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Frank Derrick #1
Mimořádný život Franka Derricka, 81 let
Frankovi je jednaosmdesát a právě ho přejela dodávka s mlékem. Tato nehoda, která mu způsobila pár zlomenin na těle, se ukáže být tím nejlepším, co ho mohlo potkat!
Zvlhlé sušenky, scvrklé brambory anebo železná zásoba konzerv se špagetami. Takhle vypadala Frankova lednice, než k němu nastoupila pečovatelka Kelly Christmasová a udělala pořádný vítr nejen v potravinách, ale i v jeho životě.
Kelly za ním bude docházet další tři měsíce. A ještě netuší, že Frank má v plánu její návštěvy co nejvíc prodloužit.
Pro všechny ne jen stoleté staříky.
Zvlhlé sušenky, scvrklé brambory anebo železná zásoba konzerv se špagetami. Takhle vypadala Frankova lednice, než k němu nastoupila pečovatelka Kelly Christmasová a udělala pořádný vítr nejen v potravinách, ale i v jeho životě.
Kelly za ním bude docházet další tři měsíce. A ještě netuší, že Frank má v plánu její návštěvy co nejvíc prodloužit.
Pro všechny ne jen stoleté staříky.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2014
60 people are currently reading
945 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
June 24, 2014
When I was in my twenties, I spent a considerable amount of time jumping up and down in fairly mindless fashion to the excitable rock-and-roll stylings of a beat combo with the tireless moniker Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine (or, for the purposes of the BBC censor, Carter USM).
There was no other band quite like Carter. There were only two of them, for a start: a fellow in shorts and a baseball cap who played the guitar and was called Fruitbat, and another fellow called Jim-Bob who also played the guitar and sang.
They were backed by a fearsome wall of synths and drums, and came along at the same time (at least, in my memory) as a bunch of other bands who seemed to make one want to jump up and down a lot in old baseball boots, with one’s hat on backwards and cheap lager sloshing around in one’s belly. They were huge, massive, relentless FUN.
What made them different to those other bands, though, was the content of their songs. E.M.F sang in abstract terms about someone being unbelievable, Jesus Jones had some hand-wavy hippy nonsense about how great it was to be alive right now. Carter (lyricist: Jim-Bob) sang about an altogether more down-to-earth bunch of gypsies, travellers, thieves, grebes, crusties and goths – a list which I have mercilessly stolen from Carter’s own song, The Only Living Boy In New Cross.
Jim-Bob’s lyrics were filled with pop-culture references – The Only Living Boy In New Cross features, among others, David Frost, Evita, Simon and Garfunkel, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones. There were puns – the Evita reference is ‘fill another suitcase with another haul’, which in a song about life at the bottom end of the heap is fabulously on it – and there was a good deal of anger about the state of post-Thatcherite Britain and its dreary selfishness. Perhaps their most famous song, Sheriff Fatman, is an early one from 1989, which rails at slum landlords, including Rachman and, in Jim-Bob’s own deathless adaptation, ‘Nicholas van Whatsisface’.
Oh, and they headlined Glastonbury.
But I come here not to praise Carter USM, but to bury them. Their last ever gig will be this November (and I can’t go, chizz chizz chizz), and these days Jim-Bob is a solo recording artist. His last album, What I Think About When I Think Of You, is fantastic and I commend it to you.
So Jim-Bob hasn’t gone. But he has begun to change, like Seth Brundle in The Fly, into an altogether more disturbing creature: a novelist.
There have been two novels under Jim-Bob’s name already: Storage Stories and Driving Jarvis Ham. I commend them both to you. His third, though, is under a new name: J.B. Morrison. I don’t know why he changed it. Perhaps it’s considered more grown-up. But I’m delighted to say the novel, The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick Age 81, is full of everything that I loved about Carter and everything I love about Jim-Bob, but without the wall of synths and the beer in the belly. It’s a charming story, beautifully told, about an 81-year-old man living on his own and the relationship he develops with the woman who comes to care for him for an hour a week.
I couldn’t help feeling some sadness reading this; my dad died in 2008, and he’d be touching on the same age as Frank Derrick by now. And Frank’s story does have its sad moments and its tiny tragedies. But Frank’s brain is as sharp as those old Carter lyrics – as sardonic and bitter but also as witty and affectionate. His hair is too long, and his best mate is an ex-punk called Smelly John. He loves films and had once planned to build a cinema in his shed. His wife Sheila died years ago, lost to dementia – and Jim-Bob/Morrison’s use of sea-swimming as a metaphor for the loss of Sheila’s mind is as fine and terrible a piece of writing as I’ve read this year.
The novel rescues the elderly for us, paints them as just older versions of ourselves, with the same anchors in shared popular culture and the same wish to be interested, involved, inspired. There are no easy answers in Frank’s life, and the novel doesn’t pretend there are. At one point, I thought the novel was going to settle for a bleakly obvious ending, and it does toy with us as if it might. But it doesn’t. It carries on – Frank carries on – with warmth and acceptance and, ultimately, love. It made me realise, actually, that love was what Carter were on about, a lot of the time, too.
I put it down, and I phoned my Mum.
There was no other band quite like Carter. There were only two of them, for a start: a fellow in shorts and a baseball cap who played the guitar and was called Fruitbat, and another fellow called Jim-Bob who also played the guitar and sang.
They were backed by a fearsome wall of synths and drums, and came along at the same time (at least, in my memory) as a bunch of other bands who seemed to make one want to jump up and down a lot in old baseball boots, with one’s hat on backwards and cheap lager sloshing around in one’s belly. They were huge, massive, relentless FUN.
What made them different to those other bands, though, was the content of their songs. E.M.F sang in abstract terms about someone being unbelievable, Jesus Jones had some hand-wavy hippy nonsense about how great it was to be alive right now. Carter (lyricist: Jim-Bob) sang about an altogether more down-to-earth bunch of gypsies, travellers, thieves, grebes, crusties and goths – a list which I have mercilessly stolen from Carter’s own song, The Only Living Boy In New Cross.
Jim-Bob’s lyrics were filled with pop-culture references – The Only Living Boy In New Cross features, among others, David Frost, Evita, Simon and Garfunkel, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones. There were puns – the Evita reference is ‘fill another suitcase with another haul’, which in a song about life at the bottom end of the heap is fabulously on it – and there was a good deal of anger about the state of post-Thatcherite Britain and its dreary selfishness. Perhaps their most famous song, Sheriff Fatman, is an early one from 1989, which rails at slum landlords, including Rachman and, in Jim-Bob’s own deathless adaptation, ‘Nicholas van Whatsisface’.
Oh, and they headlined Glastonbury.
But I come here not to praise Carter USM, but to bury them. Their last ever gig will be this November (and I can’t go, chizz chizz chizz), and these days Jim-Bob is a solo recording artist. His last album, What I Think About When I Think Of You, is fantastic and I commend it to you.
So Jim-Bob hasn’t gone. But he has begun to change, like Seth Brundle in The Fly, into an altogether more disturbing creature: a novelist.
There have been two novels under Jim-Bob’s name already: Storage Stories and Driving Jarvis Ham. I commend them both to you. His third, though, is under a new name: J.B. Morrison. I don’t know why he changed it. Perhaps it’s considered more grown-up. But I’m delighted to say the novel, The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick Age 81, is full of everything that I loved about Carter and everything I love about Jim-Bob, but without the wall of synths and the beer in the belly. It’s a charming story, beautifully told, about an 81-year-old man living on his own and the relationship he develops with the woman who comes to care for him for an hour a week.
I couldn’t help feeling some sadness reading this; my dad died in 2008, and he’d be touching on the same age as Frank Derrick by now. And Frank’s story does have its sad moments and its tiny tragedies. But Frank’s brain is as sharp as those old Carter lyrics – as sardonic and bitter but also as witty and affectionate. His hair is too long, and his best mate is an ex-punk called Smelly John. He loves films and had once planned to build a cinema in his shed. His wife Sheila died years ago, lost to dementia – and Jim-Bob/Morrison’s use of sea-swimming as a metaphor for the loss of Sheila’s mind is as fine and terrible a piece of writing as I’ve read this year.
The novel rescues the elderly for us, paints them as just older versions of ourselves, with the same anchors in shared popular culture and the same wish to be interested, involved, inspired. There are no easy answers in Frank’s life, and the novel doesn’t pretend there are. At one point, I thought the novel was going to settle for a bleakly obvious ending, and it does toy with us as if it might. But it doesn’t. It carries on – Frank carries on – with warmth and acceptance and, ultimately, love. It made me realise, actually, that love was what Carter were on about, a lot of the time, too.
I put it down, and I phoned my Mum.
June 6, 2014
I must say I really liked the sound of this book, and I’m going to be honest – I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this book when I started it.
Frank Derrick is 81 and is run over by a milk float, causing his arm to break and his foot to fracture. He had trouble filling the hours in his day when he was active, but now with his injuries he looks set for long weeks of watching DVD’s. But then Kelly Christmas – the home help – breezes into his life like a breath of fresh air, and she reminds him that adventure can come to people of all ages…
I LOVED Frank Derrick – his personality was wonderful and after reading I truly wish he was real and that I knew him in real life. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Frank and being able to read about what he go up to. I felt SUCH a range of emotions throughout – I laughed with Frank, I enjoyed his adventures and most of all he touched my heart. I got very emotional and I even had a few tears because I was really moved by Frank.
I can’t describe what is so great about this book…it needs to be experienced to be enjoyed! You need to read it to get the atmosphere of it, feel the vibrancy of Frank and go on a truly moving journey with him. I REALLY recommend this touching and captivating story.
Frank Derrick is 81 and is run over by a milk float, causing his arm to break and his foot to fracture. He had trouble filling the hours in his day when he was active, but now with his injuries he looks set for long weeks of watching DVD’s. But then Kelly Christmas – the home help – breezes into his life like a breath of fresh air, and she reminds him that adventure can come to people of all ages…
I LOVED Frank Derrick – his personality was wonderful and after reading I truly wish he was real and that I knew him in real life. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Frank and being able to read about what he go up to. I felt SUCH a range of emotions throughout – I laughed with Frank, I enjoyed his adventures and most of all he touched my heart. I got very emotional and I even had a few tears because I was really moved by Frank.
I can’t describe what is so great about this book…it needs to be experienced to be enjoyed! You need to read it to get the atmosphere of it, feel the vibrancy of Frank and go on a truly moving journey with him. I REALLY recommend this touching and captivating story.
May 30, 2016
The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81 is the first book in the Frank Derrick series, and the third novel by British author, J. B. Morrison (aka musician Jim Bob). Eighty-one year-old widower, Frank Derrick has a broken arm. And a broken toe. A runaway milk float ran over him when he was returning from buying a pint of milk at the local shop, Fullwind Food & Wine. Because Frank lives alone in (very likely) the only house with stairs in Fullwind-on-Sea, his daughter Beth, who lives in America, arranges, quite against his wishes, for a care worker to visit once a week.
Frank stages a dirty protest: on the day that Kelly Christmas arrives, Frank is dirty (several days unwashed, unshaven) as are his clothes; his house is untidy; his sink overflowing with dirty dishes; his hall is filled with junk mail; his toilet unflushed. But Frank soon finds himself embarrassed by this: Kelly Christmas is not the unfriendly, bossy matron he is expecting, but a charming young woman who seems to care about him, listens to him and sings as she works.
Since Sheila died almost ten years ago, after which Beth and his granddaughter, Laura moved to California, Frank’s only companion has been a cat named Bill (the name seemed less silly when Ben was alive); he visits the local shops to buy cat food and tinned spaghetti; at the charity shop, he buys ceramic giraffes, hoping a large collection of them might become valuable; he goes to the library to email Beth now and then; he fends off callers from stair-lift companies, window cleaners, gutter clearers, chimney sweeps and roofers; and he plays board games with his wheel-chair-bound friend, Smelly John, in his care home.
But now, he finds himself preparing for Kelly’s visits, and looking forward to them. And when they are due to finish, his distress at the thought of doing without them leads him to some behaviour quite out of character for this normally responsible old man.
There’s plenty to love about this novel: Frank himself, curmudgeonly at times, but whose dry wit makes his inner monologue an absolute delight; his invented Sioux names for neighbours and people he encounters are often hilarious; his experience of the Mini Mental State Examination is highly entertaining. Frank’s desperation to continue Kelly’s visits highlights the loneliness that can be the solitary older person’s lot, but while the story threatens to turn quite dark, the end is uplifting. A heart-warming read.
Frank stages a dirty protest: on the day that Kelly Christmas arrives, Frank is dirty (several days unwashed, unshaven) as are his clothes; his house is untidy; his sink overflowing with dirty dishes; his hall is filled with junk mail; his toilet unflushed. But Frank soon finds himself embarrassed by this: Kelly Christmas is not the unfriendly, bossy matron he is expecting, but a charming young woman who seems to care about him, listens to him and sings as she works.
Since Sheila died almost ten years ago, after which Beth and his granddaughter, Laura moved to California, Frank’s only companion has been a cat named Bill (the name seemed less silly when Ben was alive); he visits the local shops to buy cat food and tinned spaghetti; at the charity shop, he buys ceramic giraffes, hoping a large collection of them might become valuable; he goes to the library to email Beth now and then; he fends off callers from stair-lift companies, window cleaners, gutter clearers, chimney sweeps and roofers; and he plays board games with his wheel-chair-bound friend, Smelly John, in his care home.
But now, he finds himself preparing for Kelly’s visits, and looking forward to them. And when they are due to finish, his distress at the thought of doing without them leads him to some behaviour quite out of character for this normally responsible old man.
There’s plenty to love about this novel: Frank himself, curmudgeonly at times, but whose dry wit makes his inner monologue an absolute delight; his invented Sioux names for neighbours and people he encounters are often hilarious; his experience of the Mini Mental State Examination is highly entertaining. Frank’s desperation to continue Kelly’s visits highlights the loneliness that can be the solitary older person’s lot, but while the story threatens to turn quite dark, the end is uplifting. A heart-warming read.
August 11, 2014
Well, thank the Lord that that is over. I don't usually keep reading a book if I'm not enjoying it but something told me that there must be an epic ending to this book as it was so utterly uneventful throughout so the reward must be an awesome ending. I was wrong. very boring and pointless from beginning to end. Apologies to the Author, i'm sure other people like it but it did not strike a chord with me. I gave it two stars rather than the one I felt it deserved because I laughed out loud once.
July 4, 2014
The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81 – Quirky & fun
J.B. Morrison, better known as Jim Bob, has written a quirky and fun novel in The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81. Everyone who reads this story will recognise someone in Frank Derrick, me Derek across the road who just happens to be 81 has home help and gets taken to, Lidl, Morrisons and a posh shop at Waitrose (yes we have them up north).
Frank Derrick is 81 and gets run over by a milk float while out buying a pint of milk so his daughter hires him a care nurse while he recovers. Like many widowers he is independent, cannot be bothered with the fussy outside world and certainly does not want or need some nurse bossing him about.
Kelly Christmas comes in to his life as his care nurse and a breath of fresh air in his life. She is the reason why he goes from looking and acting like Compo to an aging English Don Juan in his West Sussex flat. So rather than his life being going to the local shop and visiting Smelly John in his care home, Kelly breathes new life in to him. She takes him out to the beach and the big Sainsbury’s shows that he can live once again instead of waiting in death’s waiting room.
As the end of his care sessions near Frank tries to raise the money to keep Kelly on, he tries pawning his charity shop buys, cleaning out his shed. But he has to admit to himself that he has no money or savings he just is not good with money, it was his later wife who handled the purse strings. With Kelly moving on he feels as if his life is going to fall to pieces.
This is a funny and quite quirky story that touches your emotions as we all know someone like Frank. Frank is nothing special and his life has not been remarkable or been a disaster he was just ordinary like the rest of us. I am sure there are many men can see their own traits in Frank, I am fortunate no male in my family lives to their 81 otherwise I am Frank!
J.B. Morrison, better known as Jim Bob, has written a quirky and fun novel in The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81. Everyone who reads this story will recognise someone in Frank Derrick, me Derek across the road who just happens to be 81 has home help and gets taken to, Lidl, Morrisons and a posh shop at Waitrose (yes we have them up north).
Frank Derrick is 81 and gets run over by a milk float while out buying a pint of milk so his daughter hires him a care nurse while he recovers. Like many widowers he is independent, cannot be bothered with the fussy outside world and certainly does not want or need some nurse bossing him about.
Kelly Christmas comes in to his life as his care nurse and a breath of fresh air in his life. She is the reason why he goes from looking and acting like Compo to an aging English Don Juan in his West Sussex flat. So rather than his life being going to the local shop and visiting Smelly John in his care home, Kelly breathes new life in to him. She takes him out to the beach and the big Sainsbury’s shows that he can live once again instead of waiting in death’s waiting room.
As the end of his care sessions near Frank tries to raise the money to keep Kelly on, he tries pawning his charity shop buys, cleaning out his shed. But he has to admit to himself that he has no money or savings he just is not good with money, it was his later wife who handled the purse strings. With Kelly moving on he feels as if his life is going to fall to pieces.
This is a funny and quite quirky story that touches your emotions as we all know someone like Frank. Frank is nothing special and his life has not been remarkable or been a disaster he was just ordinary like the rest of us. I am sure there are many men can see their own traits in Frank, I am fortunate no male in my family lives to their 81 otherwise I am Frank!
February 10, 2017
Review also posted on my blog http://www.reviewedthebook.co.uk/2014...
Frank Derrick, as I’m sure you can work out from the title of the book, is 81 years old and has just been run over by a milk float. Seriously.
You would imagine, being 81 and injured, there’s probably very little you can do and definitely not enough to warrant a near 300 page novel. Yet it’s Frank Derrick’s attitude to life which brings this book its charm and The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81 is a witty, moving and wonderful story.
Frank is an endearingly brilliant character. He was a lonely character and I couldn’t help but share his joy upon his Monday morning visits from Kelly Christmas, the home help hired by his daughter. I loved seeing his relationship grow with Kelly, in particular their visit to the beach and then Frank’s exploits when the twelve week period of her visits was coming to an end.
His relationships with Smelly John and the other little star of this book, his cat Bill, were also highlights of the novel for me. As was virtually every other moment like Frank’s regular trips to the charity shop and the nicknames he gave everyone. There really wasn’t anything to dislike about this book and it was so well written, from the humorous to the sadder parts.
It made me appreciate my family members a whole lot more because I wouldn’t want to think of any of them becoming lonely like Frank as they grow older. The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81 was touching, charming, funny and yet sad all at the same time. It’s a refreshingly told story of an older person’s life and a brilliant read.
5/5.
*Book gifted for honest review.
June 26, 2014
When I was offered the chance of a copy of this book to read and review I ummed and ahhed at first. From the write up it sounds a touch ridiculous a bit OTT - I love gentle humour but I can't stand farce.
However, when I read through a few reviews from people whose judgement I trust and whose tastes I know are similar to mine I thought "let's give it go then" and I'm SO very glad I did, I loved it.
Frank Derrick is a very ordinary elderly man, living an ordinary life in an ordinary seaside town. He lives alone since his wife died and extra ordinary things just seem to happen to him leaving him even worse off, the accident with a milk float which leaves him unable to manage the simplest everyday tasks in his ordinary life is just typical, he seems to attract the ridiculous and even in this unfortunate accident his dignity is shattered.
He could be a real grumpy old man as he has few friends and a dislike of most members of the public he meets calling his neighbours in secret by amusing native American nicknames, but he is really quite utterly charming. His best friend Smelly John the infirm ex punk rocker and his cat Bill are really his only companions apart from the steady stream of cold callers and salespeople trying to rip him off. But his daughter unable to visit, living as she is in USA sends him a home help and suddenly his life takes on a new dimension, in her short one visit a week Kelly Christmas, home carer, gives him something to look forward to and is a willing, captive audience for his little quips and jokes. It's his outlook on life and his refusal to BE an old fart which make his life so amusing and this lovely book an absolute pleasure to read.
You have to read this book to appreciate its humour and poignancy yet in many ways I found it unbearably sad. It's about old age, loneliness and the importance relatively small kindnesses assume to someone who is alone.
I so SO wanted something REALLY extraordinary to happen in his life but all the things that do happen are so everyday its only when your life is as EXTRA ordinary as Franks that they assume such huge importance. His trips to the charity shop and the supermarket are all written with such tongue in cheek irreverence you can't help but keep turning the pages and even though I rattled through it in a weekend, Frank Derrick 81 will remain in my thoughts for quite some time.
My huge thanks to Pan MacMillan and the author J B Morrison for lighting up MY very ordinary life with the smiles and sighs this book provided.
However, when I read through a few reviews from people whose judgement I trust and whose tastes I know are similar to mine I thought "let's give it go then" and I'm SO very glad I did, I loved it.
Frank Derrick is a very ordinary elderly man, living an ordinary life in an ordinary seaside town. He lives alone since his wife died and extra ordinary things just seem to happen to him leaving him even worse off, the accident with a milk float which leaves him unable to manage the simplest everyday tasks in his ordinary life is just typical, he seems to attract the ridiculous and even in this unfortunate accident his dignity is shattered.
He could be a real grumpy old man as he has few friends and a dislike of most members of the public he meets calling his neighbours in secret by amusing native American nicknames, but he is really quite utterly charming. His best friend Smelly John the infirm ex punk rocker and his cat Bill are really his only companions apart from the steady stream of cold callers and salespeople trying to rip him off. But his daughter unable to visit, living as she is in USA sends him a home help and suddenly his life takes on a new dimension, in her short one visit a week Kelly Christmas, home carer, gives him something to look forward to and is a willing, captive audience for his little quips and jokes. It's his outlook on life and his refusal to BE an old fart which make his life so amusing and this lovely book an absolute pleasure to read.
You have to read this book to appreciate its humour and poignancy yet in many ways I found it unbearably sad. It's about old age, loneliness and the importance relatively small kindnesses assume to someone who is alone.
I so SO wanted something REALLY extraordinary to happen in his life but all the things that do happen are so everyday its only when your life is as EXTRA ordinary as Franks that they assume such huge importance. His trips to the charity shop and the supermarket are all written with such tongue in cheek irreverence you can't help but keep turning the pages and even though I rattled through it in a weekend, Frank Derrick 81 will remain in my thoughts for quite some time.
My huge thanks to Pan MacMillan and the author J B Morrison for lighting up MY very ordinary life with the smiles and sighs this book provided.
August 10, 2015
A fun and very easy read. With a story that can also make you think. What must it be like to be elderly and lonely. So If you have an elderly neighbour, make 5 mins and pop and say hello to them.
The book kicks off with Frank getting run over by a milk float, this in itself really tickled me, not that he got run over but the fact it was a milk float.
Frank is such a likeable character. And some of his antics and thoughts are brilliantly funny.
i'm concerned with saying too much here, as I feel it would spoil the book for those of you that have not yet read it.
What I will say is give it a go. It really is a fun but interesting book.
And follow the life of this 81 year old, and all he gets up to.
The book kicks off with Frank getting run over by a milk float, this in itself really tickled me, not that he got run over but the fact it was a milk float.
Frank is such a likeable character. And some of his antics and thoughts are brilliantly funny.
i'm concerned with saying too much here, as I feel it would spoil the book for those of you that have not yet read it.
What I will say is give it a go. It really is a fun but interesting book.
And follow the life of this 81 year old, and all he gets up to.
October 8, 2017
Such a wonderful book! Both poignantly touching while also laugh out loud funny, I just adored this story.
We meet Frank, an 81 year old man who recently got knocked over by a milk float. Having broken he's arm, Frank is assigned a carer called Kelly who's weekly visits make a massive impact on Franks life.
The book brilliantly delves into how a retired gentleman struggles to fills he's days up with a purpose. It tackles the aspects of loneliness exceptionally well.
Frank also likes buying old DVDs from the charity, so you get lots of great film nods too.
Such a charming book, I'm already looking forward to reading the sequel!
We meet Frank, an 81 year old man who recently got knocked over by a milk float. Having broken he's arm, Frank is assigned a carer called Kelly who's weekly visits make a massive impact on Franks life.
The book brilliantly delves into how a retired gentleman struggles to fills he's days up with a purpose. It tackles the aspects of loneliness exceptionally well.
Frank also likes buying old DVDs from the charity, so you get lots of great film nods too.
Such a charming book, I'm already looking forward to reading the sequel!
May 20, 2014
A first floor flat with possibly the only steps in the village. Tinned spaghetti, junk mail, cold-callers, charity shop pens and a cat called Bill. Those are the things that make up Frank's life. He does venture out; to Fullwind Food & Wine, where he stocks up on spaghetti and cat food, the local charity shop to add to his collection of china animals and DVDs, and on the bus to the big Sainsburys. Frank never actually gets as far as Sainsburys though, he gets off at Greyflick House and visits his friend; ex punk and star of the picture postcard Smelly John.
Frank is a widower, his wife Sheila died some time ago. His only daughter, Beth, lives in America with her husband and daughter. Frank's days are long, starting when he hears the first plane of the morning fly over the village, and ending as darkness falls again. Frank doesn't do much during the day, although he makes sure that he know what the date is.
A nasty incident with a milk float leaves Frank in need of a little extra care. Despite his determination that no 'Robin Williams in a dress' is going to start giving him a bath, his world is soon turned upside down by Kelly Christmas. Kelly has a very straight fringe, is unable to park her little blue car and somehow gets herself right under his skin. In fact Frank doesn't know what he's going to do when he's better, and Kelly will no longer visit. And so, Frank embarks on a scheme to raise the funds to pay Kelly himself.
The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Aged 81 had me laughing out loud so many times. It's one of those books with some great one-liners and I found myself reading these out to my husband all the way through the book. The novel raises some really interesting questions and also reminded me of things that I've often pondered myself. Why do we assume that everyone in a retirement home wants to listen to 1940s sing-a-long songs? Will we suddenly stop listening to the music we love as middle-aged people and turn to the music of our own grandparents? As someone who has been to see both The Who and Black Sabbath, live in concert this year, and looked around the audience, and noted the age of the majority of the fans; I'm hoping that I'll spend my retirement years still blasting out a bit of AC/DC and some old-school punk.
Frank's story is not only very funny, it's touching and warm too. J B Morrison has a way with words that draws the reader in so completely, and Frank becomes the centre of your world. With characters that are perfectly formed, such as the wonderful Smelly John, and the obnoxious Albert Flowers, this is a moving and uplifting tale that made me laugh and also made me feel a little sad.
The cover blurb compares this to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, unlike most people, I really didn't like Harold Fry. I found it overly sweet and a little too 'moral' for me. Give me Frank Derrick any day - he's really more my kind of guy.
Frank is a widower, his wife Sheila died some time ago. His only daughter, Beth, lives in America with her husband and daughter. Frank's days are long, starting when he hears the first plane of the morning fly over the village, and ending as darkness falls again. Frank doesn't do much during the day, although he makes sure that he know what the date is.
A nasty incident with a milk float leaves Frank in need of a little extra care. Despite his determination that no 'Robin Williams in a dress' is going to start giving him a bath, his world is soon turned upside down by Kelly Christmas. Kelly has a very straight fringe, is unable to park her little blue car and somehow gets herself right under his skin. In fact Frank doesn't know what he's going to do when he's better, and Kelly will no longer visit. And so, Frank embarks on a scheme to raise the funds to pay Kelly himself.
The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Aged 81 had me laughing out loud so many times. It's one of those books with some great one-liners and I found myself reading these out to my husband all the way through the book. The novel raises some really interesting questions and also reminded me of things that I've often pondered myself. Why do we assume that everyone in a retirement home wants to listen to 1940s sing-a-long songs? Will we suddenly stop listening to the music we love as middle-aged people and turn to the music of our own grandparents? As someone who has been to see both The Who and Black Sabbath, live in concert this year, and looked around the audience, and noted the age of the majority of the fans; I'm hoping that I'll spend my retirement years still blasting out a bit of AC/DC and some old-school punk.
Frank's story is not only very funny, it's touching and warm too. J B Morrison has a way with words that draws the reader in so completely, and Frank becomes the centre of your world. With characters that are perfectly formed, such as the wonderful Smelly John, and the obnoxious Albert Flowers, this is a moving and uplifting tale that made me laugh and also made me feel a little sad.
The cover blurb compares this to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, unlike most people, I really didn't like Harold Fry. I found it overly sweet and a little too 'moral' for me. Give me Frank Derrick any day - he's really more my kind of guy.
June 6, 2014
Review originally posted to my blog (+ Q&A with the author):
http://www.pagetostagereviews.com/201...
Frank Derrick is 81 years old when he is run over by a milk float and ends up in hospital with a broken arm and fractured foot. His daughter, who lives all the way in America, worries that he won't be able to take proper care of himself when going home and so she hires him a temporary help. Initially he is reluctant at the thought of frequent visits from a stern carer but that is before Christmas arrives, Kelly Christmas that is.
Kelly brings a breath of fresh air into Frank's house and life, broadening his horizons beyond feeding his cat Bill, making a trip down to the local charity shop and visiting his friend Smelly John - he even gets to go to the big supermarket! As the weeks pass by, Frank finds himself looking forward to Kelly's visits more than anything else and so he tries to stretch his limited pensioner's funds in creative ways in the hopes that he can pay for Kelly to continue coming over.
I love the current trend of books focusing on an elder generation and showing that when you hit 70 (or 81 in this case) life most certainly isn't over. I may not have read novels such as The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared or The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry yet, both of which seem along the same quirky lines of Frank Derrick (at the very least they have equally long titles), but I did already hugely enjoy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Heartbreak Hotel and I find a lot of joy in reading about the still very active lives of people 50 years my senior.
There is a space behind the word "extra" in the title of this novel for a reason, because the life of Frank Derrick (age 81) is incredibly ordinary. However, the way author J.B. Morrison describes the daily routine of his elderly main character proves that you don't have to be a boy wizard destined to save the world or a kick-ass archer ready to take down the political establishment to have an interesting story to tell. And while Frank's life may be extra ordinary, Morrison's quirky wit and the heartwarming charm of the story make this an extraordinary experience for the reader.
The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81 is a both a delightful and surprisingly moving novel. For all the hilariously peculiar situations Frank gets in, there are also poignant moments of underlying mortality and loneliness. So while this is certainly an enjoyable novel that will make you chuckle out loud while reading, it's also a very thoughtful one that will stay with you long after turning the final page.
http://www.pagetostagereviews.com/201...
Frank Derrick is 81 years old when he is run over by a milk float and ends up in hospital with a broken arm and fractured foot. His daughter, who lives all the way in America, worries that he won't be able to take proper care of himself when going home and so she hires him a temporary help. Initially he is reluctant at the thought of frequent visits from a stern carer but that is before Christmas arrives, Kelly Christmas that is.
Kelly brings a breath of fresh air into Frank's house and life, broadening his horizons beyond feeding his cat Bill, making a trip down to the local charity shop and visiting his friend Smelly John - he even gets to go to the big supermarket! As the weeks pass by, Frank finds himself looking forward to Kelly's visits more than anything else and so he tries to stretch his limited pensioner's funds in creative ways in the hopes that he can pay for Kelly to continue coming over.
I love the current trend of books focusing on an elder generation and showing that when you hit 70 (or 81 in this case) life most certainly isn't over. I may not have read novels such as The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared or The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry yet, both of which seem along the same quirky lines of Frank Derrick (at the very least they have equally long titles), but I did already hugely enjoy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Heartbreak Hotel and I find a lot of joy in reading about the still very active lives of people 50 years my senior.
There is a space behind the word "extra" in the title of this novel for a reason, because the life of Frank Derrick (age 81) is incredibly ordinary. However, the way author J.B. Morrison describes the daily routine of his elderly main character proves that you don't have to be a boy wizard destined to save the world or a kick-ass archer ready to take down the political establishment to have an interesting story to tell. And while Frank's life may be extra ordinary, Morrison's quirky wit and the heartwarming charm of the story make this an extraordinary experience for the reader.
The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81 is a both a delightful and surprisingly moving novel. For all the hilariously peculiar situations Frank gets in, there are also poignant moments of underlying mortality and loneliness. So while this is certainly an enjoyable novel that will make you chuckle out loud while reading, it's also a very thoughtful one that will stay with you long after turning the final page.
June 2, 2014
You can see this review and loads more on my blog: http://bookaddictshaun.blogspot.co.uk
Frank Derrick is eighty-one. And he's just been run over by a milk float. Okay I don't know about you but that's one of the best openings to a book blurb I think I've ever read. I had no idea what to expect from this book and really, it's like nothing I've ever read before. I read mostly crime fiction, chick lit, thrillers, true crime and autobiographies. So this book was very different from my normal read but I absolutely loved it.
Frank is a wonderful and hilarious character. I warmed to him straight away and he had me laughing many times throughout the book. He lives somewhat of a lonely life as his wife has passed away and his daughter lives abroad. When he is hit by a milk float his daughter arranges some home help which at first Frank does not want. When he meets Kelly Christmas however he is left having second thoughts, and wishing that he had made a better impression. No sooner is she out the door after her first visit and he's counting down the days till she returns. Soon they form a lovely friendship and Frank has to resort to finding ways to keep her coming round and also to pay her which makes for some funny scenes.
The book is incredibly funny, and I could fill a review with some of the one liners but I think this is a book which should be read and discovered by the reader and they to can fall in love with the story. It's quite a life affirming read and left me actually questioning my own life. At 24 I already have some regrets about what I have and haven't done and that really shouldn't be the case. With older people in particular I think people sometimes forget they were young people themselves too, with hopes and dreams. Frank wakes up each morning counting the aeroplanes flying overhead and thinking if he stays in bed he will feel young, rather than getting up and looking in the mirror or feeling his aches and pains.
The author says in a Q&A in the book that this isn't a book about an old man but a book about a man who just happens to be old. Why because someone is old can't they still enjoy the things they enjoyed when they were younger? I think this will be particularly interesting in this day and age, with so much reliance on technology and the Internet etc when we ourselves are in our 70s and 80s will we abandon all of that? I don't think we will. I used to visit my Nan and Grandad every day when I was younger, I try and visit often now but perhaps don't go as often as I should. This book reminds me that I should. Despite the sad parts, alongside the humour this really is an uplifting and wonderful read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Frank Derrick is eighty-one. And he's just been run over by a milk float. Okay I don't know about you but that's one of the best openings to a book blurb I think I've ever read. I had no idea what to expect from this book and really, it's like nothing I've ever read before. I read mostly crime fiction, chick lit, thrillers, true crime and autobiographies. So this book was very different from my normal read but I absolutely loved it.
Frank is a wonderful and hilarious character. I warmed to him straight away and he had me laughing many times throughout the book. He lives somewhat of a lonely life as his wife has passed away and his daughter lives abroad. When he is hit by a milk float his daughter arranges some home help which at first Frank does not want. When he meets Kelly Christmas however he is left having second thoughts, and wishing that he had made a better impression. No sooner is she out the door after her first visit and he's counting down the days till she returns. Soon they form a lovely friendship and Frank has to resort to finding ways to keep her coming round and also to pay her which makes for some funny scenes.
The book is incredibly funny, and I could fill a review with some of the one liners but I think this is a book which should be read and discovered by the reader and they to can fall in love with the story. It's quite a life affirming read and left me actually questioning my own life. At 24 I already have some regrets about what I have and haven't done and that really shouldn't be the case. With older people in particular I think people sometimes forget they were young people themselves too, with hopes and dreams. Frank wakes up each morning counting the aeroplanes flying overhead and thinking if he stays in bed he will feel young, rather than getting up and looking in the mirror or feeling his aches and pains.
The author says in a Q&A in the book that this isn't a book about an old man but a book about a man who just happens to be old. Why because someone is old can't they still enjoy the things they enjoyed when they were younger? I think this will be particularly interesting in this day and age, with so much reliance on technology and the Internet etc when we ourselves are in our 70s and 80s will we abandon all of that? I don't think we will. I used to visit my Nan and Grandad every day when I was younger, I try and visit often now but perhaps don't go as often as I should. This book reminds me that I should. Despite the sad parts, alongside the humour this really is an uplifting and wonderful read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
July 21, 2014
The story begins on the day of Frank’s 81st birthday and he was given the most unexpected and unwanted of presents – a broken arm and a fractured foot after being run over by a milk float.
I didn’t know quite what to expect from this book, I enjoy funny but I don’t like farce, however I was pleased to discover that the book had plenty of the first but none of the second and I was hooked into Frank’s life from the first page.
Frank’s days are so very ordinary – in fact they are EXTRA ordinary. He is a magnet for junk mail, cold callers and people trying to sell him stair lifts. Suspect workmen constantly want to repair his roof and guttering. His days are spent getting the bus to the local charity shop where he spends his time and the little money he has on worthless tat and duplicates of DVDs he already owns, along with visiting his friend Smelly John in the local care home. However when young care worker Kelly Christmas comes into his life, courtesy of his daughter Beth, his life changes and to say he looks forward to her weekly visits would be an understatement.
Frank is lonely. He wife died some years before, his daughter Beth and her family live in America and all he has for company are his remaining cat Bill (Ben having died previously) and the odd visit to Smelly John. Kelly’s visits bring some meaning and purpose into his life and he begins to have ideas of completing his long forgotten project of turning his old garden shed into a cinema, he wants to talk with her about films and show her his photograph albums – just little companionable things that would mean so much to him and that the rest of us possibly take for granted.
What particularly struck me about the book, apart from Kelly’s compassion towards Frank (given the hour or so a week that she was allocated to him) was how we were reminded of how lonely people can be, how the elderly can be side lined as being unimportant and, well, too old to understand. Frank was not a doddery old man sitting in God’s waiting room; he had an independence and willfulness to him. He kept his white hair long, he learnt how to use email and message his daughter, he took joy in riding a girl’s pink scooter and annoying his pretentious neighbours who were trying to win the Village in Bloom Competition - he just needed someone to show a bit of interest in him and give him some of their time.
This was a lovely funny read with plenty of one liners to make you chuckle but had moments of sadness and poignancy too. I enjoyed spending time with Frank and Kelly and, if you like your books well written with slightly quirky characters, then I’m sure you would enjoy this one.
I didn’t know quite what to expect from this book, I enjoy funny but I don’t like farce, however I was pleased to discover that the book had plenty of the first but none of the second and I was hooked into Frank’s life from the first page.
Frank’s days are so very ordinary – in fact they are EXTRA ordinary. He is a magnet for junk mail, cold callers and people trying to sell him stair lifts. Suspect workmen constantly want to repair his roof and guttering. His days are spent getting the bus to the local charity shop where he spends his time and the little money he has on worthless tat and duplicates of DVDs he already owns, along with visiting his friend Smelly John in the local care home. However when young care worker Kelly Christmas comes into his life, courtesy of his daughter Beth, his life changes and to say he looks forward to her weekly visits would be an understatement.
Frank is lonely. He wife died some years before, his daughter Beth and her family live in America and all he has for company are his remaining cat Bill (Ben having died previously) and the odd visit to Smelly John. Kelly’s visits bring some meaning and purpose into his life and he begins to have ideas of completing his long forgotten project of turning his old garden shed into a cinema, he wants to talk with her about films and show her his photograph albums – just little companionable things that would mean so much to him and that the rest of us possibly take for granted.
What particularly struck me about the book, apart from Kelly’s compassion towards Frank (given the hour or so a week that she was allocated to him) was how we were reminded of how lonely people can be, how the elderly can be side lined as being unimportant and, well, too old to understand. Frank was not a doddery old man sitting in God’s waiting room; he had an independence and willfulness to him. He kept his white hair long, he learnt how to use email and message his daughter, he took joy in riding a girl’s pink scooter and annoying his pretentious neighbours who were trying to win the Village in Bloom Competition - he just needed someone to show a bit of interest in him and give him some of their time.
This was a lovely funny read with plenty of one liners to make you chuckle but had moments of sadness and poignancy too. I enjoyed spending time with Frank and Kelly and, if you like your books well written with slightly quirky characters, then I’m sure you would enjoy this one.
June 2, 2014
Originally posted on: http://lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot....
I really loved this story. It was funny and moving all at the same time and I loved the themes it explored throughout the book.
I fell in love with Frank's character. He is a really sweet and actually very funny man! His dry sense of humour and the whole books' sense of humour had me in actual fits! It was actually highly embarrassing as a lot of the time I read on the train and to save myself from laughing hysterically on a quiet train, I ended up sniggering through my nose! It was also the kind of humour that you keep repeating to yourself in your head and it just makes you laugh the more you think about it! Needless to say I got some very strange looks!
Although this novel was very funny, it actually has an underlying tone of sadness and loneliness to it. Towards the end it very nearly broke my heart. I don't normally cry at things, but as I felt that I had got to know Frank so well, it did make my eyes tear up. I really wanted to go and see my grandparents after reading this. They are very close to Frank Derrick's age and it made feel like I don't appreciate them enough; especially as Frank's daughter is all the way on the other side of the Atlantic, leaving Frank pretty much all by himself.
I want everyone to read this book! It really was fantastic. I am really enjoying all this 'Golden Oldie' fiction (as named by Natasha at Pan Macmillan) that is coming out. This was close to the feel of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, but I much preferred Frank's story. I loved how the author was able to turn normal, everyday things into a wonderful story. I could easily immerse myself in Frank's world again and again.
An unexpectedly funny, touching and compelling story. I can't wait to read more from J.B Morrison!
I really loved this story. It was funny and moving all at the same time and I loved the themes it explored throughout the book.
I fell in love with Frank's character. He is a really sweet and actually very funny man! His dry sense of humour and the whole books' sense of humour had me in actual fits! It was actually highly embarrassing as a lot of the time I read on the train and to save myself from laughing hysterically on a quiet train, I ended up sniggering through my nose! It was also the kind of humour that you keep repeating to yourself in your head and it just makes you laugh the more you think about it! Needless to say I got some very strange looks!
Although this novel was very funny, it actually has an underlying tone of sadness and loneliness to it. Towards the end it very nearly broke my heart. I don't normally cry at things, but as I felt that I had got to know Frank so well, it did make my eyes tear up. I really wanted to go and see my grandparents after reading this. They are very close to Frank Derrick's age and it made feel like I don't appreciate them enough; especially as Frank's daughter is all the way on the other side of the Atlantic, leaving Frank pretty much all by himself.
I want everyone to read this book! It really was fantastic. I am really enjoying all this 'Golden Oldie' fiction (as named by Natasha at Pan Macmillan) that is coming out. This was close to the feel of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, but I much preferred Frank's story. I loved how the author was able to turn normal, everyday things into a wonderful story. I could easily immerse myself in Frank's world again and again.
An unexpectedly funny, touching and compelling story. I can't wait to read more from J.B Morrison!
March 14, 2017
1,5 stelline
Avevo tanto sentito parlare di questo libro e, soprattutto ultimamente, abbastanza male.
Per cui mi sono approcciata alla lettura con i piedi di piombo.
E nel complesso? È stato persino peggio di quanto mi aspettassi.
Partiamo dal titolo: La fantastica storia dell’ottantunenne investito dal camioncino del latte.
Ora: questo libro non ha niente di fantastico. E non ha nemmeno una vera e propria storia.
Semplicemente il libro racconta di un vecchietto solo che non capisce quanto è solo finchè una giovane infermiera non entra nella sua vita e poi vi è semplicemente il racconto della vita di quest’uomo che sembra come impazzito all’improvviso.
Il perché? Molto semplice: perché praticamente si innamora della giovane infermiera. E diventa geloso del ragazzo di lei e spera che lo baci quando in realtà gli sta semplicemente mettendo su un nuovo paio di occhiali. Quando mi sono accorta che era qui che l’autore stava andando a parare mi sono sentita male e ho iniziato a cercare un qualcosa di abbastanza duro contro il quale sbattere la testa .
Ora, io capisco la solitudine che provano gli anziani, so che è un problema esistente, ma questa non mi sembra la soluzione!
Capisco la morale che anche il vecchietto di più di ottant’anni può sentirsi giovane, ma non così! E nemmeno comprandosi all’improvviso un motorino che non sa guidare o volendosi fare a tutti i costi un tatuaggio come un adolescente!
E poi il finale: beh, in realtà, non è stato nemmeno così male. Cioè, leggendolo pensavo si sarebbe suicidato, invece non è successo, per cui…
Nel complesso un libro veramente scadente, che non consiglio a nessuno.
Avevo tanto sentito parlare di questo libro e, soprattutto ultimamente, abbastanza male.
Per cui mi sono approcciata alla lettura con i piedi di piombo.
E nel complesso? È stato persino peggio di quanto mi aspettassi.
Partiamo dal titolo: La fantastica storia dell’ottantunenne investito dal camioncino del latte.
Ora: questo libro non ha niente di fantastico. E non ha nemmeno una vera e propria storia.
Semplicemente il libro racconta di un vecchietto solo che non capisce quanto è solo finchè una giovane infermiera non entra nella sua vita e poi vi è semplicemente il racconto della vita di quest’uomo che sembra come impazzito all’improvviso.
Il perché? Molto semplice: perché praticamente si innamora della giovane infermiera. E diventa geloso del ragazzo di lei e spera che lo baci quando in realtà gli sta semplicemente mettendo su un nuovo paio di occhiali. Quando mi sono accorta che era qui che l’autore stava andando a parare mi sono sentita male e ho iniziato a cercare un qualcosa di abbastanza duro contro il quale sbattere la testa .
Ora, io capisco la solitudine che provano gli anziani, so che è un problema esistente, ma questa non mi sembra la soluzione!
Capisco la morale che anche il vecchietto di più di ottant’anni può sentirsi giovane, ma non così! E nemmeno comprandosi all’improvviso un motorino che non sa guidare o volendosi fare a tutti i costi un tatuaggio come un adolescente!
E poi il finale: beh, in realtà, non è stato nemmeno così male. Cioè, leggendolo pensavo si sarebbe suicidato, invece non è successo, per cui…
Nel complesso un libro veramente scadente, che non consiglio a nessuno.
August 11, 2017
La prima impressione è che sia la bruta copia di "L' uomo che metteva in ordine il mondo".
Non mi ha convinta.
La storia è quella di un nonnetto che viene investito dal camioncino del latte e che, siccome verrà ingessato e vive da solo, avrà bisogno di un aiuto. La figlia Beth, gli procurerà Kelly, un' infermiera professionale, alla quale Frank, essendo solo, si legherà molto. La trama è questa ed è intervallata da una serie di disavventure e aneddoti intrisi di solitudine. Non è niente di particolare.
Non mi ha convinta.
La storia è quella di un nonnetto che viene investito dal camioncino del latte e che, siccome verrà ingessato e vive da solo, avrà bisogno di un aiuto. La figlia Beth, gli procurerà Kelly, un' infermiera professionale, alla quale Frank, essendo solo, si legherà molto. La trama è questa ed è intervallata da una serie di disavventure e aneddoti intrisi di solitudine. Non è niente di particolare.
March 20, 2017
Mi sono approcciata a questo romanzo sperando di trovarmi di fronte ad una lettura allegra, divertente e leggera, per certi versi mi ricordava un pochino "il centenario che salto dalla finestra e scomparve" che a suo modo si era fatto apprezzare.
Questa invece è la storia di Frank un signore di 81 anni e della sua solitudine.
Vediamo lo scorrere della sua vita monotona fino a quando arriverà Kelly a prendersi cura di lui dopo essere stato investito dal camioncino del latte.
Inizialmente la storia non sembrava neanche malaccio, viste le recensioni mi aspettavo molto di peggio, ma poi, mamma mia, ogni volta che prendevo in mano questo romanzo mi passava la voglia di leggere.
Il messaggio degli anziani che troppo spesso vengono abbandonati dai figli o dai parenti e che trattati come ebeti, anche se bisognerebbe capire che vecchio non è sinonimo di rimbambito, era molto bello ma sicuramente l'autore non è riuscito nell'impresa di raccontarlo bene.
La narrazione risulta molto lenta, noiosa e a volte irritante; ci sono invece rari momenti divertenti insieme al suo amico John uno dei pochi lati positivi del romanzo.
Penso che l'autore abbia preso un tema molto delicato per rovinarlo completamente facendo fare delle scelte stupide e inverosimili al suo protagonista.
L'abbandono del gatto, per quanto lui sia accecato dall'amore, se cosi vogliamo dire, e dalla paura, è qualcosa di imperdonabile e che mi ha fatto molto incazzare; un compagno fedele, che ti è sempre stato accanto lo butti via cosi, senza pensarci troppo, per una ragazza che potrebbe essere tua nipote e che hai appena conosciuto poi! Cosa che mi ha irritato ancora di più è poi la scena dove vede delle persone uscire dal gattile e si chiede se abbaino adottato la sua Bibì ed è quasi tentato di andare a spiegargli la responsabilità che comporta e che "non è soltanto un regalo di natale"...ma proprio tu parli! Questa è solo una delle poche scene assurde che incontriamo durante il racconto come il volersi fare un tatuaggio per fare colpo, sperare che Kelly si lasci con il suo ragazzo..e non mi dilungo oltre.
Capisco che tutto sia mosso dalla paura di rimanere di nuovo solo ma questo non arriva comunque a giustificare le sue scelte e il fatto di mettere la sua dignità sotto i piedi.
Il finale vuole in qualche modo secondo me porre rimedio alla stupidità dei comportamenti di Frank durante il resto della storia ma non ci riesce fino in fondo.
Non vi consiglio per niente questo romanzo perchè alla fin fine non racconta proprio nulla e la parte della storia "fantastica" ancora devo capire che fine ha fatto.
Questa invece è la storia di Frank un signore di 81 anni e della sua solitudine.
Vediamo lo scorrere della sua vita monotona fino a quando arriverà Kelly a prendersi cura di lui dopo essere stato investito dal camioncino del latte.
Inizialmente la storia non sembrava neanche malaccio, viste le recensioni mi aspettavo molto di peggio, ma poi, mamma mia, ogni volta che prendevo in mano questo romanzo mi passava la voglia di leggere.
Il messaggio degli anziani che troppo spesso vengono abbandonati dai figli o dai parenti e che trattati come ebeti, anche se bisognerebbe capire che vecchio non è sinonimo di rimbambito, era molto bello ma sicuramente l'autore non è riuscito nell'impresa di raccontarlo bene.
La narrazione risulta molto lenta, noiosa e a volte irritante; ci sono invece rari momenti divertenti insieme al suo amico John uno dei pochi lati positivi del romanzo.
Penso che l'autore abbia preso un tema molto delicato per rovinarlo completamente facendo fare delle scelte stupide e inverosimili al suo protagonista.
L'abbandono del gatto, per quanto lui sia accecato dall'amore, se cosi vogliamo dire, e dalla paura, è qualcosa di imperdonabile e che mi ha fatto molto incazzare; un compagno fedele, che ti è sempre stato accanto lo butti via cosi, senza pensarci troppo, per una ragazza che potrebbe essere tua nipote e che hai appena conosciuto poi! Cosa che mi ha irritato ancora di più è poi la scena dove vede delle persone uscire dal gattile e si chiede se abbaino adottato la sua Bibì ed è quasi tentato di andare a spiegargli la responsabilità che comporta e che "non è soltanto un regalo di natale"...ma proprio tu parli! Questa è solo una delle poche scene assurde che incontriamo durante il racconto come il volersi fare un tatuaggio per fare colpo, sperare che Kelly si lasci con il suo ragazzo..e non mi dilungo oltre.
Capisco che tutto sia mosso dalla paura di rimanere di nuovo solo ma questo non arriva comunque a giustificare le sue scelte e il fatto di mettere la sua dignità sotto i piedi.
Il finale vuole in qualche modo secondo me porre rimedio alla stupidità dei comportamenti di Frank durante il resto della storia ma non ci riesce fino in fondo.
Non vi consiglio per niente questo romanzo perchè alla fin fine non racconta proprio nulla e la parte della storia "fantastica" ancora devo capire che fine ha fatto.
September 24, 2015
Frank Derrick is 81 years old when a milk float runs over him. His injuries are quite severe, so it isn't easy for Frank to do the things he normally does. His arm is in a cast and he has trouble walking. To make things a bit easier his daughter hires a carer. Before the accident Frank's life used to be pretty simple. His wife has passed away and he's been living on his own ever since. His best friend has MS and he regularly visits him at the home he's living in. He loves to go to the charity shop to buy things he doesn't need and he's passionate about films. He eats tinned spaghetti and always goes to the same stores. He also likes talking to his cat.
Frank's carer, Kelly, is there to help him to take care of himself while his arm is in a cast. Even though she's only there for Frank for a very short time each week she changes his life completely. Frank has found a will to live again, to experience new (and old) things. Unfortunately to keep Kelly his cat has to go. Every week he's preparing for her visit for several days and Kelly helps him to get out of the house as soon as he's able to again. Frank goes out of his way to make her like him and to prove he isn't a sad old man who can't do anything by himself. When he's with her Frank thinks he can conquer the world.
Frank Derrick is a lonely man, he only has one friend, his wife has passed away many years ago and his daughter is living in a different country. She hardly ever comes to visit him, but Frank loves her and he thinks the world of her. Frank is such a sweet man. He's quirky and funny and I really enjoyed reading the descriptions of the way he looked and how he felt. I read this book with a big smile on my face and sometimes a few tears in my eyes. Frank is fantastic and I loved him immediately. He's so endearing. He's also naive and not very smart in some ways, but he's inventive and he tries everything to get what he wants. That doesn't always work out, but it keeps him active and it was such fun reading material. Kelly is cheerful and wonderful to Frank, but caring is also her job. Frank sometimes forgets that, which is quite cute. I liked this book a lot and Frank will always have a special place in my heart.
Frank's carer, Kelly, is there to help him to take care of himself while his arm is in a cast. Even though she's only there for Frank for a very short time each week she changes his life completely. Frank has found a will to live again, to experience new (and old) things. Unfortunately to keep Kelly his cat has to go. Every week he's preparing for her visit for several days and Kelly helps him to get out of the house as soon as he's able to again. Frank goes out of his way to make her like him and to prove he isn't a sad old man who can't do anything by himself. When he's with her Frank thinks he can conquer the world.
Frank Derrick is a lonely man, he only has one friend, his wife has passed away many years ago and his daughter is living in a different country. She hardly ever comes to visit him, but Frank loves her and he thinks the world of her. Frank is such a sweet man. He's quirky and funny and I really enjoyed reading the descriptions of the way he looked and how he felt. I read this book with a big smile on my face and sometimes a few tears in my eyes. Frank is fantastic and I loved him immediately. He's so endearing. He's also naive and not very smart in some ways, but he's inventive and he tries everything to get what he wants. That doesn't always work out, but it keeps him active and it was such fun reading material. Kelly is cheerful and wonderful to Frank, but caring is also her job. Frank sometimes forgets that, which is quite cute. I liked this book a lot and Frank will always have a special place in my heart.
July 13, 2014
Firstly thank you to Natasha at Pan Mac for sending me a copy of this book to read and review, and also thank you to J.B. Morrison himself for the guest post about his love for independent book posts and you can check that out here!
This is the story of Frank Derrick. He’s 81 and finds himself with a broken arm after being run over by a milk float. On returning home from the hospital he agrees to some hope help and that is how Christmas comes into his life.
I absolutely loved Frank! He’s the main character and the story is told from his perspective throughout the entire novel. I didn’t know how much I would be able to relate to Frank as a character but was quickly reassured when I found I could relate to him indirectly through the memories of my Papa. Frank lives on his own, and my papa also lived on his own for about a year and reading this story made me wonder whether my papa and Frank were similar. Some things I could easily see were similar, almost uncanny! I found Frank’s sense of humour really funny with some real laugh out loud moments as he gets up to all sorts of mischief and his dry sense of humour was another thing that reminded me of my papa. On the back of the book it says that this story is familiar and to me it really was in that respect.
I loved how Frank’s story was told in a self-deprecating way, with an honest and insightful account of what it might be like to reach his age, living on your own and then having to manage with the imposition of having a broken arm!
This was a really enjoyable read with an addictive writing style throughout. I was hooked on the novel and couldn’t put it down without a struggle!
This is the story of Frank Derrick. He’s 81 and finds himself with a broken arm after being run over by a milk float. On returning home from the hospital he agrees to some hope help and that is how Christmas comes into his life.
I absolutely loved Frank! He’s the main character and the story is told from his perspective throughout the entire novel. I didn’t know how much I would be able to relate to Frank as a character but was quickly reassured when I found I could relate to him indirectly through the memories of my Papa. Frank lives on his own, and my papa also lived on his own for about a year and reading this story made me wonder whether my papa and Frank were similar. Some things I could easily see were similar, almost uncanny! I found Frank’s sense of humour really funny with some real laugh out loud moments as he gets up to all sorts of mischief and his dry sense of humour was another thing that reminded me of my papa. On the back of the book it says that this story is familiar and to me it really was in that respect.
I loved how Frank’s story was told in a self-deprecating way, with an honest and insightful account of what it might be like to reach his age, living on your own and then having to manage with the imposition of having a broken arm!
This was a really enjoyable read with an addictive writing style throughout. I was hooked on the novel and couldn’t put it down without a struggle!
December 21, 2014
Frank Derrick is 81 and has just been run over by a milk float, all you can see is his arm stuck out holding a carton of milk. You think this book is going to be fun, light hearted and amusing, and in some respects it is, but there's also a darker side to this book that I wasn't expecting.
Frank's daughter Beth lives in America and of course wants to go home and look after her father after the accident but reality prevails and she engages a local care agency, for a carer to go round once a week for half an hour. The carer is a young woman called Kelly Christmas and after a couple of visits Frank looks forward to seeing her and you realise how lonely he is, with his only other friend Smelly John in a home suffering from MS. He used to be a punk rocker.
I think the character of Frank is true to life. He is on his own, family lives abroad, constantly bombarded with cold callers on the phone and at the door, is struggling to make ends meet on his pension and someone comes into his life, a total stranger who listens to him, and someone he can talk to and it makes him want to get up in the morning.
I enjoyed this book there was quite a few things I could relate to, like the Antiques Road Show on a Sunday evening and you thought, bugger that's the end of the weekend and it's work tomorrow. Yes there were humour bits but on the whole I actually found the book a rather sad look at today's society.
Frank's daughter Beth lives in America and of course wants to go home and look after her father after the accident but reality prevails and she engages a local care agency, for a carer to go round once a week for half an hour. The carer is a young woman called Kelly Christmas and after a couple of visits Frank looks forward to seeing her and you realise how lonely he is, with his only other friend Smelly John in a home suffering from MS. He used to be a punk rocker.
I think the character of Frank is true to life. He is on his own, family lives abroad, constantly bombarded with cold callers on the phone and at the door, is struggling to make ends meet on his pension and someone comes into his life, a total stranger who listens to him, and someone he can talk to and it makes him want to get up in the morning.
I enjoyed this book there was quite a few things I could relate to, like the Antiques Road Show on a Sunday evening and you thought, bugger that's the end of the weekend and it's work tomorrow. Yes there were humour bits but on the whole I actually found the book a rather sad look at today's society.
September 26, 2017
Che brutto invecchiare.
Leggendo questo libro ho pensato a quanto sia brutto invecchiare, pensare di poter ancora fare determinate cose e rendersi conto che non se ne è più in grado e/o che comunque non è più il caso o che, peggio, non ne vale più la pena.
Il protagonista è comunque davvero spassoso, con quel suo carattere particolare, un po' dispettoso, un po' triste, un po' romantico, un po', semplicemente, bisognoso d'affetto.
Sarebbe da far leggere alle nuove generazioni, a chi dovrebbe comprendere che gli anziani vanno rispettati, che portano con se una lunga storia, che sono ancora capaci (e ne hanno tutto il diritto) di provare forti sentimenti e desideri, di innamorarsi, arrabbiasi, odiare, piangere e sorridere.
E' reso evidente quanto un anziano privo di stimoli dall'esterno possa perdere interesse per la vita e lasciarsi andare piano piano e di come un qualsiasi evento possa invece stimolarlo a tel punto di incentrare tutta la settimana nell'attesa di poco tempo in compagnia di una persona cara.
Sarebbe da far leggere a tutti coloro che fanno volontariato con anziani e a tutto coloro che non lo fanno (ma dovrebbero).
Questo 81enne ha la propria non-routine sconvolta dopo essere stato investito dal camioncino del latte, dovrà così adattarsi a vivere in un modo diverso e a dover interagire con nuove persone e nuove realtà.
Alla fine è proprio il caso di dire che non tutto il male vien per nuocere.
Leggendo questo libro ho pensato a quanto sia brutto invecchiare, pensare di poter ancora fare determinate cose e rendersi conto che non se ne è più in grado e/o che comunque non è più il caso o che, peggio, non ne vale più la pena.
Il protagonista è comunque davvero spassoso, con quel suo carattere particolare, un po' dispettoso, un po' triste, un po' romantico, un po', semplicemente, bisognoso d'affetto.
Sarebbe da far leggere alle nuove generazioni, a chi dovrebbe comprendere che gli anziani vanno rispettati, che portano con se una lunga storia, che sono ancora capaci (e ne hanno tutto il diritto) di provare forti sentimenti e desideri, di innamorarsi, arrabbiasi, odiare, piangere e sorridere.
E' reso evidente quanto un anziano privo di stimoli dall'esterno possa perdere interesse per la vita e lasciarsi andare piano piano e di come un qualsiasi evento possa invece stimolarlo a tel punto di incentrare tutta la settimana nell'attesa di poco tempo in compagnia di una persona cara.
Sarebbe da far leggere a tutti coloro che fanno volontariato con anziani e a tutto coloro che non lo fanno (ma dovrebbero).
Questo 81enne ha la propria non-routine sconvolta dopo essere stato investito dal camioncino del latte, dovrà così adattarsi a vivere in un modo diverso e a dover interagire con nuove persone e nuove realtà.
Alla fine è proprio il caso di dire che non tutto il male vien per nuocere.
June 13, 2014
Originally posted on: http://addictivechicklit.blogspot.com...
First of all I would like to thank Natasha Harding, at Pac Macmillan for sending me this lovely book in exchange of a honest review.
Frank, aged 81, is a lovely and moving character. He was quite lonely, and after the accident he didn't want anyone to come and take care of him. But then, when Kelly arrives at his home, he starts to see there's life outside his four walls. From that moment, his highlight of the week is Kelly's visit and all his life starts orbitating around her. I loved their relationship, how she was so kind but bossy with him and how he couldn't bear to think about the other old men in Kelly's life. And the lenghts he went to, to try to get more visits, it was hilarious.
This is a tale of loneliness, sadness, getting old, accepting the death of your loved one but also of hapiness, finding the strenght to fight and enjoying life, no matter of how old you are. And it is written with tact and the perfect sense of humour. All the characters are special, even Bill the cat. So I totally recommend this book to everybody, actually the first thing I did after finishing is get my boyfriend to read it. He read the first the first page and was hooked.
First of all I would like to thank Natasha Harding, at Pac Macmillan for sending me this lovely book in exchange of a honest review.
Frank, aged 81, is a lovely and moving character. He was quite lonely, and after the accident he didn't want anyone to come and take care of him. But then, when Kelly arrives at his home, he starts to see there's life outside his four walls. From that moment, his highlight of the week is Kelly's visit and all his life starts orbitating around her. I loved their relationship, how she was so kind but bossy with him and how he couldn't bear to think about the other old men in Kelly's life. And the lenghts he went to, to try to get more visits, it was hilarious.
This is a tale of loneliness, sadness, getting old, accepting the death of your loved one but also of hapiness, finding the strenght to fight and enjoying life, no matter of how old you are. And it is written with tact and the perfect sense of humour. All the characters are special, even Bill the cat. So I totally recommend this book to everybody, actually the first thing I did after finishing is get my boyfriend to read it. He read the first the first page and was hooked.
September 10, 2015
What a pity. Ammetto di essere stata tentata nell'acquisto dai vaghi accenni che un po' mi ricordavano il deliziosissimo "L'incredibile viaggio di Harold Fry" di Rachel Joyce, ed invece ne sono rimasta un po' delusa.
Frank è molto british nel suo umorismo, nel suo desiderio di evitare gli scocciatori porta a porta che ogni volta tentano di fregare l'anziano di turno, nell' impacciato tentativo di esternare le proprie emozioni. Una quotidianità ancor più noiosa a causa di un assurdo incidente con il camioncino del latte, resa poi più rosata dal comparire dell'assistente/infermiera Kelly Natale.
Ottime premesse non altrettanto ottimamente sviluppate: il romanzo è sommariamente fiacco e poco interessante ed il personaggio di Frank perde di charme dopo la prima metà del libro. L'assistente che dalla trama sembrava dover essere personaggio di spicco che stravolge la vita dell'anziano inglese è totalmente insulso e privo di sentimenti.
Gradevole, ma non realmente godibile. Peccato davvero.
Frank è molto british nel suo umorismo, nel suo desiderio di evitare gli scocciatori porta a porta che ogni volta tentano di fregare l'anziano di turno, nell' impacciato tentativo di esternare le proprie emozioni. Una quotidianità ancor più noiosa a causa di un assurdo incidente con il camioncino del latte, resa poi più rosata dal comparire dell'assistente/infermiera Kelly Natale.
Ottime premesse non altrettanto ottimamente sviluppate: il romanzo è sommariamente fiacco e poco interessante ed il personaggio di Frank perde di charme dopo la prima metà del libro. L'assistente che dalla trama sembrava dover essere personaggio di spicco che stravolge la vita dell'anziano inglese è totalmente insulso e privo di sentimenti.
Gradevole, ma non realmente godibile. Peccato davvero.
November 21, 2016
Vom Klappentext her habe ich ein amüsantes Schelmenstück erwartet, und obwohl es durchaus lustige Augenblicke gibt, handelt dieses Buch im Großen und Ganzen vom Alleinsein als Rentner. Und das nimmt teilweise sehr furchtbare Züge an.
Als Frank sich ein Bein bricht (er wurde vom Milchwagen angefahren), kommt einmal die Woche eine Pflegekraft zu ihm, um ihn zu unterstützen. Über kurz oder lang verguckt sich der Rentner etwas in seine Pflegerin, und zählt die Tage, bis sie wieder kommt. Als er bemerkt, dass sie gegen Katzenhaare allergisch ist, gibt er seinen Kater im Tierheim ab. Er überlegt, was er zu Geld machen könnte, um ein paar mehr Stunden mit ihr zu finanzieren etc.
Zum Schluss bleibt ihm nur, von der schönen Erinnerung zu zehren, denn irgendwann kommt sein Gips ab, und die Pflegerin ist weg.
Alles in allem eine stellenweise traurige, aber insgesamt doch etwas flach geratene Geschichte. Sehr gut für Zwischendurch, aber hängen bleibt nicht allzu viel...
Als Frank sich ein Bein bricht (er wurde vom Milchwagen angefahren), kommt einmal die Woche eine Pflegekraft zu ihm, um ihn zu unterstützen. Über kurz oder lang verguckt sich der Rentner etwas in seine Pflegerin, und zählt die Tage, bis sie wieder kommt. Als er bemerkt, dass sie gegen Katzenhaare allergisch ist, gibt er seinen Kater im Tierheim ab. Er überlegt, was er zu Geld machen könnte, um ein paar mehr Stunden mit ihr zu finanzieren etc.
Zum Schluss bleibt ihm nur, von der schönen Erinnerung zu zehren, denn irgendwann kommt sein Gips ab, und die Pflegerin ist weg.
Alles in allem eine stellenweise traurige, aber insgesamt doch etwas flach geratene Geschichte. Sehr gut für Zwischendurch, aber hängen bleibt nicht allzu viel...
April 15, 2015
Mi sono approcciata a questo libro con l'idea di leggere un libro che mi facesse non dico ridere ma almeno sorridere.
Così non è stato ma non lo dico con rammarico.
E' stato un libro dolce amaro, mi è piaciuto. Ho sentito ad alcuni che non hanno apprezzato le scelte del protagonista, anche secondo me sono state un po' estreme ma utili a capire come spesso le persone anziane si sentano sole. Ecco forse è questa la cosa che ho apprezzato di più: il fatto che riesca ad emergere lo stato d'animo del protagonista e a volte con un sorriso dolce amaro farti capire come la solitudine è lì che si insinua e che una volta trovato l'antidoto si è disposti a fare di tutto o quasi per non "ammalarsi" di nuovo.
Così non è stato ma non lo dico con rammarico.
E' stato un libro dolce amaro, mi è piaciuto. Ho sentito ad alcuni che non hanno apprezzato le scelte del protagonista, anche secondo me sono state un po' estreme ma utili a capire come spesso le persone anziane si sentano sole. Ecco forse è questa la cosa che ho apprezzato di più: il fatto che riesca ad emergere lo stato d'animo del protagonista e a volte con un sorriso dolce amaro farti capire come la solitudine è lì che si insinua e che una volta trovato l'antidoto si è disposti a fare di tutto o quasi per non "ammalarsi" di nuovo.
December 9, 2015
Are the best books the ones that reduce you to tears? I had to put this down at one point towards the end because I was about to sob my heart out. The main themes are old age and loneliness - being old and alone is way more terrifying than dying, isn't it? Frank is a fantastic character and one that will stay with me for a long time.
March 3, 2017
I had such a giggle with this. And when I told others about it they laughed along too. It is such a change to find a story about the elderly which is funny, realistic and ongoing. No he doesn't rob banks or gather a gang together to stage a rebellion in a care home, he has a crush on his carer and then has to cope with it, his finances and old age. Keep on rockin' Frank.
Toast
Toast
January 1, 2016
Een van mijn favoriete boeken van de afgelopen tijd!
Er zitten hele mooie stukken in, maar ook hele verdrietige. Het is fictie, maar op sommige momenten denk je dat het waargebeurd is! Heel goed geschreven en ik ben benieuwd naar het vervolg!
Er zitten hele mooie stukken in, maar ook hele verdrietige. Het is fictie, maar op sommige momenten denk je dat het waargebeurd is! Heel goed geschreven en ik ben benieuwd naar het vervolg!
February 10, 2016
I think I must be on a roll with books about old people. This has been one of the most enjoyable. Funny, with lots of references to movies, like Rear Window and Singing in the Rain. And other in-joke references to thinks that happened earlier in the book.
January 6, 2017
It's easy to say that this was a vairly typical idea, but then again, who knows how I'll feel about this when I'm 81? It poses a lot to think about and had a comfortable sort of a feeling to it, whilst nonetheless making the prospect of retirement quite worrying.
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