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The Whole Day Through
From the bestselling author of A PLACE CALLED WINTER, Patrick Gale's THE WHOLE DAY THROUGH is the beautiful structured story of the choices we make when we come face to face with our past.
'Wry, clever, faultlessly crafted' Guardian
'Poignant and acutely observed' Daily Express Laura Lewis has left her life in Paris and returned home to Winchester to care for her aging, but still sharp mother. Ben has moved away from his beautiful and loyal wife to support his brother, living alone since their mother's death. A chance encounter reminds them both of the relationship - and the spark - they once shared. In the course of a single summer's day, they come face to face with the feelings of love and regret they share, and the choices they must make; whether to be true to themselves, or to what they believe is the right thing to do.
'Wry, clever, faultlessly crafted' Guardian
'Poignant and acutely observed' Daily Express Laura Lewis has left her life in Paris and returned home to Winchester to care for her aging, but still sharp mother. Ben has moved away from his beautiful and loyal wife to support his brother, living alone since their mother's death. A chance encounter reminds them both of the relationship - and the spark - they once shared. In the course of a single summer's day, they come face to face with the feelings of love and regret they share, and the choices they must make; whether to be true to themselves, or to what they believe is the right thing to do.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
45 people are currently reading
426 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Gale
43 books705 followersPatrick was born on 31 January 1962 on the Isle of Wight, where his father was prison governor at Camp Hill, as his grandfather had been at nearby Parkhurst. He was the youngest of four; one sister, two brothers, spread over ten years. The family moved to London, where his father ran Wandsworth Prison, then to Winchester. At eight Patrick began boarding as a Winchester College Quirister at the cathedral choir school, Pilgrim's. At thirteen he went on to Winchester College. He finished his formal education with an English degree from New College, Oxford in 1983.
He has never had a grown-up job. For three years he lived at a succession of addresses, from a Notting Hill bedsit to a crumbling French chateau. While working on his first novels he eked out his slender income with odd jobs; as a typist, a singing waiter, a designer's secretary, a ghost-writer for an encyclopedia of the musical and, increasingly, as a book reviewer.
His first two novels, The Aerodynamics of Pork and Ease were published by Abacus on the same day in June 1986. The following year he moved to Camelford near the north coast of Cornwall and began a love affair with the county that has fed his work ever since.
He now lives in the far west, on a farm near Land's End with his husband, Aidan Hicks. There they raise beef cattle and grow barley. Patrick is obsessed with the garden they have created in what must be one of England's windiest sites and deeply resents the time his writing makes him spend away from working in it. As well as gardening, he plays both the modern and baroque cello. His chief extravagance in life is opera tickets.
He has never had a grown-up job. For three years he lived at a succession of addresses, from a Notting Hill bedsit to a crumbling French chateau. While working on his first novels he eked out his slender income with odd jobs; as a typist, a singing waiter, a designer's secretary, a ghost-writer for an encyclopedia of the musical and, increasingly, as a book reviewer.
His first two novels, The Aerodynamics of Pork and Ease were published by Abacus on the same day in June 1986. The following year he moved to Camelford near the north coast of Cornwall and began a love affair with the county that has fed his work ever since.
He now lives in the far west, on a farm near Land's End with his husband, Aidan Hicks. There they raise beef cattle and grow barley. Patrick is obsessed with the garden they have created in what must be one of England's windiest sites and deeply resents the time his writing makes him spend away from working in it. As well as gardening, he plays both the modern and baroque cello. His chief extravagance in life is opera tickets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
September 5, 2025
Sometimes just a few weeks (like in this case) after reading a book, I genuinely can't remember what it was about, because it had that little impact on me, I get the gist of it, and how it was written, but can't for the life of me remember how it ended! A 40 odd year old woman gives up her independence to care for her mother where she bumps into the 'love of her life' Ben, who's still married. Will they go for it? I don't know, I'll have to read it a third time, and tell in that review. AN understated drama covering mortality, disability, aging, naturalism, class-division and attraction of course. A Two Star, 5 out of 12 read that couldn't even be saved by the shenanigans of the gay Downs Syndrome character. :)
2025 and 2009 read
2025 and 2009 read
October 10, 2015
“… he remembered her sleeveless dress was simple and fairly short, the colour of a favourite pair of suede shoes….a brown somewhere between bread crust and butterscotch. It was either very well cut or she had an excellent figure; without her inside it would surely have looked like a sack. Her arms and legs were slightly tanned and her short hair hung across her face as she arched backwards. She was anonymous and elegant, and elegance in a busy general hospital was as unexpected as dancing”
The Whole Day Through is the fourteenth novel by British author, Patrick Gale. Ben Patterson and Laura Lewis have not seen each other for twenty years when they run into each other by chance in a Winchester hospital. Ben works in the hospital’s Genitourinary Medicine clinic while providing support for his Downs Syndrome younger brother, Bobby. His wife, Chloe, is living in London. Laura has recently returned to England from Paris to be the carer for her elderly mother, an eminent virologist who is mentally sharp but physically debilitated. “Ben had just begun to admit to himself that he was happier away from Chloe than with her…when he ran into Laura in the hospital”: he asks Laura out.
The narrative alternates between Ben and Laura, and extends over the length of a whole day, some weeks after their chance encounter. As each goes through the routine of their day, they examine the life they have now, the events that have brought them to this point, and remember the course of their earlier relationship, twenty years previous. By alternating the narrative, Gale presents two versions of events, two points of view which, naturally, do not always correspond.
Gale has a marvellous talent for slowly revealing his characters: their strengths and weaknesses, their good qualities and their faults and failings. Their ideas and opinions, their reasoning and rationale, their emotions are all expertly conveyed: “He had retained few close friends and they were all married, child-bearingly and happily so, apparently, and to voice doubts about a marriage to anyone in such a tight-knit group was to unstopper a baleful genie”.
As always, his descriptive prose is wonderfully evocative, capturing mood and ambience with consummate ease. “…she felt her unvoiced anger breaking out at last as a flush on her face and a tremor in her hands and jaw and a sense that everything around her – the visitors with their reused plastic bags, the too chirpy porters, the nurses sullen with exhaustion, the amateur art lining the corridor along which she strode – seemed an affront to her senses” and “At that time of year she enjoyed looking up from her magnificent seat to explore the farther reaches of the vaulting and tracery with her eyes. In the winter months there was a different pleasure to be had from the vast darkness of the church around them and the sense of the quire as a pool of light in a forest of nocturnal stone” are just two examples.
Fans of Gale’s earlier work will not be disappointed in this bittersweet love story. Beautifully written.
4.5★s
The Whole Day Through is the fourteenth novel by British author, Patrick Gale. Ben Patterson and Laura Lewis have not seen each other for twenty years when they run into each other by chance in a Winchester hospital. Ben works in the hospital’s Genitourinary Medicine clinic while providing support for his Downs Syndrome younger brother, Bobby. His wife, Chloe, is living in London. Laura has recently returned to England from Paris to be the carer for her elderly mother, an eminent virologist who is mentally sharp but physically debilitated. “Ben had just begun to admit to himself that he was happier away from Chloe than with her…when he ran into Laura in the hospital”: he asks Laura out.
The narrative alternates between Ben and Laura, and extends over the length of a whole day, some weeks after their chance encounter. As each goes through the routine of their day, they examine the life they have now, the events that have brought them to this point, and remember the course of their earlier relationship, twenty years previous. By alternating the narrative, Gale presents two versions of events, two points of view which, naturally, do not always correspond.
Gale has a marvellous talent for slowly revealing his characters: their strengths and weaknesses, their good qualities and their faults and failings. Their ideas and opinions, their reasoning and rationale, their emotions are all expertly conveyed: “He had retained few close friends and they were all married, child-bearingly and happily so, apparently, and to voice doubts about a marriage to anyone in such a tight-knit group was to unstopper a baleful genie”.
As always, his descriptive prose is wonderfully evocative, capturing mood and ambience with consummate ease. “…she felt her unvoiced anger breaking out at last as a flush on her face and a tremor in her hands and jaw and a sense that everything around her – the visitors with their reused plastic bags, the too chirpy porters, the nurses sullen with exhaustion, the amateur art lining the corridor along which she strode – seemed an affront to her senses” and “At that time of year she enjoyed looking up from her magnificent seat to explore the farther reaches of the vaulting and tracery with her eyes. In the winter months there was a different pleasure to be had from the vast darkness of the church around them and the sense of the quire as a pool of light in a forest of nocturnal stone” are just two examples.
Fans of Gale’s earlier work will not be disappointed in this bittersweet love story. Beautifully written.
4.5★s
October 31, 2017
I loved this story although I do have two (slight!) criticisms:
....one: I didn't like the way Laura's mother was always referred to as "mummy" - eeugh, makes me cringe!
....two: the ending caught me by surprise! I thought I'd a good few pages to go but there's an "Ideas, Interviews & Features" section at the end which is 20+ pages long.
Two very minor gripes there which in no way spoiled my enjoyment of the book.
....one: I didn't like the way Laura's mother was always referred to as "mummy" - eeugh, makes me cringe!
....two: the ending caught me by surprise! I thought I'd a good few pages to go but there's an "Ideas, Interviews & Features" section at the end which is 20+ pages long.
Two very minor gripes there which in no way spoiled my enjoyment of the book.
March 9, 2010
I was in two minds whether to give this three or four stars. It's the fourth Patrick Gale I've read and I agree with other reviewers that it's not as good as some of his previous works.
For me, the main problems were towards the start of the book where uncharacteristically poor sentence structure had me reading back and forth to make sure I'd understood the meaning. It was then a battle for the book to improve in my estimation, although it did succeed in this eventually.
I will read more of Gale's work - I think this one could have been a much better book with some careful editing.
For me, the main problems were towards the start of the book where uncharacteristically poor sentence structure had me reading back and forth to make sure I'd understood the meaning. It was then a battle for the book to improve in my estimation, although it did succeed in this eventually.
I will read more of Gale's work - I think this one could have been a much better book with some careful editing.
December 16, 2018
Having read 3 of Patrick gale's books before, I was greatly looking forward to this book. However it never really gelled - a serious of tableaux and essays on a theme rather than a cohesive book. At least it was short! Try a place called winter instead.
March 25, 2022
Short story and just ok, there are some really touching bits but it really lacks in terms of story. It's basically a series of situations involving Ben who is a Dr, his brother Bobby, his wife Chloe, his lost love Laura and Laura's "mummy" Dr Jellicoe (which sounds like a character from the League Of Gentlemen). It covers subjects of relationships, disability, sexually transmitted diseases, downs syndrome and naturism. I think with Patrick Gale I've got to the stage where a good book from him just feels alike a little bit of a disappointment.
August 12, 2013
A brilliant book. Lyrical in style it tells a love story full of regret and missed opportunity. The characters are the sort that stay with you long after you've finished reading. I can't recommend this book and others by the same author highly enough.
January 26, 2024
A light and easy read. Not up to Notes from an Exhibition or Mother’s Boy.
A tale of love and relationships.
Two people, former lovers, are reunited when each has to return to Winchester, she to care for her elderly mother, he to look out for his disabled brother.
The relationship between Ben and his brother (Down’s syndrome and gay) is particularly well drawn.
As often Gale sets the story in a place he loves.
A tale of love and relationships.
Two people, former lovers, are reunited when each has to return to Winchester, she to care for her elderly mother, he to look out for his disabled brother.
The relationship between Ben and his brother (Down’s syndrome and gay) is particularly well drawn.
As often Gale sets the story in a place he loves.
August 8, 2018
Deux étudiants s'aimaient il y a 20 ans. Ils se revoient et s'aiment à nouveau mais ils ont leur vie chacun de leur côté.
July 21, 2021
A deftly told, rather wistful novel with lovely light and shade.
August 9, 2021
My heart ❤️❤️❤️❤️💔
December 8, 2010
This looks to be the sixth of Patrick Gale's books that I've read in 15 months since discovering Notes From an Exhibition. As you can gather from that I've been enjoying them a lot. I've been spacing the back catalogue out rather than gorging on it.
This one isn't back catalogue - it's a new release - and I didn't like it as much as the older stuff. It's not as sweeping in it's scale as some of the books and I guess the author fancied something different as this book limits itself, as the title suggests, to taking place on a single day. This isn't as limiting as it could be as the characters do plenty of recollecting and reminiscing and if the day long constraint hadn't been prominently signposted both inside and outside the book's covers I could have missed it.
The central characters are Ben, a doctor treating HIV patients, and Laura, a freelance accountant, who first met at college and encounter each other again in their forties. I thought they were both well drawn and their relationships with their tangled families were believable. I did think the story was careering towards an obvious ending - and I won't spoil it as to whether it went where I thought it was heading - but I ended up thinking Gale did a good job of ending the tale.
Overall it's not at all bad and I'll certainly be reading more by the author.
October 3, 2009
Sometimes I get sent books to review. Occasionally, I do an online questionnaire for a publisher, and get sent a book as a reward. This book is in the latter category.
It's the story of Laura, a young and somewhat promiscuous woman who gives up her independent lifestyle in Paris to look after her elderly mother. Her mother is physically frail, but mentally extremely astute. Laura bumps into Ben, an old flame, who is temporarily separated from his wife. Ben lives with his brother, who has a mild form of Down Syndrome, and is gay.
The book is well written, although there were too many four-letter words for my tastes. It takes the form of a single day, beginning with a chapter entitled 'early morning tea', and progressing through - I think - a single day. There are many flashbacks, memories and links that make it somewhat confusing.
Not that it matters. The plot weaves together well, although I didn't find the characters particularly appealing other than Laura's eccentric mother, who wasn't very believable but delightful all the same.
Three and a half stars, really. It's not a long book - I read it in about three hours, on the way back to Cyprus from the UK. Don't suppose I'll read it again.
It's the story of Laura, a young and somewhat promiscuous woman who gives up her independent lifestyle in Paris to look after her elderly mother. Her mother is physically frail, but mentally extremely astute. Laura bumps into Ben, an old flame, who is temporarily separated from his wife. Ben lives with his brother, who has a mild form of Down Syndrome, and is gay.
The book is well written, although there were too many four-letter words for my tastes. It takes the form of a single day, beginning with a chapter entitled 'early morning tea', and progressing through - I think - a single day. There are many flashbacks, memories and links that make it somewhat confusing.
Not that it matters. The plot weaves together well, although I didn't find the characters particularly appealing other than Laura's eccentric mother, who wasn't very believable but delightful all the same.
Three and a half stars, really. It's not a long book - I read it in about three hours, on the way back to Cyprus from the UK. Don't suppose I'll read it again.
February 7, 2012
A few years ago I read Patrick Gale’s A Sweet Obscurity (2003), very much enjoying his simple elegant style. Soon afterward I tried another but found it too slight. Not too long ago I bought a few books in my local bookstore and was offered Gale’s latest novel at half-price – why not, I thought. I finished The Whole Day Through in one sitting, which is befitting a novel that, as one can tell from the title, takes place on a single day, though its narrative moves effortlessly back and forth in time through the decades, it is to this single day in the lives of Ben and Laura, former lovers, meeting again for the first time in decades.
Gale’s fiction, as I gather, has always leant towards the emotional, dealing with soap-opera elements: The Whole Day Through is no exception. The central romance between Ben and Laura is contrasted against these issues – mental health, disability, sexuality; a tactic that leavens his narrative.
Following last year’s Richard & Judy book club choice, Notes from an Exhibition (2007) which was regarded by many as a great book: expectation was high for his follow-up, and if The Whole Day Through sees Gale treading water that is no bad thing. The Whole Day Through is a bittersweet, wry confection, but one I was happy to spend a few hours wallowing in.
Gale’s fiction, as I gather, has always leant towards the emotional, dealing with soap-opera elements: The Whole Day Through is no exception. The central romance between Ben and Laura is contrasted against these issues – mental health, disability, sexuality; a tactic that leavens his narrative.
Following last year’s Richard & Judy book club choice, Notes from an Exhibition (2007) which was regarded by many as a great book: expectation was high for his follow-up, and if The Whole Day Through sees Gale treading water that is no bad thing. The Whole Day Through is a bittersweet, wry confection, but one I was happy to spend a few hours wallowing in.
April 26, 2018
This was a thoroughly satisfying novel. Laura has returned from her single life in Paris to care for her elderly mother in Winchester. The chapters follow a whole day with headings like Early Morning Tea, Elevenses, Evensong and Nightcap. At the end of the novel I realised that the sequence of the chapters was not quite as I imagined as I was reading them. There was something more complex going on - it didn’t completely work but that’s a minor criticism.
Embedded in these chapters is the story of Laura and Ben who were lovers as students and who have met again in Winchester. Gale is gay and he gives Ben the role of a virologist who runs an STD clinic, including seeing HIV positive patients. But this is a minor point (and perhaps a superfluous one) in a novel that focuses on relationships, the strengths and flaws of characters and the effects of choices they make.
There are some delightfully drawn minor characters - Laura’s mother is a gem! She was a career woman and also a naturist - there is one especially delightful scene where she is picking roses in the rain - and in the nude. I love the way Gale understands and appreciates his female characters.
I have liked everything I’ve read of Gale, especially A Place Called Winter. I hope he has something new out soon.
Embedded in these chapters is the story of Laura and Ben who were lovers as students and who have met again in Winchester. Gale is gay and he gives Ben the role of a virologist who runs an STD clinic, including seeing HIV positive patients. But this is a minor point (and perhaps a superfluous one) in a novel that focuses on relationships, the strengths and flaws of characters and the effects of choices they make.
There are some delightfully drawn minor characters - Laura’s mother is a gem! She was a career woman and also a naturist - there is one especially delightful scene where she is picking roses in the rain - and in the nude. I love the way Gale understands and appreciates his female characters.
I have liked everything I’ve read of Gale, especially A Place Called Winter. I hope he has something new out soon.
August 2, 2011
It just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover. Looking at the front of this one, I would have probably thought....hmm, safe, middle-class, something the Women's Institute would approve of.....I certainly wouldn't have expected it to broach the subject of pubic lice over muesli and chopped banana (which of course it did). Gale's excellent 'Notes from an Exhibition' is one of my fave books of all time, and a hard act to follow - not surprisingly this fell a bit short. The idea of setting the story over a single day was interesting but I felt it crowded the narrative a bit, and it was sometimes hard to work out whether events described were happening in the past or the present. I didn't think the characters were as well drawn, either. On the other hand I thought the ending was handled really well, and the 'twist' was well thought out. I would stil go on to read all his others, he's such a good writer
August 13, 2014
Good characters, with flaws and good points that make them believable. The settings in Winchester and Oxford are also well described and realistic. Gale's language is often original and his observation of human nature, of people's strengths and weaknesses, makes for a compelling story. The twists and turns of life lead to conclusions for the characters that we can see but they are not all aware of. If only certain events had happened differently we would have had a very different story. Yet there is an inevitability to the way it works out. I like the way the brother with Down's syndrome and the elderly mother are shown as strong and capable.
The only thing that didn't work for me was the time scale, despite the title.
The only thing that didn't work for me was the time scale, despite the title.
October 27, 2010
Like his other books has a gay protagonist but unlike his others it is set in the town he grew up, Winchester. Working in Winchester myself it was nice to read a book with street and place names kept the same so I could picture exactly where everything was happening! Another great read from Gale.
Reread in October 2010
Reread in October 2010
February 7, 2016
Este não é um romance cor de rosa todo perfeitinho.
As personagens tem falhas e o enredo também, mas isso foi o que mais gostei, a humanização do livro. Ou não seremos nós, na vida real, pessoas imperfeitas e por vezes com atos longe da perfeição?
Mas aquele final... vê-se que o autor é um homem... e não digo mais
As personagens tem falhas e o enredo também, mas isso foi o que mais gostei, a humanização do livro. Ou não seremos nós, na vida real, pessoas imperfeitas e por vezes com atos longe da perfeição?
Mas aquele final... vê-se que o autor é um homem... e não digo mais
February 5, 2019
Make no mistake, Patrick Gale is a wonderful writer, with clear and carefully chosen prose that never feels like exposition, and a talent for summoning up characters and situations that really gel with me. Yet I can't quite bring myself to give this 4 stars.....
Its the story of Ben and Laura, who meet again 20 years after Ben ended their relationship just before the end of their University years. Ben makes a successful career in medicine, although he does not end up where he really would have liked to be, a clinical researcher, having married Chloe, a privileged and beautiful fellow student who however lacks real family love. We meet him during a mid-life crisis- his mother having died he moves back in with his slightly disabled younger brother during the period of adjustment, in part as an excuse to rethink his marriage. Laura, having disastrously failed even to take her Finals as a result of splitting with Ben, creates for herself a professional accountant's life, and moves where relationships take her, or to get away from failed relationships, until eventually her mother's failing physical health results in her returning to England, where she bumps into Ben.
The story is told across the length of a day, with recollections from different perspectives and from different eras. For me this works very well. The one plot point that jars quite strongly with me is the pivotal letter, it just seems too contrived. Was it really necessary? I think that Ben was quite capable of wasting his moment without that interference; his whole life seems to have been governed by trying to do the right thing by everyone but himself (honourable but possibly misguided). But then again, the one time when he acted selfishly, giving up Laura so as to pursue his virology career, he failed to see it through.
Over all a well-written story,but with an air of melancholy and themes of wasted opportunities (perhaps through over-thinking - contrast this with Bobby who seems to achieve happiness through simple and direct action) that left me quite sad. Patrick Gale is always worth reading, but this is not my favourite. 3.5 stars.
Its the story of Ben and Laura, who meet again 20 years after Ben ended their relationship just before the end of their University years. Ben makes a successful career in medicine, although he does not end up where he really would have liked to be, a clinical researcher, having married Chloe, a privileged and beautiful fellow student who however lacks real family love. We meet him during a mid-life crisis- his mother having died he moves back in with his slightly disabled younger brother during the period of adjustment, in part as an excuse to rethink his marriage. Laura, having disastrously failed even to take her Finals as a result of splitting with Ben, creates for herself a professional accountant's life, and moves where relationships take her, or to get away from failed relationships, until eventually her mother's failing physical health results in her returning to England, where she bumps into Ben.
The story is told across the length of a day, with recollections from different perspectives and from different eras. For me this works very well. The one plot point that jars quite strongly with me is the pivotal letter, it just seems too contrived. Was it really necessary? I think that Ben was quite capable of wasting his moment without that interference; his whole life seems to have been governed by trying to do the right thing by everyone but himself (honourable but possibly misguided). But then again, the one time when he acted selfishly, giving up Laura so as to pursue his virology career, he failed to see it through.
Over all a well-written story,but with an air of melancholy and themes of wasted opportunities (perhaps through over-thinking - contrast this with Bobby who seems to achieve happiness through simple and direct action) that left me quite sad. Patrick Gale is always worth reading, but this is not my favourite. 3.5 stars.
May 20, 2017
PLOT SPOILER ALERT:
Loved the way it all took place over one day - with story line being told through memory.
Wonderful idea and it really worked for me :) Again, strong characters with which you could empathise. Although I liked the ending - a brave decision I felt - it would have been nice to know the reason why he never came back.... maybe he'd be killed by his distraught wife!!!........ but it just jumped a year and then stopped! Brave writing - but it works and I don't think any less of it for the abruptness.
Another enjoyable novel from PG :)
Synopsis:
A woman has a second chance at love in this novel from the author of Richard & Judy bestsellers ‘Notes from an Exhibition’ and ‘A Perfectly Good Man’.
When forty-something Laura Lewis is obliged to abandon a life of stylish independence in Paris to care for her elderly mother in Winchester, it seems all romantic opportunities have gone up in smoke. Then she runs into Ben, the great love of her student days - and, as she only now dares admit, the emotional touchstone against which she has judged every man since. She's cautious - and he's married - but they can't deny that feelings still exist between them.
Are they brave enough to take the second chance at the lasting happiness that fate has offered them? Or will they be defeated by the need to do what seems to be the right thing?
Taking its structure from the events of a single summer's day, The Whole Day Through is a bittersweet love story, shot through with an understanding of mortality, memory and the difficulty of being good. In it, Patrick Gale writes with scrupulous candour about the tests of love: the regrets and the triumphs, and the melancholy of failing.
The Whole Day Through is vintage Gale, displaying the same combination of wit, tenderness and acute psychological observation as his Richard & Judy bestseller Notes From an Exhibition.
Loved the way it all took place over one day - with story line being told through memory.
Wonderful idea and it really worked for me :) Again, strong characters with which you could empathise. Although I liked the ending - a brave decision I felt - it would have been nice to know the reason why he never came back.... maybe he'd be killed by his distraught wife!!!........ but it just jumped a year and then stopped! Brave writing - but it works and I don't think any less of it for the abruptness.
Another enjoyable novel from PG :)
Synopsis:
A woman has a second chance at love in this novel from the author of Richard & Judy bestsellers ‘Notes from an Exhibition’ and ‘A Perfectly Good Man’.
When forty-something Laura Lewis is obliged to abandon a life of stylish independence in Paris to care for her elderly mother in Winchester, it seems all romantic opportunities have gone up in smoke. Then she runs into Ben, the great love of her student days - and, as she only now dares admit, the emotional touchstone against which she has judged every man since. She's cautious - and he's married - but they can't deny that feelings still exist between them.
Are they brave enough to take the second chance at the lasting happiness that fate has offered them? Or will they be defeated by the need to do what seems to be the right thing?
Taking its structure from the events of a single summer's day, The Whole Day Through is a bittersweet love story, shot through with an understanding of mortality, memory and the difficulty of being good. In it, Patrick Gale writes with scrupulous candour about the tests of love: the regrets and the triumphs, and the melancholy of failing.
The Whole Day Through is vintage Gale, displaying the same combination of wit, tenderness and acute psychological observation as his Richard & Judy bestseller Notes From an Exhibition.
Read
January 14, 2020Patrick Gale writes psychologically astute novels about relationships of all kinds in and between families which are bathed in exceptional humanity, generosity and warmth. Grounded in time and place they are neither sociological nor sentimental. This is my 5th and I eagerly looked forward to embarking on my next trip with him; this time the journey was shorter than usual but the right length for what he had to write. Many reviews here summarise the plot, so taking that as read, here's a character who troubled me.
Ben's wife Chloe, who operates mostly 'off stage' - I couldn't but help feel disproportionate sympathy for her. Poor Chloe, everyone is queuing up to say how dim or stupid she is. Not in her actions, mind you, but just compared to the cleverness of all the others. At one cruel moment her mouth stays open when she reads something hard to understand. It is suggested she bought her way into the Oxford college to read French or (worse?) worked hard to get in but had no imagination. Her fault is to be beautiful in the eyes of men and know it. She's less rounded out on the page than Ben or Laura or Laura's larger than life 'mummy' who has narrowed her emotional life to that of 'the intellect'.
Ben's wife Chloe, who operates mostly 'off stage' - I couldn't but help feel disproportionate sympathy for her. Poor Chloe, everyone is queuing up to say how dim or stupid she is. Not in her actions, mind you, but just compared to the cleverness of all the others. At one cruel moment her mouth stays open when she reads something hard to understand. It is suggested she bought her way into the Oxford college to read French or (worse?) worked hard to get in but had no imagination. Her fault is to be beautiful in the eyes of men and know it. She's less rounded out on the page than Ben or Laura or Laura's larger than life 'mummy' who has narrowed her emotional life to that of 'the intellect'.
So at the end of the novel - no spoiler here - I feel Patrick has set us some homework. Naturism - yes, some characters like it in the buff - is a connection with nature but also an escape. Professor Jellico, a.k.a the Virus Queen is no earth mother and her daughter - a failed mathematician - is not going to penetrate the mysteries of the universe. If this was an Iris Murdoch we'd have a nice neat schema to unpick. But we are crossing a very different fictional terrain, and for me it is the messiness of life which the book captures, giving us glimpses of order in the shape of science and religion on the way. Very 21st Century?
April 15, 2025
The structure of the book is interesting with each chapter unfolding chronologically at a discrete time of the day, but not necessarily within the same single day. There is a brevity about the novel that leaves a lasting impression. The characters are likeable with events showing their character rather than telling it in a mass of descriptive prose. I thought the bittersweet ending was understated and all the more effective because of that. The main character, Ben, chooses between love and loyalty … or rather it is chosen for him.
All in all, the novel scores a high 3 but a few points hold it back from a 4. Firstly, as other reviewers have said, the use of the word ‘mummy’ (be a forty-something) repeatedly jarred and somehow sounded wrong. Also, the structure of the chapters occasionally lost me in the meaning, and I had to thumb back to check who was who and what was what.
I enjoy Patrick Gale’s writing but this has not topped the list as my favourite. Nevertheless, it satisfies … leaving the reader emotionally invested in the female main character Laura) as the plot fades.
All in all, the novel scores a high 3 but a few points hold it back from a 4. Firstly, as other reviewers have said, the use of the word ‘mummy’ (be a forty-something) repeatedly jarred and somehow sounded wrong. Also, the structure of the chapters occasionally lost me in the meaning, and I had to thumb back to check who was who and what was what.
I enjoy Patrick Gale’s writing but this has not topped the list as my favourite. Nevertheless, it satisfies … leaving the reader emotionally invested in the female main character Laura) as the plot fades.
March 12, 2019
Although this isn’t a 5 star read for me, Patrick Gale has really became one of my favourite writers. It’s not that the books are so unbelievably good. It’s not that they have exciting plots. Or are full of suspense and surprising twists. It’s simply because they are full of real people.
I really enjoyed this book. However, I find it either very odd or very amazing that I absolutely loved it until the last 20 pages or so. Suddenly, for no apparent reason my feelings for Ben and his relationship with Laura changed. I suddenly became very angry over the whole thing. Then unexpectedly (the kindle version has 15%. Of the book dedicated to a Q&A section and other bits at the end, so I was expecting another chapter or two when the novel ended for me) the novel ended like it did.
I didn’t hate the ending. The ending did however astound me that it meshed with my negative feelings that just seemed to come out of the blue!
I really enjoyed this book. However, I find it either very odd or very amazing that I absolutely loved it until the last 20 pages or so. Suddenly, for no apparent reason my feelings for Ben and his relationship with Laura changed. I suddenly became very angry over the whole thing. Then unexpectedly (the kindle version has 15%. Of the book dedicated to a Q&A section and other bits at the end, so I was expecting another chapter or two when the novel ended for me) the novel ended like it did.
I didn’t hate the ending. The ending did however astound me that it meshed with my negative feelings that just seemed to come out of the blue!
October 24, 2019
I have enjoyed reading most of Patrick Gale's books; he has a quirky sense of humour that I really appreciate, and he tells 'everyday' sorts of tales with a twist about mostly what I assume are upper-middle class English people.
This book paints a wonderful portrait of two characters who rediscover each other many years after they were boyfriend/girlfriend at university, with a couple of delightful side-characters that are why they met again after all those years. There's a couple of interesting twists in the story that is told over a series of weeks as if it were a day (hence the title), and at risk of being spoilery, I would say it's not for you if you want a full-on romantic happy every after.
I did find the ending just a little less than I would have liked, but otherwise it was nicely drawn and I liked that there was some delivery of a satisfying - if somewhat disappointed - life for one of the characters.
This book paints a wonderful portrait of two characters who rediscover each other many years after they were boyfriend/girlfriend at university, with a couple of delightful side-characters that are why they met again after all those years. There's a couple of interesting twists in the story that is told over a series of weeks as if it were a day (hence the title), and at risk of being spoilery, I would say it's not for you if you want a full-on romantic happy every after.
I did find the ending just a little less than I would have liked, but otherwise it was nicely drawn and I liked that there was some delivery of a satisfying - if somewhat disappointed - life for one of the characters.
November 25, 2019
As I was reading this, I felt this wasn't Patrick Gale at the top of his form. It's a cleverly crafted book, exploring a love affair between two people who'd been in a relationship at University, where they had eventually split up, through the passage of a single day. This was a successful device, through which we learnt the back stories of the main protagonists - all believable, flawed and individual - and began to understand what made them tick. I could have done without some of the discussion of the research into HIV and into Laura's mother's academic career - it seemed unnecessary, but this is a minor quibble. The book redeemed itself in its ending, which brought all the strands together in a believable way. I'm holding back on the adjectives, not to be guilty of a spoiler alert. I'm giving this book three stars, because I hold Gale to very high standards. Written by someone else, I might have given it four.
September 8, 2022
Spoiler alert
Unless it's a series, I rarely read more than one book by any one author in a year, but it turns out this is my 3rd Gale this year (and I'm still not up to date - yay, more to come!)
I loved this book. For me, his writing is like silk - I just glide thru, luxuriating in the beauty and savouring every minute. Unfortunately, I also find it so silky and smooth that I race thru his books and I'm sure I miss too much (very much my bad not his). I didn't really pay enough attention to the very clever structure, and that, combined with a lot of "bonus" pages at the end, meant that the ending took me completely by surprise and so felt a bit abrupt. As always with his books, there are so many little gems of wisdom wrapped up in the story, along with brilliant characters and descriptions of places and also quiet comments on wider social issues - eg, how we view older people simply as old, and forget the rich lives they've lived.
Unless it's a series, I rarely read more than one book by any one author in a year, but it turns out this is my 3rd Gale this year (and I'm still not up to date - yay, more to come!)
I loved this book. For me, his writing is like silk - I just glide thru, luxuriating in the beauty and savouring every minute. Unfortunately, I also find it so silky and smooth that I race thru his books and I'm sure I miss too much (very much my bad not his). I didn't really pay enough attention to the very clever structure, and that, combined with a lot of "bonus" pages at the end, meant that the ending took me completely by surprise and so felt a bit abrupt. As always with his books, there are so many little gems of wisdom wrapped up in the story, along with brilliant characters and descriptions of places and also quiet comments on wider social issues - eg, how we view older people simply as old, and forget the rich lives they've lived.
August 2, 2020
A friend of my mum's lent her this book.
I have always enjoyed Patrick Gale's books and was in the mood to read this one based on the blurb.
Laura has moved back to Winchester from Paris to look after her mum who is unable to look after herself. It is a shock to her as she is used to her independence and one day she bumps in to Ben who she was heavily involved with in her student days. Ben is now in Winchester looking after his brother Bobby who has downs syndrome and is delighted to see Laura but can they make their relationship work 20 years later?
This was easy to read and I raced through it. Patrick Gale deliver brilliant characters who are quirky and three dimensional. I was very moved during parts of the book and also laughed at Mrs Jellicoe's scathing opinions about the osteoporosis centre she went to.
A beautiful and lyrical book which is easy to read.
I have always enjoyed Patrick Gale's books and was in the mood to read this one based on the blurb.
Laura has moved back to Winchester from Paris to look after her mum who is unable to look after herself. It is a shock to her as she is used to her independence and one day she bumps in to Ben who she was heavily involved with in her student days. Ben is now in Winchester looking after his brother Bobby who has downs syndrome and is delighted to see Laura but can they make their relationship work 20 years later?
This was easy to read and I raced through it. Patrick Gale deliver brilliant characters who are quirky and three dimensional. I was very moved during parts of the book and also laughed at Mrs Jellicoe's scathing opinions about the osteoporosis centre she went to.
A beautiful and lyrical book which is easy to read.
April 23, 2022
Laura looks after her naturist Mother with love. Ben keeps a firm eye on his brother Bobby who is a Downs individual, also with love. When Laura remeets Ben, 20 years after their first relationship, it feels like coming home, to both of them.
But Ben is still married to the beautiful Chloe and finds he had a conscience.
Patrick Gale can't make a step wrong for me. This is another of his gentle thoughtful novels about human relationships and the knots Ben and Laura tie themselves into. Throw in some of the aftermath of AIDS and HIV plus the complete taking for granted of homosexual love and these become my ideal novels. I love that he completely normalises gay sexuality.
But Ben is still married to the beautiful Chloe and finds he had a conscience.
Patrick Gale can't make a step wrong for me. This is another of his gentle thoughtful novels about human relationships and the knots Ben and Laura tie themselves into. Throw in some of the aftermath of AIDS and HIV plus the complete taking for granted of homosexual love and these become my ideal novels. I love that he completely normalises gay sexuality.
July 31, 2018
Laura and Ben, lovers at university, meet up again after many years and discover that they are still on love but Ben is married to Chloe and his brother needs care after the death of their mother. Meanwhile Laura has returned to her family home to care for her mother after a series of falls. Will Ben find the resolve to leave his wife or will Laura be left in the lurch once again? Well written but the characters never really engaged my full sympathy. I love Patrick Gale but it felt like something was missing from this one.
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