In Real Life

by Chris Killen

STILL FRIENDS A DECADE ON? WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?

For a while, Ian, Lauren and Paul shared the same friends, the same university, the same dreams and the same potential. Ten years on they are worlds apart. Call centres, charity shops and bedrooms that smell like cabbage were never part of the plan. The real world doesn't look quite like any of them imagined. But when Lauren, in a moment of nostalgia, cracks open a long-forgotten Hotmail account, she comes face to face with the people these three friends used to be . . .

For two of them it will mean a new beginning to an old love story.

Hilarious and heart-breaking, In Real Life paints a searingly honest portrait of a generation and captures a world where human connection is easier than ever before but where relationships remain just as tricky.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2015

About the author

I am the author of the novels In Real Life (2015) and The Bird Room (2009).

Reviews

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well that was super depressing! I normally like depressing books...(is that weird?), but this was in a whole 'notha ballpark. It was depressing simply for the sake of being depressing. Nothing happened, and really apart from the single benefit of making you feel like you were less pathetic than the main characters of the novel, I am not really sure what the point of it all was.

It follows a few people, going back and forth ten years, and just...follows them going about nothing. I don't know, perhaps this novel just went right over my head. I can't really think of much to say about this because nothing happened, but I need some bubblegum pop or Hawaiian folk to listen too after that experience.

The writing itself is good, I didn't have any problem with it, and I think that if there was at least a slight plot to all of this I might have actually enjoyed this. This story might of been more relatable if it hadn't gone to such miserable extremes. 2.5/5

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Bin


Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Charlotte Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book at work in exchange for an honest review and I am so glad I read it, it was just what I needed in my current reading mood. I haven't been finishing many books despite being in the middle of several but this one just hooked me in and I finished it in just a few days.

If I was to compare In Real Life to any other book, I would definitely choose One Day by David Nicholls. The tone is very similar and, although the structure and characters are completely different, I have some similar feelings about the two books. The ending of this book for me was a little disappointing, just because it didn't really reach a conclusion but I really enjoyed learning about these characters. They are flawed and have realistic struggles so although you don't necessarily like them personally, they make for a decent read.

Overall I would recommend this if you enjoy contemporary literature that focuses less on the romance and more on the people it describes.

[Georgie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot, it's a speedy, light, funny read with realistic, flawed but mostly likeable characters (with the exception of Paul who is just a total d*ckhead, but realistically so) and with enough truth and feeling beneath it all to make you care about the characters and want to find out what happens to them.

The story follows three friends - Paul, Lauren, and Ian - and skips between 2004 when they were uni students and 2014 when they are adults, or trying to be adults, each in lives very different to the glamorous ones they imagined for themselves ten years before.

I loved the down-to-earth nature of this book. I loved that the characters had jobs that ranged from the unsatisfying (Paul is a failing writer and part time university lecturer) to the frustrating (Lauren works in a charity shop and likes her job but longs for more) to the downright dreadful (Ian gets a job in a call centre and has to ring people and quiz them about their happiness). I loved all the little details Killen includes which make the story both quintessentially British (Babybels, Come Dine With Me, Tesco Meal Deals and Wetherspoons) and universally contemporary (Facebook, Wikipedia, that Youtube video where the cat attacks the dog and saves the boy, and NaNoWriMo). What he also does is capture feelings and frustrations anyone can identify with - an obnoxious boss, obnoxious customers, break ups, not breaking up, getting drunk, falling in and out of love, not being sure whether you're 'really' an adult yet, which kept me reading.

I really disliked the character of Paul but he's deliberately written that way, and I think everyone has probably encountered a 'Paul' in their life. His story is interesting, and rather satisfying - he's headed for a fall. I loved Lauren and Ian, because for all their flaws, unlike Paul they were basically decent human beings (i.e. not w*nkers. Paul is not a terrible person, he's just a complete and utter w*nker.) and they were exactly the kind of people you'd want to drink Fosters with down the nearest Wetherspoons.

[LukasmummyReads · Rating 1 out of 5]

I borrowed this from Kindle Unlimited and it's safe to say this is really not my sort of book, reading is my escape and if I wanted to be bored and miserable I can manage that just fine without assistance. I couldn't really get invested in the characters and felt more than a little depressed by the story. Jumping between the two time periods was a slightly strange approach and I am not really sure it worked. In my opinion, it felt unfinished. I wanted to know what happened with Lauren's Mum. I wanted to know why none of the characters seemed capable of dragging up any enthusiasm for anything in their life, they never even tried to change their situations it's hard to care about characters that don't care about themselves, their families, their friends or anything else. Sorry. I'm sure I should find something nice to say to balance out the review. but right now I can't think of anything.

[Melinda Worfolk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yet another book I can't recall having queued. But here we are. Unlike Juggling (my last mystery meat library hold), this one was a disappointment. However, I slogged on, determined to finish it because I'll be damned if I don't make my GoodReads Challenge this year.

This book was just lethargically paced and grim. There were the occasional bright spots--though the book is set in England, one character unexpectedly spends time living in Vancouver, and there are all sorts of local details that were delightfully nostalgia-inducing for me. However, overall it was not an enjoyable read. It was essentially the tale of three self-destructive depressed people at particularly low points in their lives. The character I liked best was Ian--I had the most sympathy for him, since he seemed the most decent hearted and self aware. I liked his wry sense of humour even as his situation seemed to sink lower and lower.

Not particularly recommended.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I immediately settled into this book and being a similar age to the characters could relate to a lot of their thoughts/expectations after uni.
This book made me laugh and at times feel very sad,but so pleased with the ending!
I enjoyed the style- with emails and chapters for each character. I have to say Paul was awful and made me cringe with some of his choices...but I really liked the characters of Lauren and Ian.
Very enjoyable and has reminded me to listen to Elliott Smith more!!!
Would recommend to people in their early 30s who still aren't sure where they're going and definitely don't feel grown up!

[Kat (wanderfulbooks) · Rating 1 out of 5]

If only I could reclaim the lost hours I spent reading this book and picked a different book I totally would. It was a boring merry-go-round ride where I kept checking how many pages left before I caould finally click on the "I'm finished" button. Why finish it then? Because it was an easy read- no complex plots or philosophical meanings I had to figure out. AND Goodreads kept emailing me about not reaching my GR challenge so yes I needed to finish the book. Other than that, it's safe to say that you're not missing out on anything if you don't read this book. Yeah you're better off not reading this book.

[Meshell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to write a review of a book when you don't really know how you felt about it. I read through some of the other reviews and none of them jumped out at me with the 'YES THAT'S HOW I FELT' revelation.

I didn't hate it - far from it! I started reading it late one night and pretty much all of my spare time was spent finishing it. Considering that I haven't had time to start and finish a book (apart from one by my fave author) in the last year - maybe two - that's pretty good going! Yet I didn't love it either.

This book was a present from my mother in law for my 30th (last year). She had met the author and got the book signed for me (I do love a signed personalised copy of a book) and she thought I would enjoy it.

I did enjoy it, for me it very much had that can't put it down feeling. The characters were relatable I think for anyone turning 30 that has been to uni. I can't think of anything negative to say about it. I guess I wasn't very impressed with the ending but then hey I am no author so what do I know!

I perfectly good read - great if you have been in that situation and very relatable. I felt it was more 3.5* But I couldn't push myself to a 4*. Would definitely read more of Chris's suff

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very funny novel about call centres, charity shops, Tesco Meal Deals, the creepiness of social media, Babybels and Jonathan Franzen. It's also about love and relationships and struggling to find out what the fuck you're gonna do with your life in the twenty-first century. Written with a brilliant sense of character and a Peep Show-style of self-aware humour, this book left me with a massive grin when I finished it.

[Laura Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this boom from the library based on the Josie Long quote on the front. the characters also went to university at the same time (studying history) as I did so I thought it would be interesting. However I found it a depressing read and though it was really trying to be like Generation X but failing. Also I didn't find as funny as I thought it would be. a quite disappointing holiday read.

[Grant · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was very easy to get into and I enjoyed rotating between the various characters, and found myself laughing along with various lines. Overall, however, I felt that the character development was undercooked and needed more work to make it a stronger story.

[sstephreads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really understand the point of this book. Was it to show how depressing adulthood is? Or maybe there was something about social media vaguely hinted at... I don't know, dudes.

[Lucille Krokmou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy to read and has some truths but I didn't really get the point

[Alice Dowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had so much heart. I loved it.

[Hayley Swithers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this lighthearted comedy.

[Heather Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published here: https://heatherreviews.wordpress.com/...
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I was really intrigued by the premise for In Real Life and I was excited to pick it up. In the end though, it fell a little short of my expectations.

The story follows three people: Lauren, Paul, and Ian. They were friends during their university years and drifted apart. Through flashbacks to 2004 and present day, we follow the three to discover where they've gone with their lives.

Lauren is still trying to find herself after her breakup with Paul all those years ago. Living in Canada for a year didn't help and now she's stuck working in a charity shop and wondering what she's doing with her life.

Paul has been stuck in a loveless relationship for some time, working on his second novel (but never getting more than a few words down at a time), and lecturing at the local college. Having an affair with a student and a cancer scare seem to give him a wake up call, but he doesn't really change.

Ian has had it rough since his band never took off and the HMV he was working in was closed. Moving in with his sister and swallowing his pride to work in a call centre with her horrible boyfriend is the last thing he wanted.

It was really interesting to see how far the three had gone in ten years. The narrative was interrupted with emails between Ian and Lauren during her time in Canada and you really feel like something could have happened between them - if she had only said no to Michael, a guy she met in Canada.

I liked the end, but the overall story moved a bit on the slow side for my liking. It was a great story and an interesting look into how vastly different people's lives can change in ten years, but there was something missing from it to make me really like it.

A good story about relationships and 'growing up'. Definitely worth checking out.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a novel of bad choices, missed opportunities, lost causes and fumbled second chances. In 2004 Ian and Paul were flatmates. Paul was living with Lauren but they broke up; she wrote a pros and cons list and the cons won hands down. Paul and Ian drifted apart as often happens after uni. Lauren flies off to Canada for a while to try to get her life together; it doesn’t work out.

Ten years later we meet up with them—this is a few months before they run into each other again for the first time in ten years—and it’s not a pretty sight. Successes they are not. Paul’s published a novel that went straight into bargain bins; now he’s teaching creative writing unenthusiastically to a bunch of equally unenthusiastic students and supposedly working on a second book; at least that’s what he keeps telling his agent who, for some reason, hasn’t completely given up on him. Ian’s moved in with his older sister—six and a half minutes older but, boy, does she make those six and a half minutes count. Lauren’s working for Cancer Research, not as a research scientist or anything cool like that; no, she’s running a charity shop.

In the 1930’s the big new -ism on the block was escapism. During the Great Depression it gave people a way out of reality and into a world of fantasy that seemed dramatically more liveable than where they were. Somehow—amazingly—we managed to avoid the Big D. this time round (history will remember it merely as the Great Recession) but I don’t think the man in the street cares much about semantics. So why should he care about this book?

I’m not sure everyone will. Despite the humour, despite the fact we Brits love rooting for an underdog these characters hit a bit too close to home for my tastes; this is a kitchen sink drama masquerading as escapist fiction. Read my full review on my blog here.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I go more in-depth about this book on my blog here: https://dogeared.home.blog/2023/04/11...

But in short…

This book centres around three characters, Lauren, Ian, and Paul, who went to the same university and were briefly in each others’ lives. Lauren and Paul used to date, and Ian was Paul’s flatmate. After uni, Lauren goes to Canada for a year following a comically abysmal break-up with Paul. While there, she starts an unlikely penpalship with Ian via hotmail (To their defense, it was 2004). Now, ten years have passed and all three of them live somewhat mundane lives, trying to make ends meet while reminiscing on their youth which held within it the promise of an exciting and yet-to-be-fulfilled adulthood. 
With such unaspirational (yes, that’s a word apparently) characters, In Real Life could’ve easily been a tragic tale. Instead, it’s this dryly humorous and joyous account of three people’s lives slowly becoming worse through their own inabilities. Indeed, the characters are of different degrees of insufferable. As I followed them go through life aimlessly like some poorly manipulated puppets, I couldn’t help but feel like I was watching a theatre of the absurd. 

When I say nothing happens in this book, I mean it literally. Any attempt these characters have at bettering their lives, making them more exciting or quitting long-instilled vices never seems to result in anything. With the backdrop of shabby English homes, towns, charity shops, call centres and uni seminar rooms, this felt like the book version of something like The Inbetweeners or Fresh Meat (albeit taking place post-graduation).

[Darklittle · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you reach thirty, you are supposed to live an orderly life, earn a regular income and, ideally, have a spouse and children. It can’t be that hard, can it? Until 2004, Lauren, Ian and Paul went to university together but a lot has changed since then. Now, ten years later, their lives aren’t what they imagined them to be. Lauren has to convince her friends that she’s not interested in blind dates anymore, Ian is broke and Paul’s life is a lie.

When I started reading In Real Life, I didn’t know what to expect. Fortunately, I soon found myself among three characters who seemed like close friends. We share the same hopes and fears and even though their lives are quite a mess, Lauren, Ian and Paul’s stories are still believable. If you are around thirty, you probably have a friend who is just like one of them.

In Real Life is an easy-to-read novel that jumps between 2004 and 2014 and therefore evokes feelings of nostalgia. You’ll have the ultimate reading experience if you are the same age as the three main characters, because you will be able to empathize with them and relate to their numerous worries. Chris Killen does a brilliant character study introducing three thirty-somethings who stand for a generation of adults striving to lead the ideal life that doesn’t exist. When you think your life isn’t easy, just see what Lauren, Ian and Paul’s lives are like and you’ll find that you are not alone.

[Dana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book as the author is coming to talk about it and then we are discussing it as our reading group book. I struggled with the style at first and then became irritated because I think some of the headings were wrong (one in particular was marked 2004 when it was definitely 2014!) which didn't help. Yes, I smiled at one or two things but I really didn't find this book particularly funny and if Real Life has all your main characters unhappy, unsuccessful and with no direction in life I think it says more about the author than society in general.

I have my suspicions that Paul represents the author and his attempt to write a second novel!

Sorry, not for me. I think it is probably worth more than 1* but to make it 2* suggests it was ok - but for me, I couldn't wait to finish it and move on.

I would like to revise my above comments having been to hear Chris Killen talk about his book .. he was fascinating to listen to and having heard his 'explanations' about the book and how it came into being I think if I had read the book after hearing him speak I would have given it 3 *. It also sparked a very healthy and interesting discussion at our book group the next evening giving us a lot of food for thought.

Chris Killen is a really nice guy!

[Chris Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

IN REAL LIFE traces a love triangle from the desktop days of internet in 2004 into the 'social' media of 2014. The trio comprises of Paul, a young creative writing tutor struggling to write a second novel about his univeristy girlfriend, Lauren, now working in a charity shop, and their mate Ian, a failed musician of no fixed abode. You quickly get the feeling that the story might not be a million miles from Killen's own experience, in this, his second novel; albeit with some added cringeworthy comedy. It's also not far from mine. The trio graduated from Nottingham University in 2004, the year before I did. I recognise every scene and location that plays out there, as well as those in Manchester ten years later. In some respects it's the closest I've come to a novel that reflects my own experience of life. Thankfully, I feel a little more fullfilled ten years on than these three no-hopers, but I still share a lot of their anxieties. Killen invites us to laugh at the stilted progress of these friends entering their 30s without much to show for their time, but it's not the comfortable laughter of derision. It's the nervous laugh of a generation all to familar with the fragility of their adult selves. Endearing, pathetic and quite real.

[Pgchuis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is set partly in 2004/5 when Lauren leaves Paul (very strong opening chapter), goes to Vancouver and email Ian, and partly in 2014 when Ian, between jobs, moves in with his sister, Paul is lecturing and trying to write a second novel and Lauren is managing a charity shop and trying to avoid going on blind dates. It was an easy read and the shifts between the two time frames were well-managed, but it wasn't a terribly original book. I feel like I have read several novels like this recently. Ian and Lauren were likeable, but their sense of aimlessness and hopelessness was wearying to read about. Surely with a university degree and normal social skills and ten years on your hands, you could have worked your way up into some sort of stable job that you more or less enjoyed, even if it wasn't playing in a band.

Paul was, of course, horrible and his behaviour very predictable. The ending was pleasing and even a tiny bit optimistic.

For what it's worth, the mountains you see in Vancouver are the North Shore/Coast Mountains, not the Rockies.

[Guille-Allès Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Real Life is a funny, powerful novel about growing up and growing apart, and the slog that early adulthood can unravel into, especially in post-credit crunch Britain. In beautiful prose Chris Killen precisely captures the sharp, quiet sadness of Wetherspoons and Tesco Meal Deals and watching repeats of Grand Designs with your dinner on your knees.

But the book’s real subject is the Internet and the way it’s changed our lives without us noticing – and not entirely for the better. In 2004, for the three main characters it’s a useful tool in a largely offline world; in 2014, the notion of an ‘offline world’ barely even makes sense. They check their phones in dark bedrooms at three in the morning, and mindlessly refresh Facebook instead of talking to their partners after work. It leaves them all permanently restless and irritable.

The Internet has opened up vast possibilities for human interaction and connection. But at the same time, the author seems to be asking, has it somehow increased the distances between us?

[Arja Salafranca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Moving between 2004 and 2014, In Real Life is mired in the grit of everyday reality in contemporary Britain. It’s a fast-paced, highly readable story about what happens when you smack reality head on in the face and com face to face with that thing called “real life”.

Centred on three friends from university, Ian, Lauren and Paul, we follow them through ill-fated love affairs, dead-end jobs in call centres and nights in front of the TV.

Lauren’s working in a charity shop, trying to forget Paul, her ex, who is trying to work on his second novel, and getting no where fast, while Ian is now living with his sister. His career as a band member never quite took off and his sister’s boyfriend organises a call centre job for him. The scenes set in the call centre are depressingly real and desperate, Killen evokes the horror of a mind-numbing job and the people who work there with chilling clarity.

The overall tone of this book is grimly real, and one wishes there was some way out, some redemption, but sadly, there isn’t.

Real life goes on.

[Galleane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tant qu'on rêve encore est un roman sans réel intérêt. Il passe en revue la vie de trois personnages, des vies qui ne sont que banal, qui ne bougent pas, qui n'évoluent pas ou de manière si anecdotique que ça n'avance à rien. Ce n'est pas ce qu'il me plaît de lire et au vu du résumé, on pouvait s'attendre à des réflexions sur un passé que tous regrettent plus ou moins et ce n'est pas le cas. Même si c'était censé arriver avec un personnage, la femme, et vu ses liens avec les deux autres, il aurait pu y avoir des conséquences pour tous. Mais non, chacun vit sa vie, avec ses déboires et ses espoirs vains, de son côté. La fin arrive comme un cheveu sur la soupe et m'a fait me dire tout ça pour ça. Si au moins l'auteur avait été plus loin et ne s'était pas contenté d'ouvrir une porte menant à un chemin plus qu'obscur. Une grosse déception, même si le livre se lit bien et qu'il n'est pas mauvais. Après à vous de voir.

Ma chronique complète : http://bloggalleane.blogspot.fr/2016/...

[Brian Centrone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Killen has kept us waiting for his second novel for six long years. In Real Life does not disappoint. Killen's sophomore effort shows both growth and maturity from an already outstanding writer. No one captures the irony, wit, sadness, and passion of the lost 30something generation better than Killen. IRL will get you longing for your college days, missing your friends, and realizing that maybe, just maybe there is some hope after all. I loved this book. I hope Killen doesn't keep up waiting another six years for his next novel, but if he does, I can guarantee, like his first two, it will be ace.

[Helen Marquis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steeped in nostalgia, there's a melancholic ache running through the heart of this book. Not so much life's failures, more like life's underachievers. I immediately associated with them, as they reminded me of people I grew up with! As a result, I found myself urging them on to be better versions of themselves and to grab life with both hands. Really enjoyable read, filled with cultural references that made me think back about my own student days.

[exncgal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book repeatedly showed up as a suggestion in Overdrive, and so I finally gave it a try. I got about 25% of the way through before realizing that it wasn't worth my time. The premise sounded interesting, but I didn't feel like the story (stories, 6 total between three characters and two eras) flowed. I also found the characters to be uninteresting. I felt like I was in Paul's novel, the one he couldn't write... Anyway, I just couldn't make myself finish it.

[Zoë · Rating 2 out of 5]

+ great writing style
+ unique features i.e. emails
+ aspect of "real life" so easy to relate to.
+ easy and quick read
+ targets age range 20/30s
+ smaller sub-chapters

- no real story to it
- don't really know much about characters
- doesn't hook you
- doesn't leave you wanting more
- quite miserable
- didn't stir my emotions
- lack of humour
- no good quotes

Overall - Boring, but a fascinating quick read.

[David Brook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely read; the story is full and satisfying and while hinted at, you never quite know where it'll end up. There's some great observations, both now and in the past throughout the book, and all of this detail really adds to the story. Highly recommended - if you're around the age of the characters, you'll get a load out of it, but even if you're not, you'll still enjoy the ride.