amused and horrified at how Clara thinks and acts. Perhaps My Life on a Plate was written in the very late 1990s before we as a species learned to be a little more mature and tolerant. At least in public. Although, now that I think of it, perhaps we aren't any more mature and tolerant these days; we just love to point fingers.

Anyway, I was in no mood for something deep, and this certainly fit the bill for that. Now I feel ready for something more difficult.

[Christien · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even een makkelijk boekje. Geen moeilijk gedoe. Niet te zwaar. Geen ingewikkelde zinnen. Even een letterlijke leesvakantie.
Het is een aardig boekje. Op momenten humoristisch. Op andere momenten tenenkrommend bevooroordeeld. Het lijkt of er een poging is gedaan om de hoofdpersoon een "gewone vrouw" te laten zijn. Door het gewone er zo dik op te leggen, is ze in feite een karikatuur geworden.
Ik had even behoefte aan afleidende lectuur. En dat is dit ook. Het was leuk zo lang het duurde en genoeg nu het voorbij is. En nu heb ik wel weer behoefte aan wat meer inhoud.

PS dit is een herdruk. De oorspronkelijke titel luidt anders. Het komt niet vaak voor dat de titel van een boek mijn gevoel na het lezen zo goed weergeeft.

[Mintti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in English. I read this in one day, and it was a funny and a light one. Made me laugh. I've read one before from Knight, but here in Finland we don't have her books!
This was about a marriage too (Like the Break). Clara is a wife and a mother and a part time writer for magazines. She thinks she's a bit too chubby and looks too worn out. Way different than what she was when younger. She compares her life to what used to be and to others, and hers seem to be lacking something. So, she tries to find out what it is, and she fights the demons of envy and tried to convince herself that having a good husband, two kids and a big house is all one need. But is it?

[Demi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was quite funny but the main character was so self deprecating it became really annoying. She was a size 16 which isn’t actually very big but acted like she was morbidly obese. Also Robert her husband was a complete arsehole who literally did nothing around the house or to help with the children.
The plot wasn’t surprising she basically had a midlife crisis and so did her husband. Everyone was massively posh and actually her life was pretty good but still she moaned.
Not an awful book but defo not my fave.

[Nuralia Mazlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember being 17 thinking to myself how could a 30's woman be so casual about her marriage falling apart, her kids untamed and uncontrollable and her prioritizing her career? How could the husband be so casual about the love lost between them?

But I am 33 now, I remember my life ain't perfect, on good talking term with some of my exes.

It hits me hard that my 17 y.o me is full of ideals but none of the realistic grabbing skills needed to survive adulthood. Knight is humorous but she was good at hammering the reality: we don't always get what we desire and sometimes, we just wing it.

[Indieflower · Rating 2 out of 5]

Upper middle class career woman trying to balance brilliant job, handsome husband, beautiful kids, school fees, big house, crazy friends, rich eccentric family and lots of money. And oh yes, did I mention the gorgeous bloke who's romantically interested in her? Um kinda hard to relate. She also spent most of the time banging on about being unattractive and overweight which felt a bit disingenuous. Not a complete wash out though, it was funnier than I expected.

[TheInkDoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Life on a Plate

The book is a funny, realistic take on a serious issue. It's about life of Clara Hutt who seems to have it all but still feels that she is not happy. It is about trusting her instinct and finding out that her life is not rosy as she has been believing. The Humor element fell flat for me and seemed to be trying hard. But it was still an entertaining read.

[Cat {Pemberley and Beyond} · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was so nearly a dnf, then I remembered that I hadn't brought any other books with me. The main character uses "spastic" as an insult, makes cruel jokes about Down's, and is meant to be the sympathetic, likeable character of the book. Ugh.

[Bracha Simcha · Rating 1 out of 5]

A spoiled upper class white woman whining about her nonexistent problems and her boring marriage. I actually liked the writing style and am not surprised to see the author is well established columnist, but the story was beyond pretentious.

[Emma Arrowsmith · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was quick to read, which is the best thing I can say about it.
I suspect the author used words like “spastic” and “retard” in it thinking they were being retro and cool. Ditto the jokes about downs syndrome. They were not. They were completely unnecessary.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and relatable! Read it in one day!

[Inga · Rating 2 out of 5]

It kā pat iesmējos (vecums, laulības ilgums, pat bērnu skaits tak tomēr sakrīt :D), beeet ap 20. lpp. šur tur pāršķīru uuuuun biju izlasījusi. Ne interesanta, ne laba, ne valoda laba. Neiesaku.

[Sandra van Dam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read the Dutch edition (Is dit alles), which is not on the list.