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Lubetkins Erbe oder Von einem, der nicht auszog: Roman
Nachbarn kommen und gehen. Mr. Sidebottom bleibt.
Berthold Sidebottom, Anfang fünfzig, arbeitsloser Schauspieler, lebt mit seiner Mutter Lily in einer Sozialwohnung in London. Als Lily unerwartet stirbt, droht ihm die Kündigung. Was tun? Berthold bittet Lilys Bettnachbarin im Krankenhaus, vorübergehend bei ihm einzuziehen und die Rolle seiner Mutter zu spielen. Die alte Dame willigt erfreut ein – doch Inna ist Ukrainerin, spricht nur rudimentäres Englisch und verliert die komplexen Details des Wohnungskomplotts allzu leicht aus dem Blick.
449 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2016
59 people are currently reading
926 people want to read
About the author
Marina Lewycka
35 books550 followersMarina Lewycka was a British novelist of Ukrainian origin.
Lewycka was born in a refugee camp in Kiel, Germany after World War II. Her family then moved to England. She was educated at Keele University and worked as a lecturer in media studies at Sheffield Hallam University.
In addition to her fiction, Lewycka has written a number of books giving practical advice for carers of elderly people, published by the charity Age Concern.
Lewycka was born in a refugee camp in Kiel, Germany after World War II. Her family then moved to England. She was educated at Keele University and worked as a lecturer in media studies at Sheffield Hallam University.
In addition to her fiction, Lewycka has written a number of books giving practical advice for carers of elderly people, published by the charity Age Concern.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
March 13, 2016
This is a book which I adored. Aside from the fact that so much of it is bonkers, the underlying theme is the parlous state of its many vibrant and eccentric characters. Bertold, an unemployed actor, tries to ensure that he fulfills his dying mother's wish that he must not lose the flat. The flat is part of a block of flats designed by Lubetkin after whom Bertold is named.
So to ensure that the flat remains his, he brings home the delightful Inna to live with him. That way he hopes to avoid the bedroom tax. The story revolves around the diverse range of characters trying to save the communal gardens. There is a deeper social commentary underpinning much of the humour, It is an entertaining read, my first from Marina Lewycka and I think it is great. Many thanks to the publishers for an ARC via netgalley.
So to ensure that the flat remains his, he brings home the delightful Inna to live with him. That way he hopes to avoid the bedroom tax. The story revolves around the diverse range of characters trying to save the communal gardens. There is a deeper social commentary underpinning much of the humour, It is an entertaining read, my first from Marina Lewycka and I think it is great. Many thanks to the publishers for an ARC via netgalley.
December 5, 2018
I did not have much time to read lately, but had this book on the nightstand for several weeks, reading a paragraph or two whenever time permitted.
I loved the author's other book A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian.
A dry, dark humor, tunnels through the lives of immigrants and born citizens of London, bringing alive a contemporary social palette of people, cultures and commentary. A delightful experience. I actually enjoyed this book more than Tractors, although both books was a deeply satisfying experience.
Some quotes from the book:
What a trog. He goes on like that for ten minutes in a voice like a dentist drill.
and
That stony adversary, belligerent fruitcake, venomous God-botherer, over-coiffed old cow.
Dark humor, with a semi-happy, hopeful ending. A great read! I actually felt left out in the cold when the book ended. Did not want it to end. There was a sort of cliffhanger ending, but it was okay anyway.
I loved the author's other book A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian.
A dry, dark humor, tunnels through the lives of immigrants and born citizens of London, bringing alive a contemporary social palette of people, cultures and commentary. A delightful experience. I actually enjoyed this book more than Tractors, although both books was a deeply satisfying experience.
Some quotes from the book:
What a trog. He goes on like that for ten minutes in a voice like a dentist drill.
and
That stony adversary, belligerent fruitcake, venomous God-botherer, over-coiffed old cow.
Dark humor, with a semi-happy, hopeful ending. A great read! I actually felt left out in the cold when the book ended. Did not want it to end. There was a sort of cliffhanger ending, but it was okay anyway.
June 12, 2016
Any book that celebrates the modernist architect Berthold Lubetkin must have something to recommend it, however ultimately The Lubetkin Legacy is a confused and confusing book. Two concurrent stories, with little to link them, is an unnecessary contrivance, along with numerous, pointless plot digressions. The cliched comedic elements consistently misfire: foreigners with funny accents who get their words wrong, a talking parrot, resting actors, buxom sex-starved women etc.
It’s a shame as there are some interesting ideas and some good characters, and I am sympathetic to the book’s politics which are angry about the death-by-a-thousand-cuts dismantling of the postwar consensus (bedroom tax, privatisation, buy to rent etc etc).
A missed opportunity.
2/5
It’s a shame as there are some interesting ideas and some good characters, and I am sympathetic to the book’s politics which are angry about the death-by-a-thousand-cuts dismantling of the postwar consensus (bedroom tax, privatisation, buy to rent etc etc).
A missed opportunity.
2/5
July 20, 2016
Follow Berthold and Violet who are neighbours in a block of flats in North London. This book alternates in each chapter from Berthold’s point of view to Violet’s and back again. Berthold is however the main character in this modern day novel.
Do not expect an entertaining EastEnders style of reading from this book. The whole story is rather dull and I did not develop an empathy for unemployed actor Berthold. Violet is written in to tease but Stacey will steal her spot.
I was disappointed by The Lubetkin Legacy which is a shame because I so enjoyed Marina’s second novel Two Caravans which I read in 2009 and blogged…
I enjoyed this book and I vote it a HIT. It explores the economic realities of migrant workers here in the UK. Marina clearly has her finger on the pulse. This novel shows the ugly face of capitalism and the characters in this book are the victims, not the heroes. There is romance in this book which is written in the style of a thriller. Marina is a clever writer and her book shows the other side of the coin.
...But The Lubetkin Legacy for me FAILS. It is in a similar mode but is very WEAK. There is no sharpness to this story and my reading experience was DIM. It is NOT a novel to turn new readers ON. Yes, it shows promise but it does not fulfil.
I did like the way Marina worked foreign accents into her text, for example when Inna refers to “Indunky Smeet” who is clearly the present Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in the UK Parliament (Iain Duncan Smith) commonly called IDS, not to be confused with IBS.
The plot of this story is rather tame and has as much thrill as a garden make-over programme on television. Much focus is made of everyday tasks like making hot drinks but even that is sloppy as Marina writes…
He looks confused. ‘My leccy got cut off last week. I should be all right when I start my job.’
...Yet a few paragraphs later on, Marina continues…
The kettle boils and she makes four cups of tea. Len adds a saccharine tablet and sips slowly, which seems to perk him up a bit, though he still looks pale.
...There is also some mild humour, for example…
The agency that found her this flat in Madeley Court specialises in student lettings, and it is furnished with seven narrow beds, seven desks, seven wooden chairs, seven small chests of drawers, and a small round table in the kitchen. How did seven people squeeze into here? Maybe they were dwarves?
…So there you have it, I found The Lubetkin Legacy a disappointment and consider it a POOR read that I will vote just the 2 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Fig Tree for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.
Do not expect an entertaining EastEnders style of reading from this book. The whole story is rather dull and I did not develop an empathy for unemployed actor Berthold. Violet is written in to tease but Stacey will steal her spot.
I was disappointed by The Lubetkin Legacy which is a shame because I so enjoyed Marina’s second novel Two Caravans which I read in 2009 and blogged…
I enjoyed this book and I vote it a HIT. It explores the economic realities of migrant workers here in the UK. Marina clearly has her finger on the pulse. This novel shows the ugly face of capitalism and the characters in this book are the victims, not the heroes. There is romance in this book which is written in the style of a thriller. Marina is a clever writer and her book shows the other side of the coin.
...But The Lubetkin Legacy for me FAILS. It is in a similar mode but is very WEAK. There is no sharpness to this story and my reading experience was DIM. It is NOT a novel to turn new readers ON. Yes, it shows promise but it does not fulfil.
I did like the way Marina worked foreign accents into her text, for example when Inna refers to “Indunky Smeet” who is clearly the present Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in the UK Parliament (Iain Duncan Smith) commonly called IDS, not to be confused with IBS.
The plot of this story is rather tame and has as much thrill as a garden make-over programme on television. Much focus is made of everyday tasks like making hot drinks but even that is sloppy as Marina writes…
He looks confused. ‘My leccy got cut off last week. I should be all right when I start my job.’
...Yet a few paragraphs later on, Marina continues…
The kettle boils and she makes four cups of tea. Len adds a saccharine tablet and sips slowly, which seems to perk him up a bit, though he still looks pale.
...There is also some mild humour, for example…
The agency that found her this flat in Madeley Court specialises in student lettings, and it is furnished with seven narrow beds, seven desks, seven wooden chairs, seven small chests of drawers, and a small round table in the kitchen. How did seven people squeeze into here? Maybe they were dwarves?
…So there you have it, I found The Lubetkin Legacy a disappointment and consider it a POOR read that I will vote just the 2 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Fig Tree for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.
June 17, 2016
This is another winning novel from Marina Lewycka.
The novel took me on a rollercoaster ride. It hit the peaks with some laugh-out-loud humour and then took me deep into pathos.
Lewycka is a masterful creator of characters. I marvel at the way she brings them to life. As an L Plate writer, I look and learn and try not to be overawed.
When one of the main characters in this book, Berthold Sidebottom, first meets Inna in the hospital, and hears her coughing, sees her spitting phlegm into a cardboard receptacle on her bedside table and shakes her hand which is as " bony as a bunch of twigs", I am right there.
When Bert, a one-time Shakespearean actor, has to dress as a coffee bean to make ends meet, I can picture it and feel for him.
I don't think any thinking person could ignore the social commentary that underpins this book. It's a bit Steinbeckian in that way.
There's a quote at the beginning of the book from architect Berthold Lubetkin, who is central to the book: "Nothing is too good for ordinary people."
Well, times have moved on in North London in this book. This is austerity England, which no longer puts ordinary people on such a high pedestal. I had to keep telling myself that Legless Len, one of the tragic characters in the book, is just a fictional character.
The other main player in this book is Violet, a part Kenyan.
Bert's story is told in the first person, hers in third person in separate chapters, which to a student of writing, is a really interesting way of doing things. Only a skilled writer like Lewycka could pull it off, so you probably shouldn't try it at home, kids.
Bert's and Voilet's lives intersect and the differing point of views give the reader a he-said/she-said effect which I found very satisfying and not the least bit grating.
They both have different agendas. Hers take her to Africa where a corrupt business man buys cheap plastic buckets in China and sells them for mighty, murky profit in Kenya.
When I finish most books I'm done with them, no matter how much I enjoyed them. But I suspect this is one of those books that will inhabit my thoughts for some time.
The novel took me on a rollercoaster ride. It hit the peaks with some laugh-out-loud humour and then took me deep into pathos.
Lewycka is a masterful creator of characters. I marvel at the way she brings them to life. As an L Plate writer, I look and learn and try not to be overawed.
When one of the main characters in this book, Berthold Sidebottom, first meets Inna in the hospital, and hears her coughing, sees her spitting phlegm into a cardboard receptacle on her bedside table and shakes her hand which is as " bony as a bunch of twigs", I am right there.
When Bert, a one-time Shakespearean actor, has to dress as a coffee bean to make ends meet, I can picture it and feel for him.
I don't think any thinking person could ignore the social commentary that underpins this book. It's a bit Steinbeckian in that way.
There's a quote at the beginning of the book from architect Berthold Lubetkin, who is central to the book: "Nothing is too good for ordinary people."
Well, times have moved on in North London in this book. This is austerity England, which no longer puts ordinary people on such a high pedestal. I had to keep telling myself that Legless Len, one of the tragic characters in the book, is just a fictional character.
The other main player in this book is Violet, a part Kenyan.
Bert's story is told in the first person, hers in third person in separate chapters, which to a student of writing, is a really interesting way of doing things. Only a skilled writer like Lewycka could pull it off, so you probably shouldn't try it at home, kids.
Bert's and Voilet's lives intersect and the differing point of views give the reader a he-said/she-said effect which I found very satisfying and not the least bit grating.
They both have different agendas. Hers take her to Africa where a corrupt business man buys cheap plastic buckets in China and sells them for mighty, murky profit in Kenya.
When I finish most books I'm done with them, no matter how much I enjoyed them. But I suspect this is one of those books that will inhabit my thoughts for some time.
June 3, 2019
I can’t remember why I requested The Lubetkin Legacy for review, I have a feeling it was to satisfy a challenge. Whatever the reason, I’m glad I did, mostly.
The Lubetkin Legacy is a quirky, rather rambling novel which centres on two characters who live in a social housing block of flats in North London named Mandelay Court.
Berthold Sidebottom has lived in the top floor apartment with his mother, for most of his life. Named after the building’s architect, Berthold Lubetkin, with whom his mother claimed to have an affair, he is In his mid fifties, bald, divorced, and an unemployed actor. When his mother, Lily Lukashenko, dies unexpectedly, Berthold is worried that the council will repossess the flat, and so he invites the elderly Ukrainian widow who shared his mother’s hospital room to live with him and pretend to be his mother, until he can arrange for the transfer of possession.
Violet, Kenyan-born, but mostly raised in England, moves into the apartment next door to Berthold. Barely into her twenties, she is excited to start her first job in a city firm, having recently graduated university, but it quickly begins to lose its shine when she learns of her employers shady financial dealings.
The two characters are only loosely connected, Berthold spends a disturbing amount of time lusting after Violet, who is half his age and barely aware of his existence. In fact the connection is so limited, and Violet’s story so disparate, I don’t think it had a place in this novel at all. Berthold, and his mother substitute, Inna, would have been enough to carry the story.
Though to be honest I struggled with Berthold’s character. He is a bit of a sad sack, fairly useless with the practical, prone to randomly spouting Shakespeare, insulting George Clooney, and often behaves like a sex-starved creep. He is a pitiable figure of a man really, but does occasionally provoke some sympathy. I loved Inna though, her eccentric use of the English language (it’s her fourth, maybe fifth, language) is hilarious.
Despite the farcical presentation of this novel, the main themes of the novel are socio-political, taking aim at the UK’s policy of austerity, privatisation of social housing, the introduction of the bedroom tax, the consequences of the employment scheme, the disintegration of community, and on a larger scale, the misuse of tax havens, greed, exploitation, and corruption.
I liked this, mostly. Despite its many flaws, The Lubetkin Legacy is entertaining and has some important points to make about the failures of social policy.
The Lubetkin Legacy is a quirky, rather rambling novel which centres on two characters who live in a social housing block of flats in North London named Mandelay Court.
Berthold Sidebottom has lived in the top floor apartment with his mother, for most of his life. Named after the building’s architect, Berthold Lubetkin, with whom his mother claimed to have an affair, he is In his mid fifties, bald, divorced, and an unemployed actor. When his mother, Lily Lukashenko, dies unexpectedly, Berthold is worried that the council will repossess the flat, and so he invites the elderly Ukrainian widow who shared his mother’s hospital room to live with him and pretend to be his mother, until he can arrange for the transfer of possession.
Violet, Kenyan-born, but mostly raised in England, moves into the apartment next door to Berthold. Barely into her twenties, she is excited to start her first job in a city firm, having recently graduated university, but it quickly begins to lose its shine when she learns of her employers shady financial dealings.
The two characters are only loosely connected, Berthold spends a disturbing amount of time lusting after Violet, who is half his age and barely aware of his existence. In fact the connection is so limited, and Violet’s story so disparate, I don’t think it had a place in this novel at all. Berthold, and his mother substitute, Inna, would have been enough to carry the story.
Though to be honest I struggled with Berthold’s character. He is a bit of a sad sack, fairly useless with the practical, prone to randomly spouting Shakespeare, insulting George Clooney, and often behaves like a sex-starved creep. He is a pitiable figure of a man really, but does occasionally provoke some sympathy. I loved Inna though, her eccentric use of the English language (it’s her fourth, maybe fifth, language) is hilarious.
Despite the farcical presentation of this novel, the main themes of the novel are socio-political, taking aim at the UK’s policy of austerity, privatisation of social housing, the introduction of the bedroom tax, the consequences of the employment scheme, the disintegration of community, and on a larger scale, the misuse of tax havens, greed, exploitation, and corruption.
I liked this, mostly. Despite its many flaws, The Lubetkin Legacy is entertaining and has some important points to make about the failures of social policy.
August 4, 2016
3.5-4 stars
The Lubetkin Legacy follows Berthold Sidebottom and a young woman called Violet who are both residents in a council flat in London. Their lives become somewhat connected as they mingle with the different types of people found in the apartment block and they both struggle to figure out what they want to do in life - all the while Bert pretends an elderly Ukrainian woman living with him is his recently deceased mother so he won't be kicked out of the spacious flat he's lived in his whole life.
This was a bit of a weird one. It didn't follow a particular plot per se and seemed to go in a different direction every time I felt like I knew where it was heading. But while I saying that, I did enjoy the book. I definitely got what Lewcyka was trying to show us - the absolute diversity that is living in a city like London. The flat had English, Ukranian, Romanaian, African and all sorts of other people, cultures, traditions within it, yet while everyone seemed a bit different on the outside, they were all more or less the same on the inside.
I think I warmed to Bert more than Violet, I felt while Violet grew as a character, there was a bit more life and humor to Bert's story. I did like him but there were times he would think certain things that made him turn into a complete creep and I'd inwardly groan (like calling his penis 'the beast'). He also had a mild obsession with George Clooney. I felt like I didn't quite get enough out of Violet's story, I think I would have liked another chapter or two with her at the end.
The Lubetkin Legacy follows Berthold Sidebottom and a young woman called Violet who are both residents in a council flat in London. Their lives become somewhat connected as they mingle with the different types of people found in the apartment block and they both struggle to figure out what they want to do in life - all the while Bert pretends an elderly Ukrainian woman living with him is his recently deceased mother so he won't be kicked out of the spacious flat he's lived in his whole life.
This was a bit of a weird one. It didn't follow a particular plot per se and seemed to go in a different direction every time I felt like I knew where it was heading. But while I saying that, I did enjoy the book. I definitely got what Lewcyka was trying to show us - the absolute diversity that is living in a city like London. The flat had English, Ukranian, Romanaian, African and all sorts of other people, cultures, traditions within it, yet while everyone seemed a bit different on the outside, they were all more or less the same on the inside.
I think I warmed to Bert more than Violet, I felt while Violet grew as a character, there was a bit more life and humor to Bert's story. I did like him but there were times he would think certain things that made him turn into a complete creep and I'd inwardly groan (like calling his penis 'the beast'). He also had a mild obsession with George Clooney. I felt like I didn't quite get enough out of Violet's story, I think I would have liked another chapter or two with her at the end.
October 6, 2019
This clever book features quirky characters and exhibits a fine sense of the absurd, but it's not nearly as good as Lewycka's A SHORT HISTORY OF TRACTORS IN THE UKRAINE. The main reason, I think, is that the author is too concerned about the political and moral aspects of her plot to give full attention to the people she has created. As a result, they come across as humorous caricatures rather than actual human beings. Violet, the half-Kenyan, half-British neighbor of the main protagonist, was the only member of the rag tag cast who felt real to me.
Meanwhile, we're continually confronted by the horrific lack of compassion shown by the housing authorities and the transcendent greed that seems to drive modern life, both in London and in Nairobi. It's all a bit heavy handed. Though I deplore the actions of Government and Business as much as the author does, I would have preferred a bit more subtlety.
Meanwhile, we're continually confronted by the horrific lack of compassion shown by the housing authorities and the transcendent greed that seems to drive modern life, both in London and in Nairobi. It's all a bit heavy handed. Though I deplore the actions of Government and Business as much as the author does, I would have preferred a bit more subtlety.
Read
June 15, 2020Full disclosure, I am abandoning The Lubetkin Legacy just over 100 pages in. One of my pet peeves is authors constantly writing laughter as ‘ha ha’ and it’s happening repeatedly. I thought to myself “push on anyway”, “just let that wash past you” and then the dinner scene with her boss happened and I just can’t go on. The characters seem to lack depth and do not react in any way that normal people would. It’s reading more like a cheap sitcomm. I’m out.
January 12, 2016
Berthold Sidebotham is an out of work actor. Due to a family tragedy he has ended up living back with his mother in a North London block of flats designed by the architect Lubetkin, after whom Bertold was named and who may or may not have had a relationship with his mother. His mother’s dying words to him are “Don’t lose the flat!” The book’s plot centres on his attempts to follow her instructions. Berthold, in a state of constant puzzlement, haunted by George Clooney and white vans, is swept along by a tide of eccentric characters. Marina Lewycka brilliantly evokes the precarious lives of a cast of fundamentally well meaning people who often grapple with physical and mental impairments, bureaucracy and poverty. The story is both funny and touching and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
(thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy)
(thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy)
April 19, 2017
so... the farcical elements of this novel made the book silly for me, instead of funny and engaging. it was all a bit over-the-top, which would have worked had the story been weighted down a bit more solidly. the characters were caricatures, instead of a fully fleshed out cast. marina lewycka is a fine writer and i totally enjoyed A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. unfortunately, the lubetkin legacy was a disappointment for me.
this review in the guardian sums up how i felt: https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
this review in the guardian sums up how i felt: https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
April 30, 2017
2.5. Readable but plot was weak, lots of inconsistencies
July 24, 2022
Ich denke, es wäre besser gewesen, das Buch im Original zu lesen. Mir hat fast alles gefallen, die skurillen Charaktere, das Setting Sozialbau, der Handlungsverlauf - nur die Art und Weise, wie erzählt wurde, hat es mir sehr schwer gemacht, mich einzufinden und ich vermute, dass das zu einem Teil an der Übersetzung gelegen hat (ganz sicher weiß ich es natürlich nicht). Daher hab ich mich ein bisschen durchgequält und kann leider nicht mehr als zwei Sterne geben, obwohl es wirklich von der Idee her ein sehr witziges Buch ist, das zugleich sehr ernste Themen bearbeitet.
November 2, 2020
In true style of Marina Lewycka, where you feel at home right away among the human imperfections, which she showcases with humor, love and acceptance. Hilarious moments throughout that sometimes had me laughing out loud, and a lovely feel-good closing (although on the Kenyan side it was so unrealistic that it basically backfired, for me at least, turning into a badly jarring note on the otherwise happy book).
June 15, 2020
This book is hilarious to listen to. Strong and sharp characters as well as stereotypical post sovietic old generation ones with old fashioned/ignorant views on different matters. Ridiculous situations and conversations were very funny and even though the end of the story was too cheesy, the general feeling and emotion left is very positive and uplifting 😃
October 8, 2022
Berthold Sidebottom & his Mother Lily Lukashenko & parrot Flossie living in a poor block of flats in Hackney. Their lives interwoven with neighbours Violet from Kenya, wheelchair bound Len, Mrs Crazey (Cracey),schoolboy Arthur & his Dad, coffee shop owner Luigi & Mrs Penny the Council house Officer.
A petition to stop the flat’s garden & cherry trees being demolished and turned into a high rise block pulls these neighbours together.
On the front cover of this book I read ‘Terrific’, Daily Mail, ‘A joy to read’, The Times; I would disagree.
A petition to stop the flat’s garden & cherry trees being demolished and turned into a high rise block pulls these neighbours together.
On the front cover of this book I read ‘Terrific’, Daily Mail, ‘A joy to read’, The Times; I would disagree.
July 16, 2022
Найкраща книжка - коли смішно і сумно водночас. Читаю все, що є українською, цієї авторки
October 1, 2021
Not as good as the couple of other books I've read by this author
I found it quite interesting to start with but lost interest half way through
Did manage to finish it though!
I found it quite interesting to start with but lost interest half way through
Did manage to finish it though!
December 31, 2022
This was quite a funny read, but not to the extent that I would specifically go out of my way to tell people to read this. It was good fun though, especially as a Ukrainian, who grew up in a council flat! The ending was quite mad, befitting in a way the chaos of the interlinking lives at Madeley Court.
June 15, 2022
After a few chapters of this book I was bored but decided I would persevere in case it got better. It did get a bit better in the middle and I was then looking forward to a great ending where all the different stories came together with some major plot twist (or twists) to tie things up. This didn't happen. The last couple of chapters felt rushed and I have so many questions unanswered. I'm glad it's over with so I can pick a different book to read.
October 3, 2022
Characters are 2 dimensional and not developing through out the book. Book itself is not funny. But most of all I did not like stereotypical Ukrainians and mention of various false and controversial narratives about Ukraine that were not really needed or impact the story or characters in any way.
May 31, 2016
Die Hinterlassenschaft
Seine geliebte Mutter stirbt plötzlich und natürlich ist der unbeholfene Berthold Sidebottom untröstlich. Die letzten Worte seiner Mutter lauteten: „Lass sie nicht die Wohnung kriegen!“. Berthold ist zwar schon über fünfzig, doch nach dem Tod seiner kleinen Tochter, an dem auch seine Ehe scheiterte, ist er nicht wieder richtig auf die Füße gekommen. Ein alternder Schauspieler, der stottert, und der mit George Clooney wahrlich nur das Geburtsdatum gemeinsam hat. Und dann gibt es da diese Abgabe für zu große Sozialwohnungen. Um dieser zu entgehen und dennoch nicht ausziehen zu müssen, bittet Berthie eine Bettnachbarin seiner Mutter, die Rolle seiner Mutter gegenüber den Behörden zu übernehmen.
Welche Verwicklungen sind da vorprogrammiert. Bertholds Begegnungen mit den Nachbarn, seine Ersatzmutter, die beim Lügen manchmal zu viel und manchmal überhaupt keine Phantasie entwickelt, die junge Nachbarin Violet, die es Berthie angetan hat und natürlich seine Sozialarbeiterin Eustacia Penny, die er eigentlich nur von Weitem sehen möchte, schließlich könnte gerade sie ihn obdachlos machen. Ein echtes, wenn auch makabres Highlight ist die Bestattung von Bertholds Mutter. Und Innas Akzent ist unnachahmlich, auch wenn sie nicht gerade die ideale Ersatzmutter ist, ihre Kochkünste sind doch bemerkenswert.
Vor dem Hintergrund der alten Sozialwohnungen in London entfaltet Marina Lewycka wieder eine ihrer speziellen Welten, in denen ukrainische Einwanderer häufig eine tragende Rolle einnehmen. Der gescheiterte und vom Leben gezeichnet Berthold unternimmt etliche fast schon waghalsige Klimmzüge, um in seiner Wohnung bleiben zu können. Es gibt genügend Anlässe zum Schmunzeln, doch manchmal bleibt einem das Lachen beinahe im Halse stecken, wenn man mit der rauen Wirklichkeit konfrontiert wird. Man möchte Berthold schütteln, weil er nicht mehr Initiative aufbringt. Man möchte ihn beschützen, wenn die Behörden ihm auf die Pelle rücken. Man möchte ihn als Mittelpunkt in seiner Nachbarschaft sehen, als Retter der Kirschbäume. Doch Berthie ist nur Berthie, der auch etwas Glück verdient hat, das ihm vielleicht eher durch Zufall ereilt oder durch das weise Fäden-ziehen einer Frau.
Marina Lewycka hat einen warmherzigen Roman geschaffen, in dem sie mit einigen köstlichen Szenen aufwartet. Auch wenn man in einigen Momenten nicht ganz nachvollziehen kann wieso Berthold so durch sein Leben schlurft, fühlt man schließlich doch von der Welt, in der Berthold lebt, umarmt.
Seine geliebte Mutter stirbt plötzlich und natürlich ist der unbeholfene Berthold Sidebottom untröstlich. Die letzten Worte seiner Mutter lauteten: „Lass sie nicht die Wohnung kriegen!“. Berthold ist zwar schon über fünfzig, doch nach dem Tod seiner kleinen Tochter, an dem auch seine Ehe scheiterte, ist er nicht wieder richtig auf die Füße gekommen. Ein alternder Schauspieler, der stottert, und der mit George Clooney wahrlich nur das Geburtsdatum gemeinsam hat. Und dann gibt es da diese Abgabe für zu große Sozialwohnungen. Um dieser zu entgehen und dennoch nicht ausziehen zu müssen, bittet Berthie eine Bettnachbarin seiner Mutter, die Rolle seiner Mutter gegenüber den Behörden zu übernehmen.
Welche Verwicklungen sind da vorprogrammiert. Bertholds Begegnungen mit den Nachbarn, seine Ersatzmutter, die beim Lügen manchmal zu viel und manchmal überhaupt keine Phantasie entwickelt, die junge Nachbarin Violet, die es Berthie angetan hat und natürlich seine Sozialarbeiterin Eustacia Penny, die er eigentlich nur von Weitem sehen möchte, schließlich könnte gerade sie ihn obdachlos machen. Ein echtes, wenn auch makabres Highlight ist die Bestattung von Bertholds Mutter. Und Innas Akzent ist unnachahmlich, auch wenn sie nicht gerade die ideale Ersatzmutter ist, ihre Kochkünste sind doch bemerkenswert.
Vor dem Hintergrund der alten Sozialwohnungen in London entfaltet Marina Lewycka wieder eine ihrer speziellen Welten, in denen ukrainische Einwanderer häufig eine tragende Rolle einnehmen. Der gescheiterte und vom Leben gezeichnet Berthold unternimmt etliche fast schon waghalsige Klimmzüge, um in seiner Wohnung bleiben zu können. Es gibt genügend Anlässe zum Schmunzeln, doch manchmal bleibt einem das Lachen beinahe im Halse stecken, wenn man mit der rauen Wirklichkeit konfrontiert wird. Man möchte Berthold schütteln, weil er nicht mehr Initiative aufbringt. Man möchte ihn beschützen, wenn die Behörden ihm auf die Pelle rücken. Man möchte ihn als Mittelpunkt in seiner Nachbarschaft sehen, als Retter der Kirschbäume. Doch Berthie ist nur Berthie, der auch etwas Glück verdient hat, das ihm vielleicht eher durch Zufall ereilt oder durch das weise Fäden-ziehen einer Frau.
Marina Lewycka hat einen warmherzigen Roman geschaffen, in dem sie mit einigen köstlichen Szenen aufwartet. Auch wenn man in einigen Momenten nicht ganz nachvollziehen kann wieso Berthold so durch sein Leben schlurft, fühlt man schließlich doch von der Welt, in der Berthold lebt, umarmt.
February 10, 2016
The Lubetkin Legacy by Marina Lewycka was a goodreads win
I loved the cover of the book, bright and cheerful – a block of flats, ribbon wrapped; a parrot; a one legged pigeon and cherry blossom.
The block of council flats were designed by Berthold Lubikin and one flat was allegedly promised to Lily for herself and children. Lily had a complex marital history, which resulted in various people coming forward to claim the flat when she died. Her dying wish was for her son Bertie Sidebottom to keep the flat.
Bertie has a past life which contained a wife and child, which is now lost. He moved back to live with his mother, now she has died and he cannot find work.
Government policy is against him. To avoid the one bedroom tax, he invites an old lady, Inna, whom Lily befriended in hospital to come and live with him. He is an aspiring actor, passionate about Shakespeare, but has to accept a job which entails dressing as a coffee bean, in order to continue with his job seekers allowance. Building policy will probably destroy the cherry trees on the communal land by the flats – so even the one legged pigeon is not safe! His one legged neighbour is having his disability allowance evaluated, with devastating consequences.
The book is full of colourful characters of many nationalities. Inna is of some Eastern European origin. She is described as ‘A crone with long silver hair and hands as bony as a bunch of twigs’. She speaks several languages, but has not fully mastered English, so her utterings are very amusing e.g hysterity instead of austerity. When her story emerges it is one of displacement and hardship due to war and its aftermath. This is echoed in the book when a group of migrants turn up and camp under the cherry trees. They are seeking a new, better life, but have nowhere to go.
Violet is of African origin. She has come to England to better herself, but is devastated to realise that new job in finance involves shady deals and corruption.
The book is written in a crisp, amusing manner, but underneath there is a poignancy. The flats represent a place of belonging and community which is falling apart – how will it all end?
I loved the cover of the book, bright and cheerful – a block of flats, ribbon wrapped; a parrot; a one legged pigeon and cherry blossom.
The block of council flats were designed by Berthold Lubikin and one flat was allegedly promised to Lily for herself and children. Lily had a complex marital history, which resulted in various people coming forward to claim the flat when she died. Her dying wish was for her son Bertie Sidebottom to keep the flat.
Bertie has a past life which contained a wife and child, which is now lost. He moved back to live with his mother, now she has died and he cannot find work.
Government policy is against him. To avoid the one bedroom tax, he invites an old lady, Inna, whom Lily befriended in hospital to come and live with him. He is an aspiring actor, passionate about Shakespeare, but has to accept a job which entails dressing as a coffee bean, in order to continue with his job seekers allowance. Building policy will probably destroy the cherry trees on the communal land by the flats – so even the one legged pigeon is not safe! His one legged neighbour is having his disability allowance evaluated, with devastating consequences.
The book is full of colourful characters of many nationalities. Inna is of some Eastern European origin. She is described as ‘A crone with long silver hair and hands as bony as a bunch of twigs’. She speaks several languages, but has not fully mastered English, so her utterings are very amusing e.g hysterity instead of austerity. When her story emerges it is one of displacement and hardship due to war and its aftermath. This is echoed in the book when a group of migrants turn up and camp under the cherry trees. They are seeking a new, better life, but have nowhere to go.
Violet is of African origin. She has come to England to better herself, but is devastated to realise that new job in finance involves shady deals and corruption.
The book is written in a crisp, amusing manner, but underneath there is a poignancy. The flats represent a place of belonging and community which is falling apart – how will it all end?
May 24, 2024
Mir fällt es unfassbar schwer, dieses Buch zu bewerten. Auf der einen Seite, hatte ich eigentlich nie große Lust weiter zu lesen, wenn ich das Buch gerade nicht in der Hand hatte. Andererseits hatte ich großen Spaß am lesen, wenn ich es dann doch mal wieder zur Hand genommen hatte. Die Geschichte zeichnet sich nicht durch Spannung aus, sie ist viel mehr ein Portrait von Menschen in einem sozialen Wohnblock. Ich mochte die Charaktere, auch oder gerade weil sie alle ein klein bisschen verrückt waren, und sich wohltuend vom Einheitsbrei abgehoben haben. Allerdings fand ich es an zwei drei Stellen anstrengend aus Bertholds Sicht zu lesen, wenn er wieder mal niemanden zugehört hat, oder zu Wort kommen hat lassen, sondern die ganze Zeit nur Shakespeare rezitiert hat. Das Buch setzt sich aus zwei komplett verschiedenen Handlungssträngen zusammen. Einmal begleitet man Violet und einmal Berthold. Schade hierbei fand ich allerdings, dass sich die Handlungsstränge nur in der Mitte des Buches treffen, aber gegen Ende wieder komplett auseinander driften. Auch hat es mich etwas im Lesefluss gestört, dass Bertholds Teil der Geschichte aus der Ich-Perspektive geschrieben wurde und Violets Teil in dritter Person. Es gab aber auch einige sprachliche Spielereien, die mehr sehr positiv aufgefallen sind. z.B.
"An der Tür stand ihr Name neben vier anderen. Sie klangen eher nach einer Truppe internationaler Versager als nach Staatsdienern. Mr Matt Longweil, Mr En Nuy Yeux, Mr Fred Treg, Miss Ignacia Noiosa, Mrs Eustachia Penny."
Hier stehen die Namen der Beamten alle für matt, träge und langweilig. Ich liebe solche Details in Büchern. Auch fand ich den Humor in diesem Buch einfach super. Es war kein Gagfeuerwerk, aber ich musste doch an einigen Stellen lachen. Alles in allem fand ich die Geschichte die erzählt wurde eigentlich ganz gut, auch wenn sie nicht unbedingt spannend war.
Ich gebe dem Buch drei Sterne, da dies laut Goodreads ja "i liked it" bedeutet. Und genau das hab ich getan. Nicht mehr und nicht weniger. Ich würde das Buch dennoch nicht jedem empfehlen, da es doch etwas spezieller ist, und wie ich denke nicht undbedingt die Massen anspricht.
"An der Tür stand ihr Name neben vier anderen. Sie klangen eher nach einer Truppe internationaler Versager als nach Staatsdienern. Mr Matt Longweil, Mr En Nuy Yeux, Mr Fred Treg, Miss Ignacia Noiosa, Mrs Eustachia Penny."
Hier stehen die Namen der Beamten alle für matt, träge und langweilig. Ich liebe solche Details in Büchern. Auch fand ich den Humor in diesem Buch einfach super. Es war kein Gagfeuerwerk, aber ich musste doch an einigen Stellen lachen. Alles in allem fand ich die Geschichte die erzählt wurde eigentlich ganz gut, auch wenn sie nicht unbedingt spannend war.
Ich gebe dem Buch drei Sterne, da dies laut Goodreads ja "i liked it" bedeutet. Und genau das hab ich getan. Nicht mehr und nicht weniger. Ich würde das Buch dennoch nicht jedem empfehlen, da es doch etwas spezieller ist, und wie ich denke nicht undbedingt die Massen anspricht.
May 7, 2016
Marina Lewycka is best known for writing A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. This book, already shortlisted for the annual Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse prize (which the Short History won back in 2005) might beat it into the shadows!
It’s set in North London in modern day. Berthold Sidebottom (named for the architect Berthold Lubetkin who his mother hints might be his real father) invites an old Ukrainian lady to move into his mother’s flat with him, after his mother befriended her in the hospital as she lay dying.
This might sound like a mad thing to do but grief makes you mad – as does the chance you might lose your council flat!
His next door neighbour Violet is discovering that her new job in International Wealth Preservation is not as glamourous as it sounds, in fact she feels rather dirty helping ridiculously rich people profit from the poor and avoid paying taxes. When their flats are threatened by a new development Violet galvanises the residents into action, even the greiving Berthold.
This book is so clever and so so funny. It is multi-layered with a host of multi-faceted characters. It is a love letter to a London that is fast vanishing and a persausive missive to everyone to commit to community spirit. It’s a keleidoscope – with every twist and turn it shows a different pattern created by the colourful characters, and you’re never sure what pattern will be revealed next.
There are mysteries, drama’s, romances, crimes, humour, pathos and victories in this book. I fell in love with Victoria and with Berthold’s mum pretty much as soon as I met them, and my creeping sympathy for Berthold grew stronger with every struggle he faced.
Grab yourself this book now!
NB I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in return for an honest review. It appeared first on The BookEaters Blog - http://www.thebookeaters.co.uk/the-lu...
It’s set in North London in modern day. Berthold Sidebottom (named for the architect Berthold Lubetkin who his mother hints might be his real father) invites an old Ukrainian lady to move into his mother’s flat with him, after his mother befriended her in the hospital as she lay dying.
This might sound like a mad thing to do but grief makes you mad – as does the chance you might lose your council flat!
His next door neighbour Violet is discovering that her new job in International Wealth Preservation is not as glamourous as it sounds, in fact she feels rather dirty helping ridiculously rich people profit from the poor and avoid paying taxes. When their flats are threatened by a new development Violet galvanises the residents into action, even the greiving Berthold.
This book is so clever and so so funny. It is multi-layered with a host of multi-faceted characters. It is a love letter to a London that is fast vanishing and a persausive missive to everyone to commit to community spirit. It’s a keleidoscope – with every twist and turn it shows a different pattern created by the colourful characters, and you’re never sure what pattern will be revealed next.
There are mysteries, drama’s, romances, crimes, humour, pathos and victories in this book. I fell in love with Victoria and with Berthold’s mum pretty much as soon as I met them, and my creeping sympathy for Berthold grew stronger with every struggle he faced.
Grab yourself this book now!
NB I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in return for an honest review. It appeared first on The BookEaters Blog - http://www.thebookeaters.co.uk/the-lu...
June 7, 2016
A farcical take on the Bedroom Tax and much more.
Oh dear! I absolutely loved A Short History of Tractors in the Ukraine and when I was offered this book to review I was so excited and felt sure that it would once again show Marina Lewycka as a brilliant, funny and very clever author but unfortunately, it has failed miserably to make me even give a half-smile.
I know that Marina Lewycka likes wacky characters, one of the reasons A Short Story of History of Tractors in the Ukraine was such a success and possibly I could have grown to like Berthold Sidebottom (is this last name supposed to make us smile?) who is desperate to hold onto his council flat after his mother’s passing. He is an actor, not just any actor but a Shakespearian actor, who is “resting” (except that he’s been “resting” for years). And to help him tell his story of trying to cling to this flat, we have people like Inna (an elderly lady who Bertie meets as she’s his mother’s neighbour in hospital. I can understand that we’re going to meet other equally eccentric people, but seriously Marina, did you have to include that she is “an ancient crone with grey, wrinkled skin, was clearing her throat with a horrible outpouring of phlegm into a cardboard receptacle” (which then starts overflowing!) And that’s when I realised that no matter how the rest of the story panned out, I would not be able to enjoy the story any further.
I was looking forward to reading a light-hearted, funny book filled with characters who would make me laugh, but unfortunately, this did not happen!
Treebeard
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
Oh dear! I absolutely loved A Short History of Tractors in the Ukraine and when I was offered this book to review I was so excited and felt sure that it would once again show Marina Lewycka as a brilliant, funny and very clever author but unfortunately, it has failed miserably to make me even give a half-smile.
I know that Marina Lewycka likes wacky characters, one of the reasons A Short Story of History of Tractors in the Ukraine was such a success and possibly I could have grown to like Berthold Sidebottom (is this last name supposed to make us smile?) who is desperate to hold onto his council flat after his mother’s passing. He is an actor, not just any actor but a Shakespearian actor, who is “resting” (except that he’s been “resting” for years). And to help him tell his story of trying to cling to this flat, we have people like Inna (an elderly lady who Bertie meets as she’s his mother’s neighbour in hospital. I can understand that we’re going to meet other equally eccentric people, but seriously Marina, did you have to include that she is “an ancient crone with grey, wrinkled skin, was clearing her throat with a horrible outpouring of phlegm into a cardboard receptacle” (which then starts overflowing!) And that’s when I realised that no matter how the rest of the story panned out, I would not be able to enjoy the story any further.
I was looking forward to reading a light-hearted, funny book filled with characters who would make me laugh, but unfortunately, this did not happen!
Treebeard
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
May 31, 2016
Als Bertholds Mutter stirbt, wirft ihn das nicht nur emotional aus der Bahn: seine Wohnung ist bedroht, denn diese subventionierte Unterkunft war nun einmal an Lily geknüpft. Das Amt muss also überzeugt werden, dass diese doch noch lebt und kurzerhand zieht Inna ein. Was die quirlige und bisweilen verwirrte Ukrainerin alles durcheinanderwirbeln wird, ahnt der erfolgs- und arbeitslose Schauspieler da noch nicht. Bald schon steckt er inmitten größter Scherereien. Auch in der Liebe will es nicht so klappen, aber vielleicht gibt es doch noch Hoffnung.
Einmal mehr ein hochgradig skurriler Roman von Marina Lewycka. Wie auch schon in anderen Romanen besticht dieser durch unbeschreibliche Charaktere, die liebevoll bis ins letzte Detail durchdacht sind und ihre Rollen durchgängig überzeugend ausfüllen. Dies ist eine der ganz großen Stärken des Romans. Daneben bestechen der Wortwitz und insbesondere der Sprachenmix, der immer wieder zu Missverständnissen und herrlichen Dialogen führt, so dass das Lesen eine reine Freude ist. Leider bleibt die Handlung etwas auf der Strecke. Insgesamt passiert wenig, der gesamte Handlungsstrang um Violet war zwar interessant, aber letztlich mit der Haupthandlung nicht in Zusammenhang zu bringen und am Ende fast überflüssig. Auch hatte ich den Eindruck, dass hier unterschwellig zu viele Widererkennungen aus anderen Romanen sind – etwas mehr Innovation wäre gut gewesen.
Für den Roman als solches bleiben für mich nur 3 Sterne, für die unglaubliche Sprachakrobatik leg ich noch einen drauf.
Einmal mehr ein hochgradig skurriler Roman von Marina Lewycka. Wie auch schon in anderen Romanen besticht dieser durch unbeschreibliche Charaktere, die liebevoll bis ins letzte Detail durchdacht sind und ihre Rollen durchgängig überzeugend ausfüllen. Dies ist eine der ganz großen Stärken des Romans. Daneben bestechen der Wortwitz und insbesondere der Sprachenmix, der immer wieder zu Missverständnissen und herrlichen Dialogen führt, so dass das Lesen eine reine Freude ist. Leider bleibt die Handlung etwas auf der Strecke. Insgesamt passiert wenig, der gesamte Handlungsstrang um Violet war zwar interessant, aber letztlich mit der Haupthandlung nicht in Zusammenhang zu bringen und am Ende fast überflüssig. Auch hatte ich den Eindruck, dass hier unterschwellig zu viele Widererkennungen aus anderen Romanen sind – etwas mehr Innovation wäre gut gewesen.
Für den Roman als solches bleiben für mich nur 3 Sterne, für die unglaubliche Sprachakrobatik leg ich noch einen drauf.
June 21, 2016
I don't really like farces and misunderstandings, which even though they are obvious, no one seems to care about. So I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. I requested it on the basis of Marina Lewycka's first book, which I never got around to reading and everyone raved about.
The plot is rather far fetched in fact it is probably further than out than that! I decided to just go with it and see what happened.
Berthold invites Inna to live with him and pretend to be his dead Mother. I must say that Inna was a fabulous character. It took me a while to understand her dialect - as she urged everyone to "it it" which I worked out to mean "eat it".
Inna played the part of Mother very well, despite being confused about who she was meant to be, in fact maybe she isn't confused at all but rather astute. Then there is the council official who she must convince that she is Berthold's Mother, can she do it?........
In amongst all of this are other characters with microcosms of life being displayed and dissected by the author. Each of the stories plays out on its own, but comes back to be a part of the story of Berthold and Inna.
A very clever book which has more depth to it than you maybe realise when reading it. Only afterwards did I look back and truly appreciate how insightful it was, whilst also being entertaining.
Oh and those misunderstandings - seems some of them knew all along and were just going along with it so that helped with my need for order.
I am giving this book 4 out of 5 stars.
My thanks go to Netgalley for a copy of this book to review.
The plot is rather far fetched in fact it is probably further than out than that! I decided to just go with it and see what happened.
Berthold invites Inna to live with him and pretend to be his dead Mother. I must say that Inna was a fabulous character. It took me a while to understand her dialect - as she urged everyone to "it it" which I worked out to mean "eat it".
Inna played the part of Mother very well, despite being confused about who she was meant to be, in fact maybe she isn't confused at all but rather astute. Then there is the council official who she must convince that she is Berthold's Mother, can she do it?........
In amongst all of this are other characters with microcosms of life being displayed and dissected by the author. Each of the stories plays out on its own, but comes back to be a part of the story of Berthold and Inna.
A very clever book which has more depth to it than you maybe realise when reading it. Only afterwards did I look back and truly appreciate how insightful it was, whilst also being entertaining.
Oh and those misunderstandings - seems some of them knew all along and were just going along with it so that helped with my need for order.
I am giving this book 4 out of 5 stars.
My thanks go to Netgalley for a copy of this book to review.
November 10, 2019
The book is a mish mash of crazy and hilarious characters living a chaotic life amongst the daily drudgery. Let me give you a potpourri words to figure which came together to make a well rounded story-
London, Lubetikin, Ukraine, world war 2, Shakespeare, Nairobi, financial aid, slatki, Nazi, vodka, cherry blossoms, George Clooney, Waiting for Godot...
Now all these are not co- related but the different characters come together in a London housing society with a background on international aid and Stammering of Berthold, our middle aged stammering bafoon of a hero... he meets many women in the story and falls eventually in love to the most unexpected one. Despite the sad start and tragic lives of all, it does end up to be a happy conclusion. That’s what Marina does she gives you babbling idiotic protagonists in a complex serious world, but everything ends well thanks to luck and love rather than logic. She throws I a bit of her background history from Ukraine which is to say that you write what you know, and that is always my favorite part of her books.
Her previous book ‘The short history of tractors in Ukraine’ was definitely much better but this is a good read, well written, with a balanced story line and good character sketches, and leaves you with a feeling that eventually all turns out to be well.
London, Lubetikin, Ukraine, world war 2, Shakespeare, Nairobi, financial aid, slatki, Nazi, vodka, cherry blossoms, George Clooney, Waiting for Godot...
Now all these are not co- related but the different characters come together in a London housing society with a background on international aid and Stammering of Berthold, our middle aged stammering bafoon of a hero... he meets many women in the story and falls eventually in love to the most unexpected one. Despite the sad start and tragic lives of all, it does end up to be a happy conclusion. That’s what Marina does she gives you babbling idiotic protagonists in a complex serious world, but everything ends well thanks to luck and love rather than logic. She throws I a bit of her background history from Ukraine which is to say that you write what you know, and that is always my favorite part of her books.
Her previous book ‘The short history of tractors in Ukraine’ was definitely much better but this is a good read, well written, with a balanced story line and good character sketches, and leaves you with a feeling that eventually all turns out to be well.
May 18, 2016
Berthold Sidebottom is a middle-aged failed actor living with his mother in a large council flat in a North London block designed by Berthold Lubetkin. However when his mother dies Berthold is in danger of losing the tenancy and comes up with a radical plan, inviting a casual acquaintance of his mother's, Inna, into the flat. Inna is Ukrainian and takes over Berthold's life. Meanwhile, in the next door flat, Kenyan Violet is struggling with the morals of her job working in Wealth Management. When the Council decides to redevelop the grounds around the block of flats the residents are drawn together to save the legacy of Lubetkin's vision.
As with all Lewycka's books the superficial comedy can be stripped away to reveal serious social issues. Here there are many, the common themes of immigration and corruption are explored from many perspectives. Inna is a comic character with a tragic backstory, Berthold is a failure who sees a renaissance and Violet realises her values are more important than success and money. Whilst Berthold's mother only appears at the start of the story she is a huge influence on all. Beautifully written, entertaining but also thought provoking, I really loved this book.
As with all Lewycka's books the superficial comedy can be stripped away to reveal serious social issues. Here there are many, the common themes of immigration and corruption are explored from many perspectives. Inna is a comic character with a tragic backstory, Berthold is a failure who sees a renaissance and Violet realises her values are more important than success and money. Whilst Berthold's mother only appears at the start of the story she is a huge influence on all. Beautifully written, entertaining but also thought provoking, I really loved this book.
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