The Man Who Wouldn't Get Up and Other Stories

by David Lodge

The first collection of short stories from one of Britain's finest novelists and criticsA nameless man who has fallen out of love with life, refuses to get out of bed, with unexpected consequences. A sociologist recalls how he learned his first and formative lesson about the oppressive power of capitalism selling newspapers and magazines up and down the platforms of Waterloo station. Some years before the era of the Pill and the Permissive Society, four university friends travel to the Mediterranean for their first holiday together, where the climate is sultry and sex is on everyone’s mind. And a strong-willed young woman defies adverse circumstances to pursue the perfect wedding at all costs.These are some of the characters that populate David Lodge’s shrewd, funny and delightfully entertaining short stories, collected here for the very first time. What prompted their publication in this form is a short story in itself, told by the author in his Foreword.LONGLISTED FOR THE EDGE HILL SHORT STORY PRIZE 2017

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Contemporary, British Literature, Roman, Literature, Literary Fiction

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

David John Lodge was an English author and critic. A literature professor at the University of Birmingham until 1987, some of his novels satirise academic life, notably the "Campus Trilogy" – Changing Places: A Tale of Two Campuses (1975), Small World: An Academic Romance (1984) and Nice Work (1988). The second two were shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Another theme is Roman Catholicism, beginning from his first published novel The Picturegoers (1960). Lodge also wrote television screenplays and three stage plays. After retiring, he continued to publish literary criticism. His edition of Twentieth Century Literary Criticism (1972) includes essays on 20th-century writers such as T.S. Eliot. In 1992, he published The Art of Fiction, a collection of essays on literary techniques with illustrative examples from great authors, such as Point of View (Henry James), The Stream of Consciousness (Virginia Woolf) and Interior Monologue (James Joyce), beginning with Beginning and ending with Ending.

Reviews

[Katerina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It hurts me to see bad reviews of overall cute David Lodge’s stories, so please do like mine to give him some justice;)
Lodge is no short story writer; however, his little tales are shrewd and pleasantly old-fashioned. By that I mean not only “boring” realistic writing, but also plots and characters who often turn out to portray good old times “before the Pill and Permissive Society”.
There is his trademark wit, seasoned with a touch of remorse and a pinch of melancholy (but just a tiny one). He doesn’t go into copious descriptions of copulation, thank god for that, and there is a chance to find some happy endings in this collection.
In our gruesome times full of horrifying and provocative tales what else can a reader hope for.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foarte faine povestiri. In afara de prima (care e mai dramatica si are iz de Kafka), toate sunt relaxate, amuzante si, pe alocuri, surprinzatoare :)

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting curio for diehard Lodge fans. This is a reprint of a limited-edition 1998 set of six stories Lodge wrote between 1966 and the early 1990s. It’s supplemented with two recent stories, a new foreword, and the odd account of a French furniture designer creating a reclining chair in tribute to the title story. The afterword gives helpful notes on the genesis of the stories; several are autobiographical to an extent.

The strongest are from the 1980s: “Where the Climate’s Sultry” and “Hotel des Boobs.” The former, set in the 1950s, is most reminiscent of Lodge’s How Far Can You Go?: two well-behaved English couples celebrate their graduation with a chastity-challenging trip to Ibiza. (It’s dumbfounding to learn that at the time condoms were unavailable in Spain, a Catholic country; the two randy lads have to order them by mail from England!) The latter is a story-within-a-story about a married author trying to be dignified about the topless women he observes on a holiday in the south of France.

I also enjoyed the title story’s picture of everyday angst and 2013’s “A Wedding to Remember” (first published in Good Housekeeping), an Austen-imitating tale of a young woman who becomes so obsessed with the perfect wedding that it seems any groom will do. The other four are more or less forgettable.

[Valentin Derevlean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prima întâlnire cu David Lodge. Destul de nefericită.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

After the second short story, i decided not to continue reading this crap. and I got my money back from amazon.
David Lodge is way better at writing novels. Those are good. but short stories...no way

[Iulian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nu pot spune ca stilul ori continutul povestirilor lui Lodge m-a impresionat dar cu siguranta povestirile acestuia merita citite drept niste piese de teatru sau traite ca atunci cand mergi sa vezi o piesa, un musical si nu ti se pare extraordinar spectacolul cu pricina dar un anume monolog, unele scene, iti prezinta viata altfel, intr-o lumina noua, nu tocmai incantatoare. Asa se exprima Lodge, drept un povestitor al reveriilor sociale, al dinamicii relatiilor(tema de care sunt atasat si e placut examinata in "O nunta de tinut minte" din volumul de fata).

Autorul englez nu are verva si nuanta stilului scriitoricesc precum mai marii Nabokov sau Turgheniev de pilda insa reuseste sa imbine doua "ingrediente" speciale in opera sa, anume reflexia asupra ce parcurgi, a situatiilor pe de-o parte si comicul diverselor intamplari pe de alta. Dintre cele opt povestiri voi tine minte mai cu seama prima povestire - care da si numele volumului -, "Barbatul care nu voia sa se dea jos din pat" si pe cea mai sus mentionata, "O nunta de tinut minte." Ambele sunt un fel de cautionary tales, creatii ce incearca sa dea un sens vietii omului modern ce traieste cu obligatii, asteptari, dileme morale s.a.

[Ioana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vreau mai multe povestiri de acest gen. Recomand pentru cei în căutare de o doză de umor bine scris și povești ingenioase

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of David Lodge’s occasional short-story writing - eight stories over almost six decades.

In their own way, they chart the last century’s moral confusion as sharply as John Updike’s ‘Rabbit’ tetralogy. In the early stories (set in the 50s and 60s) couples still dither whether or not to have sex before marriage or spend weeks trying to get hold of condoms. With each story, the main character gets a little older, slowly shedding his sexual hang-ups a piece at a time. (One story is titled ‘Hotel Des Boobs’ - and reads like a Carry On film scripted by Donald Barthelme.)

Almost every story is sharp, funny, and done with a remarkable lightness of touch. The one dud is ‘Pastoral’, perhaps because it feels made out of a numbered list than out of life. The closing story (‘My Last Missis’) is a vernacular update of Robert Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ and is hilarious. It moves more deftly than the other stories, reminding us of Lodge’s formidable gift for parody. It’s almost as if piss-taking liberates his creative imagination. It’s rather hard to believe the same man wrote the rather plodding afterword that follows.

I can put my hand on my heart and say this was one of the most enjoyable story collections I’ve read in a long while - and I wished it was longer. How does the bastard do it?

[Renaud Houde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Le recueil de nouvelles parfait. Chaque histoire est drôle, captivante, courte mais conserve quand même un sens. Des nouvelles plus avec un sens philosophique et d'autres politiques. Le message derrière chaque nouvelle n'est jamais super dur à trouver, mais il n'est jamais trop simple non plus. La première nouvelle "L'homme qui ne voulait plus se lever", qui donne son titre au recueil, est une des meilleures courtes histoires que j'ai lues.

[Rhys · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book of short stories that is quite good. Unfortunately it isn't better than that. But that's maybe not such a bad thing. My issue is that the stories are just too conventional, with only one exception, 'Hotel des Boobs', which has a nice metafictional touch and is probably my favourite story in the collection.

[Bert · Rating 2 out of 5]

My favourite part of this book was that I could read it in 30 minutes at the end of the day when there were no customers while I tidied shelves. My least favourite part of the book was I don't remember because I found none of these stories in any way memorable.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

J’ai beaucoup aimé les nouvelles de David Lodge. Certaines plus que d’autres. L’avare notamment m’a conquise. J’ai beaucoup aimé les autres aussi. Elles sont amusantes et ne tombent pas dans la satyre, et ça fait du bien. Ça parle de l’humain, de sa part d’ombre, qui loin de le rendre horrible, le rend attachant.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

These short stories are concisely written and are simultaneously witty and jaded in tone. They are pervaded by a sense of ennui, most evident in the titular story, 'The Man Who Wouldn't Get Up'. While very much from a male perspective, it's fair to say that both sexes are casual and dismissive in their attitudes to the other. The short story, 'Hotel des Boobs', is clever conceptually but unashamedly voyeuristic- a low point for me! Having said that, Lodge's lack of prudishness could be said, by some, to be refreshing.

[Andra Buzatu · Rating 4 out of 5]

E un semn de maturitate cand te apuci sa citesti si prefata si posfata si anexele unei carti. Si exact asta am facut si cu volumul de fata. Practic l-am citit din scoarta in scoarta pe parcursul unei dupa-amiezi.

Povestirile mi se par un gen destul de dificil si greu de stapanit. In 20 de pagini trebuie sa conturezi bine minim un personaj, sa creezi premizele si mediul intamplarilor si sa dai si lovitura de gratie care leaga sau da sens. Si cred ca David Lodge reuseste asta.

A adunat intr-un volum decent 8 povestiri realiste (unele inspirate din intamplari personale), ingenioase si chiar rafinate. Toate au doza potrivita de descrieri, replici, umor si intorsaturi de situatie. O lectura perfecta pentru o duminica innorata.

[Angelique · Rating 2 out of 5]

at the start i found the stories a bit uninteresting but cute. made me feel like i was sitting by the fireplace and listening to my grandfather tell stories about his past. by the third story it started to get perverted for no apparent reason. not so great. and then as i kept reading i just got more and more bored.

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this wasn't for me. I'm going to mostly leave it at that.

Not that memorable unfortunately.

[Geoffrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the greatest instalment in Mr Lodge's body of work.

[Ben Anton · Rating 2 out of 5]

These short stories felt like the diary of a teenager: boring, superficial, poor in ideas and narration style and really not up to the standard of the author's other works.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of well written, quick and easy to read stories which are bound to make you smile – from a man who one day decides he doesn’t ever want to get out of bed to a child who meticulously cares for his collection of fireworks only to be left disappointed. David Lodge has pieced together 8 intriguing stories set over different times and in different locations all of which kept me entertained and engaged. It’s 5 stars for “The Man Who Wouldn’t Get Up and Other Short Stories”.

See more of what I thought on my blog here: https://whatrebeccasread.wordpress.co...

[Sarah Neofield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to find a 'new' David Lodge book to read - and this book of short stories, previously unpublished in English, didn't disappoint. The book has a unique beginning - Lodge was inspired to have these short stories published in English after a reader presented him with a unique piece of furniture (a photograph and description of which is included in the volume) based on the titular story.
My favourite story, however, was a surprised stand-out called 'Hotel des Boobs' which I was prepared to despise - and which ended up making me laugh out loud!

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I'm not a devoted short story-reader - and I don't think Lodge is a devoted short story-writer either. There just isn't time for him to create the kind of elaborate (and extremely believable) characters found in novels like Thinks and Therapy. I really missed Lodge's usual intricate interpersonal misunderstandings and academic semi-ironic jokes. Nevertheless, this collection of short stories was quite worth reading since it works as some sort of exposé of post-war-millenial everyday experience.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Lodge admits in his foreword to this collection of his short stories that he has always favoured the longer form of the novel and the fact that over his long career he has published only eight stories confirms his preference. The stories presented here were written over a period of fifty years and while they are uniformly entertaining they are also fairly slight. The book is lifted by a fascinating introduction explaining its surprising genesis, and by the author’s afterword revealing the creative origins behind the stories.

[Loic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dans son introduction, David Lodge s’efforce d’expliquer les différences entre roman et nouvelle.
“On est toujours impatient d’arriver à la fin de la nouvelle, tandis qu’on peut regretter de terminer un roman par lequel on a été conquis”
Ce recueil de nouvelles confirme l’analyse de l’auteur: le lecteur est impatient d’en finir avec la nouvelle, et ne regrette pas d’avoir hâté la fin de sa lecture...

[Sarah Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spanning decades of his career, this collection of short stories is a lovely showcase of David Lodge's work. Each is a well-crafted dip into a glimpse of someone's world. Well written, rounded characters, snapshot scenarios, beautifully crafted slices of narrative. Makes me want to read all of his other books again.

[Frédéric Meurin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Par un étrange hasard, j’ai entamé la lecture de ce court recueil de nouvelles le jour elle du décès de son auteur.
Ces nouvelles sont étranges et prennent leur dimension à la lecture des notes, préface et postface qui les accompagnent. D’ordinaire j’estime qu’un texte doit se suffire à lui même mais pour une fois je ferai exception.
Découverte intrigante donc.

[Sílvia Bernardino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma coleção de 6 contos de David Lodge, escritos ao longo de 30 anos, com longos intervalos entre si (entre as décadas de 60 e 90) e, aparentemente, sem relação uns com os outros, agrupados em duas estações do ano: o verão e o inverno, consoante o seu conteúdo é mais alegre ou taciturno, respetivamente. Leitura descontraída.

[Semakula Emmanuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes you want to get into writing especially at the end when he gives a background to each of the stories in the book and how he got inspired to build these characters.

Best short story collection one can wish for.

[Giovanni Linke Casalucci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sei brevi racconti dal gusto amaro, surreali (L'uomo che non voleva alzarsi), deliziosi (L'avaro), ma non tutti memorabili, tanto che il conclusivo (Camera con vista sulla piscina) si riabilita solo grazie all'introduzione dello stesso autore.

[S-J James · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved the writing style in 'the British museum is falling down' but felt like the story didn't go anywhere
I feel like the stories in this are a much better sample of this author with the title story being my favourite one

[Eightwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

School homework type stories. Neither interesting nor worth thinking.