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Fair Do’s
The classic follow-up to A Bit of A Do, about the comedy of Yorkshire life, told through seven more do’s is now available in ebook format.
Life is still a social minefield in this small Yorkshire town. From the opening of a vegetarian restaurant to the inauguration of the Outer Inner Relief Ring Road, join Ted and Liz as they struggle through another series of excruciatingly funny ‘do’s’ in this sequel to A BIT OF A DO.
Can Ted find happiness with a waitress, now that he and Liz are no longer an item? Can Liz bring comfort to the grieving Neville, her strangely immaculate second husband?
Above all, how will Ted’s ex-wife Rita manage as her family becomes more dysfunctional at every function? Can she possibly be as happy as she seems?
Life is still a social minefield in this small Yorkshire town. From the opening of a vegetarian restaurant to the inauguration of the Outer Inner Relief Ring Road, join Ted and Liz as they struggle through another series of excruciatingly funny ‘do’s’ in this sequel to A BIT OF A DO.
Can Ted find happiness with a waitress, now that he and Liz are no longer an item? Can Liz bring comfort to the grieving Neville, her strangely immaculate second husband?
Above all, how will Ted’s ex-wife Rita manage as her family becomes more dysfunctional at every function? Can she possibly be as happy as she seems?
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1990
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14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 4, 2021
David Nobbs is one of the unsung, missed writers out of the UK. Yes, he had his moments in the limelight, (Reginald Perrin being one) but so many of his books were missed by the general populace, and the world is a sadder place for it.
Most books are British gems, full of typical British humour, but wonderfully, wonderfully written - you can't help but laugh, and I did, lots!
Most books are British gems, full of typical British humour, but wonderfully, wonderfully written - you can't help but laugh, and I did, lots!
January 5, 2018
There's a point in Fair Do's (probably during the Inner Outer Relief Ring Road do) where the book begins to feel a little tedious. You wonder if you can possibly finish it and, if you do, what the payoff will be.
Struggle through because the laughs aren't over yet.
Fair Dos is a good (very good, even very very good, but not great) sequel to A Bit of A Do. While not as effervescently funny as A Bit of a Do, the moments keep piling on for the Simcocks and Rodenhursts and all their assorted hangers-on. What is funny to me now that I've finished the book is how timeless it is. While I'm well aware the book was written in 1990, none of it feel dated at all.
Ted is still an inveterate skirt-chaser for whom "A Bird in your bed is worth two in your fantasies" will never be quite true.
Rita is taking her first tentative steps into singledom and finding that she quite likes it. No longer mindlessly worried about what everyone else thinks, she discovers that she's willing to stand up for who she is. Only, does that preclude love?
Liz is still insufferably snobbish but, underneath all that, still determined to find the man who will worship and adore her. Unfortunately, she's still hasn't found quite the right man.
Neville is as immaculate as ever, but the lead Badger of Badger, Badger, Fox, and Badger suddenly discovers that his attempts to console aren't quite getting the response he expected.
Jenny is still absorbed with her mindless (and trendy) preoccupation with suffering everywhere except home until the suffering at home is overwhelming.
The Sillitoes (Rodney and Betty) are still getting sloshed at parties, but their system has suffered a defeat, leading to much silliness. Don't believe me? Ask yourself: How does one get completely blotto at the opening of a vegetarian restaurant without a liquor license? The Sillitoes know how!
Seriously, the Sillitoes getting drunk at a vegetarian restaurant should be enough for you to want to investigate this sequel to A Bit of a Do.
Final Tip: If you can find it, I highly recommend renting "A Bit of a Do" from Amazon or your local library if they have it. That's how I first saw it and the mini-series is faithful to the books. It's even funnier as you watch David Jason, Nicola Padgett, Gwen Taylor and Paul Chapman inhabit (and totally own) these characters!
Struggle through because the laughs aren't over yet.
Fair Dos is a good (very good, even very very good, but not great) sequel to A Bit of A Do. While not as effervescently funny as A Bit of a Do, the moments keep piling on for the Simcocks and Rodenhursts and all their assorted hangers-on. What is funny to me now that I've finished the book is how timeless it is. While I'm well aware the book was written in 1990, none of it feel dated at all.
Ted is still an inveterate skirt-chaser for whom "A Bird in your bed is worth two in your fantasies" will never be quite true.
Rita is taking her first tentative steps into singledom and finding that she quite likes it. No longer mindlessly worried about what everyone else thinks, she discovers that she's willing to stand up for who she is. Only, does that preclude love?
Liz is still insufferably snobbish but, underneath all that, still determined to find the man who will worship and adore her. Unfortunately, she's still hasn't found quite the right man.
Neville is as immaculate as ever, but the lead Badger of Badger, Badger, Fox, and Badger suddenly discovers that his attempts to console aren't quite getting the response he expected.
Jenny is still absorbed with her mindless (and trendy) preoccupation with suffering everywhere except home until the suffering at home is overwhelming.
The Sillitoes (Rodney and Betty) are still getting sloshed at parties, but their system has suffered a defeat, leading to much silliness. Don't believe me? Ask yourself: How does one get completely blotto at the opening of a vegetarian restaurant without a liquor license? The Sillitoes know how!
Seriously, the Sillitoes getting drunk at a vegetarian restaurant should be enough for you to want to investigate this sequel to A Bit of a Do.
Final Tip: If you can find it, I highly recommend renting "A Bit of a Do" from Amazon or your local library if they have it. That's how I first saw it and the mini-series is faithful to the books. It's even funnier as you watch David Jason, Nicola Padgett, Gwen Taylor and Paul Chapman inhabit (and totally own) these characters!
January 3, 2021
Its a tad too written version of the series to stand on truly on its own but it still manages to flesh out the characters and make you laugh and sigh at the absurdity of life.
...and who wouldn't want to be best friends with Rodney and Betty?
...and who wouldn't want to be best friends with Rodney and Betty?
August 28, 2014
The sequel to 'A Bit of a Do'. Like many sequels it is not quite as well honed as the original, but Nobbs does a realy decent job at maintaining forward momentum whilst continuing to entertain as he drops his nicely drawn characters intro more socially awkward situations.
June 23, 2013
Loved this book.
I tittered all the way through it.Great comic dialogue.I am just glad I never have to meet any of the characters and I am sure they are not confined to Yorkshire.
I tittered all the way through it.Great comic dialogue.I am just glad I never have to meet any of the characters and I am sure they are not confined to Yorkshire.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews