Change of Heart

by Barbara Anderson

Oliver Gurth Perkins is 75, and the darkest cloud on his horizon is that the local bookshop no longer stocks paperbacks of the Times cryptic crosswords. But when a minor heart episode convinces Oliver that it's time for him to take more interest in the lives of those close to him, further shocks are in store.

Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, a little about the author, who is new to me. Barbara Anderson was born in New Zealand. She didn't begin her writing career until she was in her fifties. She received the Icon Award in 2011, just two years before she passed away. This is beginning to sound like a 10 year old's book report. Lol.

I. loved. this. book. It's quirky and endearing. Some of the humorous moments are also a bit pathetic, but they are so life-like. Most of the story is from the point of view of Oliver Perkins. Oliver is a seventy-five year old man who leads a quiet, orderly life. Then something happens that causes him to evaluate his relationships. He decides that his wife has spent their entire marriage accommodating to his needs, and he should try to accommodate hers a little. He begins, but it turns out to be harder than he expected. Oliver is a funny guy. He is very attached to his routine, he places a much higher than reasonable importance to his dead father's opinions, and he doesn't like confrontation. He has a strong desire to take care of people and he deeply cares for them, but has a hard time communicating this. He blunders around in the most endearing way, learning things he would probably rather not know about his family, but in the end, he finds it was worth the effort.

Quotes:

"A cardiac incident, be it mild, certainly concentrates the mind."

How I abominate this passion for sharing, this fear of being alone with your own indecisions, this need to belong.

Money does not bring happiness, but it can help you enjoy your misery in comfort.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good - definitely another half a star. Particularly clever how the narrator of the book changes at certain points without any warning to illuminate the main character from outside - I was always aware when the switch happened - and it was done without putting the internal life of the other character on the line - so produces a real sense of the main character achieving a change (of heart!) without commenting on the other characters who may or may not be changing - who knows? because the narrative is not focusing on that. Hard to describe. Also a nice 'New Zealand' feel - I felt I was there and not here (UK). A pleasure to spend some time with this book.

[Adam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spoiler Alert Below! But honestly, this book spoils itself.




Why do so many books require an inheritance to resolve a character's financial/existential issues? I'm beginning to see such as a lazy trope that a writer falls into rather than anything illuminating about a character's personality.