Having a Lovely Time

by Jenny Eclair

Joe Dobson left his wife and kids when his girlfriend, Nina, discovered she was pregnant. Now he feels like a cliché, and Nina feels like a drudge. So when Joe announces that he’s booked a luxury holiday in Tuscany, Nina is thrilled—until she realizes that Joe’s kids are coming along for the ride. Guy Jamieson is sure this will be his last family holiday. He plans to leave his wife, Alice, and their two sons on his return. Alice—with her elasticized skirts and inedible dinners—just doesn’t fit Guy’s self-image. But Alice has a secret plan of her own—to have another baby. This is a cleverly observed tale of modern family life, love, and adultery.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Humor, Contemporary

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Jenny Eclair is an English comedian, author and actor. She has appeared on numerous tv shows, most notably Grumpy Old Women, and Loose Women, performed on stage and hosted her own radio shows. She continues to tour her one woman stand up shows throughout the UK and was the first female comic to win The Edinburgh Fringe Perrier Award, in 1995.
She has written three novels, as well as contributed to many comedic anthologies.

Reviews

[Kinga · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is it with Jenny Eclair and farting? I mean, seriously! Is she really a 13 year old boy? Why does farting have to be the main theme of all her books, closely followed by puking, burping and diarrhea?
I understand that she wants to show things as they are, brutal reality, but I swear, in my world (thank God) people do not fart that often.

Well, at least not everyone was fat in this book (unlike 'Camberwell Beauty).

Other than that it was a quick and enjoyable read. This is not Nobel prize material or even Booker Prize, it is just more crude chick lit. There is love, love affairs, pregnancy, motherhood, husbands and divorce and everything else you expect from that kind of book.
But Jenny Eclair knows how to set the pace like no one else and has a knack for endings with a bang. Actually she should probably write thrillers.

[Lynrose · Rating 2 out of 5]

A kind of tragicomedy but more miserable than funny in spite of the pervading jokey tone. I felt the characters were too similar and got confused who was Joe and who was Guy - they were both philandering men. The younger sons of the two families, Sam and Saul were also confusingly similar.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel about relationships, with the glamour and romance stripped away. Light, funny and honest.

[Melanie O'Neill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing and laugh out loud in parts, funny but also some very despicable characters. It’s a good holiday read. I didn’t enjoy it as much as other books by this author but nevertheless I thought it was very good. 3 1/2 🌟

[Deena · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO funny,I laughed at virtually every chapter and even recognised myself in a few too and thought the story well thought out with a great ending, a real "up yours " to one of the characters. will read it again and again.LOVED IT

[Miette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Witty, but I was just not in the mood to read the ugly thoughts of characters like Guy.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it, as I do all her books.
I particularly liked the way that the author showed up Alice as being true to her views until faced with people who represented them e.g. being ok with homosexuals until meeting them on holiday.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awkward and uncomfortable as an unusual group all end up on holiday in Italy, all interconnected, none are particularly likeable except the kids and even some of them are questionable. Jenny does have a particular obsession with bodily functions and I love her turn of phrase. Funny and awful in the best way.

[Maison Koala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ho un debole per questa stand-up comedian, attrice e autrice inglese, che è per me la quintessenza dello humour britannico più godurioso: disimpegnato ma sagace al tempo stesso.

Prova ne è il fatto che abbia voluto rileggere questo concentrato di ilarità a distanza di dieci anni dalla prima volta - e non so voi, ma io sono una che difficilmente ritorna su libri già letti, soprattutto per tempi stretti come il girovita di Kate Moss...

Ecco, la rilettura ha confermato la mia prima impressione: 413 pagine di leggerezza, ritmo, e sarcasmo autenticamente British -ho riso tantissimo.

In soldoni, anzi in a nutshell: due malassortite famiglie londinesi diversamente disfunzionali si ritrovano in appartamenti attigui nella cornice idilliaca della costiera campana/amalfitana. Tra i afsi di Palazzo Gardenia, la spiaggia e la pittoresca cittadina che li ospita i destini dei novi malcapitati si incrociano in un susseguirsi di incontri, scontri, equivoci e momenti di ilarità in quella che sembra partire come una vacanza molto strampalata e ben poco idilliaca.

A chi ha storto il naso osservando che il libro è farcito da immagini volgari, faccio notare che anche la sessualità è ampiamente stemperata in chiave comica. Insomma: non è Joyce, non è Auster, ma se volete ridere di gusto sotto l'ombrellone, questo è IL libro!

Giudizio tecnico: LOL

[Haylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I set to days date as stated reading and then finish on the same day I started it ages ago as when I lost my farther I couldn't actually read a paperback book so was suggested to listen to audio book and did for the first time. I found it difficult and not easy but after a while I got back into reading a paperback book and knew I had to finish this audio book and I did. I found it enjoyable and funny much later on when I could found laughter again and just a really good listen. Audio is not my thing or that I like it but it helped me through a hard time. I am not sure if I could listen to another audio as I love a book too much. I would recommend this audio big time.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've just had to read the blurb to remind myself what it was all about, which pretty much sums up the book. I do recall laughing out loud at parts, and thinking that I must read another book by this author, but other than that...it's another holiday read that is far too easily forgotten. I'd recommend it to my girlfriends who want a book for a long flight, that will take their mind off of the lack of leg room and the middle seat cramping....darling.

[Joanne Levey · Rating 1 out of 5]

One middle aged woman's rant on everything that is wrong with life. No real storyline - despite finishing it I'm still waiting for something to actually happen- too many fart "jokes", characters who are indistinguishable from the authors ranting with a little bit of homophobia thrown in. Unless you want to listen to Jenny eclairs very negative view of men, life and gay couples, avoid this book like the plague.

[Sarah Horrigan-fullard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bloomin' heck this dragged... twiddled about in the middle in a convoluted mish-mash of sub-plots and spat out a bittersweet ending. Was it 'brutally funny' as per the review on the cover? No, not really. Was it pappy chick-lit? Not entirely. It was okay. Some sharp observations but just a bit dated and flaccid. Not my cuppa cha.

[Marian Wynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending was so good, tragic characters in their everydayness of life. So many terrible errors of judgement leading to sad futures for the cast of the tale. Love your humour Jenny Eclair. I do have to put the book down sometimes, just so the characters who are so real to modern life's acceptabilities don't overwhelm, a great read.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read. Funny and cruel at the same time. Two families falling apart are brought together on a holiday to Italy. Eclair is unforgiving in her character representations, particularly of adulterous men. The middle class Alice is the epitome of a Karen characterisation. Not groundbreaking, but amusing in a crude way.

[Meryl Falvey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I'd read this book for a change from my usual detective books. I think Jenny Eclair can be funny but I'd forgotten that she likes using bad language. I'm 65 and no prude but really.... Totally unnecessary and actually spoilt the story for me. Sadly I don't think I'll read another of Jenny's books, as I'm sure they are all similar. This story was ok til the lost child bit

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can usually rely on Jenny Eclair for a light, funny read, but this one was a bit grim. There were very few characters I could warm to, and some (Guy, Alice) were so grotesque that they were barely believable. Enough of the author’s trademark humour to make it worth reading, but not up to her usual high standard.

[Liz Pycroft · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn't enjoy this at all despite enjoying some of her other work.
It's crude and the characters are unpleasant and unrelatable. The story is bizarre and the thread tying the characters together is tenuous .
It reads as though the writer actively hates people and it's lack of empathy , curiosity or humour makes it a bleak read.

[Jenny L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure what I thought of this overall. I can't say it was the best of Jenny Eclair's I have read, but she does certainly convey characters in a very believable manner. I think it just somehow fell a bit flat with me. I wasn't too keen on any of the main characters, so that tends to mean I don't feel as invested in the story.

[Hannah Birt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very dark book which I was not expecting! Probably a victim of its time, every second character is a ‘fat cow’ or a horrible ‘slag’. I was hoping for a few of the characters to get their comeuppance by the end but alas. Still a fun (ish?) read but a very dark ending with some questionable bits in the middle.

[terry lockyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Thoroughly enjoyable - a very easy read - not thought provoking just enjoyable - would definitely recommend as a holiday read to friends i think it's worth 4 stars but kindle is not allowing me to mark any more stars !!!

[sue payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book

This is so good do love her books ,characters are always somebody I've met in real life .Jenny Eclair somehow always gets it spot on , easy read but thoroughly enjoyable.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like Jenny Eclair's writing, but unfortunately the majority of the characters in this book were so awful (Alice and Guy) that I struggled with it. I suppose it is a change to read something where certain characters have no redeeming features.

[Derval Tannam · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an easy read, but I didn't particularly enjoy it. Most of the characters were truly awful and some of the scenes were extremely unfunny. I wasn't invested in any of the storylines. One to miss.

[Mary Geraghty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and fantastic

Love your timing, it is. like watching you or stage. Read this book, and moving in one sitting😊 would love to people watch with you. Anyway on to inheritance. Lovely read.

[alyson osborne-walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and enjoyable

A surprising ending I wasn't expecting,really enjoyed this book, I laughed a lot but it also ok has a good meaningful story,I will be reading more from Jenny eclair

[Deborah Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it - didn’t want it to end

I loved this book - so much so I’ve purchased all of her other books too. Funny touching and poignant - didn’t want it to end. Highly recommended

[Vicky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably my least favourite Jenny Eclair book so far. I disliked every character with the exception of Hils, her children and Guys son Max. Everyone else was vile, selfish and self absorbed. Uurrrgh. Saying that it was funny in parts, I just wish that they'd all drowned.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The word "rollicking" comes to mind with this romp of a story. It is humourous but so well observed and you feel like you've actually booked a room in the same hotel as Alice & Max. I read it ages ago so I'm afraid I can't give a more detailed review. But it is a good read.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable book - described in the blurb as hilarious - not sure I would call it that but certainly some wry humour from time to time but also some sad commentry on the decline of two marriages. However the characters were interesting and no idea how the book would end.