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Scuba Dancing
Fiction that mirrors the experiences of women 45+ 'It was late summer when the angel first manifested himself to Ursula Buchanan in the village shop, just along the aisle from the bacon slicing machine...'Go on, ' he urged, pointing a glowing golden finger at the notice. 'Join the group, Ursula, it'll change your life.' Ursula's is not the only life to be altered forever. Finn Fitzgerald has walked out on her London job, her flat and her cheating boyfriend to move to Hampshire where she finds herself inescapably in the centre of village intrigue, romance and a cast of characters that will make you laugh out loud. A 'fast-paced Miss Read' that captures the humour and quirkiness of English village life
248 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 27, 2015
Haven't found a Nicola Slade book yet that I don't like :D
April 10, 2018
Who says life ends at forty, or fifty, or …? The people in Scuba Dancing clearly don’t think so! This was a very entertaining read, with extremely likeable and highly-colourful characters. The plot’s an interesting one with some poignant twists, human nature in many semblances well described. I can’t decide which character I liked best, but retirement with this cast would never be dull. A gin, or twenty, never goes a miss in this Hampshire village!
definitely recommended for an amusing read.
definitely recommended for an amusing read.
May 13, 2019
This is a bit of an unusual read.
It's about a group of mostly elderly & retired people, who are not growing old gracefully & want a bit more to life & some fun.
They decide to raise money for an exotic holiday together & it's quite funny how they go about it.
This is a light-hearted book, with a bit of seriousness.
I really loved it & couldn't put it down.
It's about a group of mostly elderly & retired people, who are not growing old gracefully & want a bit more to life & some fun.
They decide to raise money for an exotic holiday together & it's quite funny how they go about it.
This is a light-hearted book, with a bit of seriousness.
I really loved it & couldn't put it down.
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February 26, 2018After reading around twenty pages, I decided I won’t like the book because I don’t belong to its targeted market. I couldn’t relate to the characters as they are in their forties to their seventies, with the exception of two women who are in their early and middle thirties; however, they act like they’re also in their sixties. Since I promised to myself not to abandon a book, I carried on reading.
To my surprise, it turned out a fun read once I got familiar with the oh-so-many characters, though you still won’t find that one major conflict that holds the story in most books. It’s like the author personally knows a lot of people in the forty-to-seventy age range and decided to narrate their interlocking stories in this book, not minding about plot development, pacing, and exposition that editors are so fond of highlighting when talking to their authors. I can imagine Ms. Slade writing this on lazy afternoons.
Reading this book makes me wonder if my aunts—and even my mother—are really capable of thinking and doing the things that the women in this book are doing. I think I now have an idea how my aunts and my mom can talk and talk for hours, and I think I also already have an idea what their topics are.
I’m sure this book will really hit home for the lonely retirees and pensioners who are looking for excitement. In fact, it might inspire them to organize a club like Hope Springs and do a fund-raising for a Caribbean getaway.
Rock on, seniors! Who says it’s too late to have fun and a full orgasm? Life begins at forty!
To my surprise, it turned out a fun read once I got familiar with the oh-so-many characters, though you still won’t find that one major conflict that holds the story in most books. It’s like the author personally knows a lot of people in the forty-to-seventy age range and decided to narrate their interlocking stories in this book, not minding about plot development, pacing, and exposition that editors are so fond of highlighting when talking to their authors. I can imagine Ms. Slade writing this on lazy afternoons.
Reading this book makes me wonder if my aunts—and even my mother—are really capable of thinking and doing the things that the women in this book are doing. I think I now have an idea how my aunts and my mom can talk and talk for hours, and I think I also already have an idea what their topics are.
I’m sure this book will really hit home for the lonely retirees and pensioners who are looking for excitement. In fact, it might inspire them to organize a club like Hope Springs and do a fund-raising for a Caribbean getaway.
Rock on, seniors! Who says it’s too late to have fun and a full orgasm? Life begins at forty!
December 13, 2010
This novel about a group of eccentric, mostly elderly, people in an English village was easy holiday reading. But like the bookcrosser who passed the book on to me, I found myself being critical of what I saw as unacceptable behaviour on their part - the fraudulent fundraising for the elderly as a front for what was in reality a luxury Caribbean vacation for themselves. I was also put off by the character who had sex with the husband of a dying woman, and the derogatory terms used by one character for German and Japanese people, unnecessarily I thought. But overall, it was readable and not to be taken too seriously.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2009
This book was such fun to read!
It's both funny and touching at the same time. Some lovely characters in this book, and what characters they were! The image of Margot, who's suffering from demensia, sitting naked in the goldfish pond is priceless!
The author treats difficult issues such as loneliness and demensia with humour but in a sensitive way. A fun read, and a perfect book to take away on holiday! I smiled all the way through....would make a good film for TV.
It's both funny and touching at the same time. Some lovely characters in this book, and what characters they were! The image of Margot, who's suffering from demensia, sitting naked in the goldfish pond is priceless!
The author treats difficult issues such as loneliness and demensia with humour but in a sensitive way. A fun read, and a perfect book to take away on holiday! I smiled all the way through....would make a good film for TV.
September 16, 2007
Scuba Dancing by Nicola Slade
Rating: 4.5
Genre/Pub Date/# of Pgs: Fiction, 2005, 248 pgs
Time/Place: Present, UK
Characters: various elders in a small village
Comments: Delightful read -- a group of seniors decide to take a trip to the tropics. They come up w/ various ways to raise $ and refer to themselves as Hope Springs
Rating: 4.5
Genre/Pub Date/# of Pgs: Fiction, 2005, 248 pgs
Time/Place: Present, UK
Characters: various elders in a small village
Comments: Delightful read -- a group of seniors decide to take a trip to the tropics. They come up w/ various ways to raise $ and refer to themselves as Hope Springs
January 25, 2008
A light and rather odd novel involving some very peculiar characters, mostly over 40 and some over 60. Probably intended to be funny, but written in a 'chick-lit' style - it didn't work for me at all.
August 13, 2016
Another transita book this time about a group of reprehensible mainly over 60’s who raise money for a Caribbean holiday.
December 18, 2017
At first I found it difficult to relax into the writers voice, but as I read the first page I was instantly intrigued. The story is wonderfully interesting, I was grabbed, pulled in and given a huge hug! The characters were beautifully sculpted and following their stories was a delight. I have to admit to a sniff and a tear at the end such an enjoyable book that takes you on a roller coaster of emotion.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews