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The Posthumous Adventures of Harry Whittaker
When Harry Whittaker, much loved star of stage and screen, dies suddenly of a heart attack, he finds himself still in this world. Trapped in a bizarre afterlife, he struggles to free himself. Meanwhile, his estranged son Richard is also trying to escape - from his failing café, his dotty mother and the wrong girlfriend. Perhaps what they all need is a guardian angel.
- GenresFiction
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 21, 2019
2 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Bobbie Darbyshire
10 books22 followersBobbie's fifth novel, 'The Third Bus' was published in October 2023. Her earlier novels are: 'The Posthumous Adventures of Harry Whittaker', 'Oz', 'Love, Revenge & Buttered Scones' and 'Truth Games'.
She won the 2008 fiction prize at the National Academy of Writing and the New Delta Review Creative Nonfiction Prize 2010. She has worked as barmaid, mushroom picker, film extra, maths coach, cabinet minister's private secretary, care assistant and volunteer adult-literacy teacher, as well as in social research and government policy.
Her latest novel is 'The Third Bus': An unappreciated man walks out of his dispiriting 42-year marriage with no destination in mind. At Victoria coach station, on the spur of the moment he boards a coach to Norwich. A late-life coming-of-age story, mixing humour and sorrow, hope and regret.
Bobbie's four earlier novels are:
'The Posthumous Adventures of Harry Whittaker': A world-famous superstar actor – think Laurence Olivier crossed with Jack Nicholson – dies, but to his astonishment finds he’s still here among us. He’s able to watch the effect of his mean-spirited will on those left behind, including his son (cycling along on the cover) and even his cat. If your spirits are in need of a lift, it’s a real feel-good book that will keep you hooked.
'OZ': Mark Jonnson's life is a mess. He fears his marriage is over, but can't bear to leave his boisterous 7-year-old daughter, Matilda. Just when he thinks things can't get worse, his mother is killed in a road accident. Shocked and grieving, he decamps to her house, where he uncovers a secret that turns his life upside-down and sends him and his daughter on a whirlwind search for the truth.
Sarah Rayner, author of 'One Moment, One Morning', says of 'Oz', "What a delight to find a novel that's both a page-turner and a nuanced exploration of characters. The tensions and subtleties of relationships of marriage and parenting across the decades are explored with delicacy, yet the storytelling never falters, as a constantly evolving plot keeps you hooked until the last page."
'Love, Revenge & Buttered Scones': Long-listed for the 2011 International Rubery Book Award. In this comedy of errors, three troubled people dash off to the Scottish Highlands, where their destinies are mysteriously entwined around a reading group in the Inverness public library. Twists & surprises, very funny with also some dark, serious threads, it keeps you guessing throughout.
'Truth Games': In 1970s London, the blazing summers of 75 & 76, a group of friends get out of their depth in infidelity. Thought-provoking, amusing & sexy, a book about how we hurt each other with lies and with truths.
Find Bobbie on Facebook or follow her @bobbiedar
She won the 2008 fiction prize at the National Academy of Writing and the New Delta Review Creative Nonfiction Prize 2010. She has worked as barmaid, mushroom picker, film extra, maths coach, cabinet minister's private secretary, care assistant and volunteer adult-literacy teacher, as well as in social research and government policy.
Her latest novel is 'The Third Bus': An unappreciated man walks out of his dispiriting 42-year marriage with no destination in mind. At Victoria coach station, on the spur of the moment he boards a coach to Norwich. A late-life coming-of-age story, mixing humour and sorrow, hope and regret.
Bobbie's four earlier novels are:
'The Posthumous Adventures of Harry Whittaker': A world-famous superstar actor – think Laurence Olivier crossed with Jack Nicholson – dies, but to his astonishment finds he’s still here among us. He’s able to watch the effect of his mean-spirited will on those left behind, including his son (cycling along on the cover) and even his cat. If your spirits are in need of a lift, it’s a real feel-good book that will keep you hooked.
'OZ': Mark Jonnson's life is a mess. He fears his marriage is over, but can't bear to leave his boisterous 7-year-old daughter, Matilda. Just when he thinks things can't get worse, his mother is killed in a road accident. Shocked and grieving, he decamps to her house, where he uncovers a secret that turns his life upside-down and sends him and his daughter on a whirlwind search for the truth.
Sarah Rayner, author of 'One Moment, One Morning', says of 'Oz', "What a delight to find a novel that's both a page-turner and a nuanced exploration of characters. The tensions and subtleties of relationships of marriage and parenting across the decades are explored with delicacy, yet the storytelling never falters, as a constantly evolving plot keeps you hooked until the last page."
'Love, Revenge & Buttered Scones': Long-listed for the 2011 International Rubery Book Award. In this comedy of errors, three troubled people dash off to the Scottish Highlands, where their destinies are mysteriously entwined around a reading group in the Inverness public library. Twists & surprises, very funny with also some dark, serious threads, it keeps you guessing throughout.
'Truth Games': In 1970s London, the blazing summers of 75 & 76, a group of friends get out of their depth in infidelity. Thought-provoking, amusing & sexy, a book about how we hurt each other with lies and with truths.
Find Bobbie on Facebook or follow her @bobbiedar
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 18, 2019
As his solicitor observes of the recently-deceased Shakespearean actor Harry Whittaker: he wasn’t a pleasant man. But now Harry is no longer in the land of the living, will the ghost of this vain, arrogant, selfish megastar discover his humanity at last, and will he finally learn to love anyone who’s not Harry himself?
As Harry finds himself reborn, so to speak, in the spirit world, he gets the chance to assess his earthly life and maybe make amends for some of the mistakes he’s made. But will he take this chance?
I enjoyed this story very much. It seems that Harry fathered several children, but he abandoned both the mothers and their offspring, paying them off with not-especially-generous monthly maintenance cheques, having no contact, and leaving the children comparatively derisory legacies in his will.
Richard, one of these children, wants nothing to do with his dead father. But Richard’s mother Deborah has always carried a torch for Harry, dragging out a pitiful existence in the great man’s shadow, and she sees his funeral as a chance to regain her rightful place in his life – or rather his afterlife. So the determined mother and her reluctant son go to the funeral of the UK’s most celebrated actor. Richard’s unwanted girlfriend Claire tags along too, shrieking with excitement at the sight of all those famous people.
The characters are all very believable and I could hear their voices in my head. The writing is fluent and accessible, charming me as I read. I found that the format of telling the individual stories of each of the central characters from their points of view always encouraged me to read on, anxious to find out what would happen next. A lovely book for a summer weekend!
As Harry finds himself reborn, so to speak, in the spirit world, he gets the chance to assess his earthly life and maybe make amends for some of the mistakes he’s made. But will he take this chance?
I enjoyed this story very much. It seems that Harry fathered several children, but he abandoned both the mothers and their offspring, paying them off with not-especially-generous monthly maintenance cheques, having no contact, and leaving the children comparatively derisory legacies in his will.
Richard, one of these children, wants nothing to do with his dead father. But Richard’s mother Deborah has always carried a torch for Harry, dragging out a pitiful existence in the great man’s shadow, and she sees his funeral as a chance to regain her rightful place in his life – or rather his afterlife. So the determined mother and her reluctant son go to the funeral of the UK’s most celebrated actor. Richard’s unwanted girlfriend Claire tags along too, shrieking with excitement at the sight of all those famous people.
The characters are all very believable and I could hear their voices in my head. The writing is fluent and accessible, charming me as I read. I found that the format of telling the individual stories of each of the central characters from their points of view always encouraged me to read on, anxious to find out what would happen next. A lovely book for a summer weekend!
March 19, 2019
A new novel from Bobbie Darbyshire is an event to celebrate. Here one is. Huzzah!
I have seen her new novel described as ‘quirky’. As she has created her own version of the afterlife I wouldn’t argue with that epithet. When we first meet Sir Harry Whittaker, inheritor of Olivier’s mantle, he is already dead – albeit recently. Subsequently it is agreed by all those dealing with his estate that he was not a very nice man. With all this against him how is Darbyshire going to make a satisfactory protagonist out of him? But this is, as it were, a crossover novel as there are vibrant living characters in this drama as well as the dead one. All have their flaws; also pathos and redeeming qualities. These living characters are all affected by Sir Harry’s Last Will and Testament.
The story reminded me of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, in which the ‘rude mechanicals’, the fairy folk, and the love-sick nobles flit about a magical wood looking for their hearts’ desires and ways to achieve them. For ‘magical wood’ read ‘Brighton’ (dear Brighton, so warmly drawn!). As with MND, there is a nexus towards which all the characters are drawn. The nexus is dead Harry Whittaker, his Will, his cat and his portrait. The various characters bump into each other quite logically, if apparently out of the blue – again as in MND – and are forever changed. The magic of Darbyshire’s world draws in just the right characters and gives them exactly what they need.
The substantial cast of characters are beautifully realised. They demonstrate that trying to define ‘normal’ is a fool’s game and that nobody is ever average. There is pink hair. There is a pack rat. There is a port wine stain. There is a solicitor. The reader is guided accurately through the activities of this ever-increasing cast as they swirl through the pages of the book. One wonders how so much can possibly be brought to a conclusion. But order is brought out of chaos, as Darbyshire shows us precisely each character’s place in her schema.
One doesn’t come across magic realism that often in British writing. Angela Carter is the author who springs immediately to mind when searching for a work comparable with this. Darbyshire is a kinder writer than Carter, but with this novel is definitely operating in a similar milieu.
This is a lovely book about the possibility of becoming a better person than you ever thought you could be.
I have seen her new novel described as ‘quirky’. As she has created her own version of the afterlife I wouldn’t argue with that epithet. When we first meet Sir Harry Whittaker, inheritor of Olivier’s mantle, he is already dead – albeit recently. Subsequently it is agreed by all those dealing with his estate that he was not a very nice man. With all this against him how is Darbyshire going to make a satisfactory protagonist out of him? But this is, as it were, a crossover novel as there are vibrant living characters in this drama as well as the dead one. All have their flaws; also pathos and redeeming qualities. These living characters are all affected by Sir Harry’s Last Will and Testament.
The story reminded me of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, in which the ‘rude mechanicals’, the fairy folk, and the love-sick nobles flit about a magical wood looking for their hearts’ desires and ways to achieve them. For ‘magical wood’ read ‘Brighton’ (dear Brighton, so warmly drawn!). As with MND, there is a nexus towards which all the characters are drawn. The nexus is dead Harry Whittaker, his Will, his cat and his portrait. The various characters bump into each other quite logically, if apparently out of the blue – again as in MND – and are forever changed. The magic of Darbyshire’s world draws in just the right characters and gives them exactly what they need.
The substantial cast of characters are beautifully realised. They demonstrate that trying to define ‘normal’ is a fool’s game and that nobody is ever average. There is pink hair. There is a pack rat. There is a port wine stain. There is a solicitor. The reader is guided accurately through the activities of this ever-increasing cast as they swirl through the pages of the book. One wonders how so much can possibly be brought to a conclusion. But order is brought out of chaos, as Darbyshire shows us precisely each character’s place in her schema.
One doesn’t come across magic realism that often in British writing. Angela Carter is the author who springs immediately to mind when searching for a work comparable with this. Darbyshire is a kinder writer than Carter, but with this novel is definitely operating in a similar milieu.
This is a lovely book about the possibility of becoming a better person than you ever thought you could be.
March 26, 2019
An enchanting story about well known actor Harry Whittaker and his adventures in the afterlife. He is the main man but he has a good supporting cast, from his spirit guide, his myriad offspring and of course his cat. Highly recommended.
July 20, 2023
I really enjoyed this book, I didn't know what to expect, but found the writing very engaging and the storyline quite unusual. Unexpected gem!
August 2, 2025
This could have been a really good concept but the book lacked any depth or emotion. Really boring??? Expected better.
December 24, 2019
Firstly the cover design is everything, the bright orange and blue compliment each other and captures the essence of the story perfectly. We join Harry Whittaker at the end of his life after a very successful acting career. In my head through the book I had Ian McKellan in my head (who is very much alive, thank goodness) but for character clarity that’s who my brain picked. However, Harry’s journey is just not quite over. Then we meet Richard who is struggling in life with what feels to him is the weight of the world on his shoulders. His little cafe is drowning with lack of customers and he feels deflated. Can life be better by running away? Then gentle Lily is last by not least in our key characters. A lady who is literally comfortable in her own skin, a little different from others it may be but it’s all her.
I thought the book was going to be similar in nature to A Wonderful Life, however, no bell rings and the angels are wingless. It is totally different and in a great way, the premise is so fresh and I haven’t read anything like it.
I loved the character growth throughout the book. I have to say I absolutely detested Richard for about three-quarters of the book. I don’t mind not liking a character at all. It is a bit like a baddie on a reality show that you really don’t like but they are good viewing pleasure. Same with a book character that gets truly under your skin, which is what Richard did. He had me so cross at times and I wanted to shake him and tell him to get a grip.
Bobbie Darbyshire created a whole host of strong characters in The Posthumous Adventures of Harry Whittaker. After reading the book it really makes you think about what and who you have around you. A perfect read for this Christmas season to remind us to let the folks we love feel it and to embrace and enjoy what you have.
An engaging read with an important message, love BIG.
I thought the book was going to be similar in nature to A Wonderful Life, however, no bell rings and the angels are wingless. It is totally different and in a great way, the premise is so fresh and I haven’t read anything like it.
I loved the character growth throughout the book. I have to say I absolutely detested Richard for about three-quarters of the book. I don’t mind not liking a character at all. It is a bit like a baddie on a reality show that you really don’t like but they are good viewing pleasure. Same with a book character that gets truly under your skin, which is what Richard did. He had me so cross at times and I wanted to shake him and tell him to get a grip.
Bobbie Darbyshire created a whole host of strong characters in The Posthumous Adventures of Harry Whittaker. After reading the book it really makes you think about what and who you have around you. A perfect read for this Christmas season to remind us to let the folks we love feel it and to embrace and enjoy what you have.
An engaging read with an important message, love BIG.
December 5, 2019
The Posthumous Adventures of Harry Whittaker is a quirky read from Bobbie Darbyshire which I really enjoyed. Our eponymous hero has been a hugely successful actor and national treasure - think along the lines of Lawrence Olivier - and his sudden death leaves his adoring public stunned. But not as stunned as Harry perhaps! As the media go into something of a frenzy about the news, his will makes interesting reading for many, not least his estranged son Richard. Richard runs a small cafe which isn't doing very well, is not as happy as he'd like in his relationship with Claire and feels rather trapped by his demanding mother. He dreams of escape - could his father's will offer him the freedom he craves?
After his death, Harry finds himself trapped on earth and he too is trying to escape. Now I'm not going to say why and how he is trapped but I will say that I thought it was a really original idea. It was quite amusing reading about this character who had been so successful, in his own eyes, in life but who discovers in death that perhaps he had valued the wrong things and wrong people. It maybe sounds a bit harsh to find that amusing but if you read the book, you'll see what I mean. It was interesting to compare the different ways Harry and Richard were trapped and how the author made me feel some sympathy towards Richard's situation but not, at first, towards Harry.
Despite his pompousness and conceit, Harry grew on me throughout the book as he learned a few valuable lessons. Richard also learned that the freedom he wanted was not so far away after all. Happiness, freedom and contentment is valuing where you are and being with the people you hold dear. The Posthumous Adventures of Harry Whittaker is an amusing and astute book, lively and full of memorable characters.
After his death, Harry finds himself trapped on earth and he too is trying to escape. Now I'm not going to say why and how he is trapped but I will say that I thought it was a really original idea. It was quite amusing reading about this character who had been so successful, in his own eyes, in life but who discovers in death that perhaps he had valued the wrong things and wrong people. It maybe sounds a bit harsh to find that amusing but if you read the book, you'll see what I mean. It was interesting to compare the different ways Harry and Richard were trapped and how the author made me feel some sympathy towards Richard's situation but not, at first, towards Harry.
Despite his pompousness and conceit, Harry grew on me throughout the book as he learned a few valuable lessons. Richard also learned that the freedom he wanted was not so far away after all. Happiness, freedom and contentment is valuing where you are and being with the people you hold dear. The Posthumous Adventures of Harry Whittaker is an amusing and astute book, lively and full of memorable characters.
April 19, 2020
Harry Whittaker is dead, but his soul remains on Earth, and has to attach to someone or something he loved during his life. Unfortunately, during his life he was a horrible human being who was never emotionally attached to anyone, which makes it all a bit more complicated.
The idea for the book was interesting, and would have gave the hook for much more interesting developments, while overall the story results a bit meh. Harry does not have that many "adventures" as the title would suggest, and his story line becomes soon quite boring, filled with unnecessary (and quite tedious) descriptions of the things he inhabits.
He never really interacts with the other characters of the book, and nothing really justifies or explains why he starts to care about them in the afterlife.
Richard, his son, is a bit more interesting, but the others appear more as caricatures then anything else.
I didn't like the fact that Harry storyline is in first person, while the other two (Richard and Lily) are in third person. It might have made some sense if it was Harry to narrate all the storylines, but this is not the case, so I really don't get it.
Overall, the story is well written and it can be an entertaining light reading, but I wouldn't expect more than that.
The idea for the book was interesting, and would have gave the hook for much more interesting developments, while overall the story results a bit meh. Harry does not have that many "adventures" as the title would suggest, and his story line becomes soon quite boring, filled with unnecessary (and quite tedious) descriptions of the things he inhabits.
He never really interacts with the other characters of the book, and nothing really justifies or explains why he starts to care about them in the afterlife.
Richard, his son, is a bit more interesting, but the others appear more as caricatures then anything else.
I didn't like the fact that Harry storyline is in first person, while the other two (Richard and Lily) are in third person. It might have made some sense if it was Harry to narrate all the storylines, but this is not the case, so I really don't get it.
Overall, the story is well written and it can be an entertaining light reading, but I wouldn't expect more than that.
April 12, 2019
Harry Whittaker is an ageing thespian with delusions of grandeur but his posthumous self turns out to be the perfect travelling companion. Before you can say ‘suspension of disbelief’ we’re caught up in the need of his disembodied spirit to escape the oblivion of a crematorium and find an eternal resting place to suit his luvvie sensibilities.
The whimsy of this story is more than balanced by a generous helping of humanity. Harry’s death is just as problematic in a different way to Richard, the son Harry never acknowledged. He wants no part in the funeral celebrations until his star-struck girl-friend joins forces with his delusional mother.
By throwing in some half-siblings (or are they?) and some extra fairy (or guardian angel) dust, Bobbie Darbyshire concocts the prefect ending. But it’s for Harry this book will be remembered, the liveliest dead man you’re likely to find. A warm-hearted read that fizzes with life.
The whimsy of this story is more than balanced by a generous helping of humanity. Harry’s death is just as problematic in a different way to Richard, the son Harry never acknowledged. He wants no part in the funeral celebrations until his star-struck girl-friend joins forces with his delusional mother.
By throwing in some half-siblings (or are they?) and some extra fairy (or guardian angel) dust, Bobbie Darbyshire concocts the prefect ending. But it’s for Harry this book will be remembered, the liveliest dead man you’re likely to find. A warm-hearted read that fizzes with life.
January 17, 2025
Spoilers***
This book started off really interesting but was a little a hard to go through during the middle part as I got really bored and the main protagonist was not a very pleasant man and I went back and forth in wishing him well in navigating his new life and also feeling that he deserved what happened to him. Tethered, in his Will, for in the after life your soul would latch on the thing/ person that you have the most emotional investment. Harry is an extremely vain, narcissistic, selfish and conceited man. He only cares about acting and fame. He fathered a couple of children and only gave them a couple of thousands and rudely gave his next door neighbor and might his only friend a thousand pounds as means of insulting him.
I love that this book jumps into 2 perspective, Harry’s and Richard’s and it’s really refreshing to read a book with a lot of ‘musings’ from a man. An actor, and, an ordinary cafe owner who longs to travel the world but like Harry he’s also tethered/ stuck in his situation the only difference is he’s alive. We follow Richard as he tries to regain his freedom but is held captive by his hoarder mom who I think has a ‘histrionic’ disorder where she thinks that being with Harry a long time ago gives her the merit of being famous as she wants to be treated as a VIP. It’s interesting to read about the topic of hoarding and how it shows that most people who holds a lot sentimental value to the point of extreme and hazardous hoarding just can't seem to let go.
Was very annoyed at Claire at first but it’s really interesting and funny that she became friends with Deborah/ Debs and she finally helped her let go. Unlikely friendships are what I live for and hope to experience more and more.
This book made me think about after-life, I always believed that there is life after death. After all, the immensity and intensity of our lives would not just vanished like thin air. It begs the question, If we die and get tethered into earth still, where or who will you attach? As such, it says that making amends and meaning on how you will be judged in the after life is done while you’re living (which makes sense), therefore whether or not you realized that you haven’t love your family that much or spent time with them won’t matter as in after life there’s only ‘acceptance and letting go’
I wonder, if I die, will I be stuck in my love one's shoulders? Observing them as they go through their lives? or will I be stuck in things that I held most dear more than my loved ones? (I hope not)
Favorite themes: The feeling of being stuck by our own decisions alive or not.
This book started off really interesting but was a little a hard to go through during the middle part as I got really bored and the main protagonist was not a very pleasant man and I went back and forth in wishing him well in navigating his new life and also feeling that he deserved what happened to him. Tethered, in his Will, for in the after life your soul would latch on the thing/ person that you have the most emotional investment. Harry is an extremely vain, narcissistic, selfish and conceited man. He only cares about acting and fame. He fathered a couple of children and only gave them a couple of thousands and rudely gave his next door neighbor and might his only friend a thousand pounds as means of insulting him.
I love that this book jumps into 2 perspective, Harry’s and Richard’s and it’s really refreshing to read a book with a lot of ‘musings’ from a man. An actor, and, an ordinary cafe owner who longs to travel the world but like Harry he’s also tethered/ stuck in his situation the only difference is he’s alive. We follow Richard as he tries to regain his freedom but is held captive by his hoarder mom who I think has a ‘histrionic’ disorder where she thinks that being with Harry a long time ago gives her the merit of being famous as she wants to be treated as a VIP. It’s interesting to read about the topic of hoarding and how it shows that most people who holds a lot sentimental value to the point of extreme and hazardous hoarding just can't seem to let go.
Was very annoyed at Claire at first but it’s really interesting and funny that she became friends with Deborah/ Debs and she finally helped her let go. Unlikely friendships are what I live for and hope to experience more and more.
This book made me think about after-life, I always believed that there is life after death. After all, the immensity and intensity of our lives would not just vanished like thin air. It begs the question, If we die and get tethered into earth still, where or who will you attach? As such, it says that making amends and meaning on how you will be judged in the after life is done while you’re living (which makes sense), therefore whether or not you realized that you haven’t love your family that much or spent time with them won’t matter as in after life there’s only ‘acceptance and letting go’
I wonder, if I die, will I be stuck in my love one's shoulders? Observing them as they go through their lives? or will I be stuck in things that I held most dear more than my loved ones? (I hope not)
Favorite themes: The feeling of being stuck by our own decisions alive or not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2019
This is the first book I have read by Bobby Darbyshire and is an unusual quirky delight! It has an easy flowing dialogue throughout which keeps the reader entertained and the book is a real page turner.
Shakespearean actor Sir Harry Whittaker, world renowned and revered, dies suddenly on stage whilst filming King Lear.
So begins the posthumous life of Harry with many adventures along the way. We learn that he was much despised and a rather awful person. Family members, friends and work colleagues attend his funeral and then find out what, if anything they have been left in Harry's will.
Harry is being carried along by a guardian angel Scotty who explains to him how the after life works. Each chapter is dedicated to the individual characters and their life stories and ambitions are related with Harry listening in and hopefully learning from his past mistakes. There is also Henry V, Harry's beloved cat going on adventures with him.
How will all this pan out? Does Harry become a reformed character? Do his friends and family forgive him? You will have to read to the end to find out!!
Shakespearean actor Sir Harry Whittaker, world renowned and revered, dies suddenly on stage whilst filming King Lear.
So begins the posthumous life of Harry with many adventures along the way. We learn that he was much despised and a rather awful person. Family members, friends and work colleagues attend his funeral and then find out what, if anything they have been left in Harry's will.
Harry is being carried along by a guardian angel Scotty who explains to him how the after life works. Each chapter is dedicated to the individual characters and their life stories and ambitions are related with Harry listening in and hopefully learning from his past mistakes. There is also Henry V, Harry's beloved cat going on adventures with him.
How will all this pan out? Does Harry become a reformed character? Do his friends and family forgive him? You will have to read to the end to find out!!
May 14, 2019
The Posthumous Adventures of Harry Whittaker is a truly wonderful novel that I would suggest to just about anyone. It centres on the titular Harry Whittaker, a much-celebrated actor who suddenly passes away and finds himself having to navigate a strange afterlife. Ghosts, as Harry soon learns, must always remain close to people or things with which that they made a significant emotional connection. Unfortunately for Harry, the only person he ever truly connected with emotionally…was Harry Whittaker himself.
As well as Harry, the novel follows a number of characters who are affected by Harry’s life and passing. Each one of them is brilliantly realised, their efforts at navigating their lives making for rich and rewarding reading. Those efforts also contrast nicely with Harry’s supernatural adventure, resulting in a novel quite unlike anything else I have ever read. Highly recommended!
As well as Harry, the novel follows a number of characters who are affected by Harry’s life and passing. Each one of them is brilliantly realised, their efforts at navigating their lives making for rich and rewarding reading. Those efforts also contrast nicely with Harry’s supernatural adventure, resulting in a novel quite unlike anything else I have ever read. Highly recommended!
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December 5, 2020Quirky, intelligent and heart warming this novel will make you laugh (perhaps more of a quiet giggle than a chuckle) and maybe even shed a few tears.
The title is slightly missleading - I would say they are more journeys than adventures of Harry Whittaker - given the fact they are fairly tame anecdotal tales of his life beyond the grave.
I found myself warming to every character Darbyshire cleverly portrays - even the rather uptight and pompous Harry himself as he tries to seek some sort of understanding from the family he disowned even before his demise.
A surprisingly light hearted and funny novel, I would recommend.
The title is slightly missleading - I would say they are more journeys than adventures of Harry Whittaker - given the fact they are fairly tame anecdotal tales of his life beyond the grave.
I found myself warming to every character Darbyshire cleverly portrays - even the rather uptight and pompous Harry himself as he tries to seek some sort of understanding from the family he disowned even before his demise.
A surprisingly light hearted and funny novel, I would recommend.
April 14, 2019
The Posthumous Adventures of Harry Whittaker is an absolute page-turning delight! Clever, humorous, moving, life-affirming, full of memorable characters you'll find yourself caring about - and still thinking about long after you finish the book! Don't overlook Bobbie Darbyshire's previous novels either - they're all a joy to read, especially OZ.
April 29, 2019
This is an entirely delightful book. I loved the unique premise. The characters were engaging and the writing intelligent and witty. I loved the way the story was told from different people's perspective and the Harry's dilemmas in trying to choose where to go next (that may sound odd but I don't want to give away anything)
A quirky feel good read that I don't hesitate to recommend
A quirky feel good read that I don't hesitate to recommend
March 3, 2021
I found some of this book quite boring, mainly the bits about Harry. I found I was skim reading much of the text about him.
I enjoyed Richard’s story, for the most part, up until towards the end where events with his mother and girlfriend just didn’t seem likely. Neither events with his sister
Overall I’d give it 3 stars - it was ok but I’d not want to read again.
I enjoyed Richard’s story, for the most part, up until towards the end where events with his mother and girlfriend just didn’t seem likely. Neither events with his sister
Overall I’d give it 3 stars - it was ok but I’d not want to read again.
December 21, 2025
A quirky book; easy to read yet thought provoking. The story opens with the death of Harry, an old revered thespian, who continues to exist though his worldly life is over. His life, conquests, and his will, are revealed with humorous and interesting consequences. A great yarn with an underlying message about love and relationships.
January 23, 2020
Great actor Harry Whittaker is dead but can find no peace. Meanwhile those he left behind are trying to sort their lives out. Will Harry's legacy help or hinder them? And who will look after Henry V, Harry's cat? I grew to love the characters in this sweet and funny, hugely satisfying book.
November 29, 2025
liked a lot of the dialogue and the plot of most of the book
the book wrapped itself way too nicely
also there wasn't much of a depth to it... there wasn't really a main takeaway that I came away with at the end
the book wrapped itself way too nicely
also there wasn't much of a depth to it... there wasn't really a main takeaway that I came away with at the end
July 6, 2020
A rather sweet book with some interesting meanders (I wouldn't call them twists as such) - rather like A Christmas Carol if Ebenezer Scrooge was dead already.
June 26, 2024
Good lighthearted read
December 5, 2019
I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book in a competition. It is a big change from the sort of books I enjoy reading, and honestly it's not a book I would have chosen to buy from the shops.
That said, it is well written and extremely funny in places. It did take me a good few weeks to read as it's not a book I could sit for hours at a time and read, but that's nothing at all against the author, just my own personal preference.
It is written in a very unique way-from the perspective of a deceased character, which does add an interesting dynamic to the book. If you are a general book lover then I'd definitely highly recommend checking out this one!!
That said, it is well written and extremely funny in places. It did take me a good few weeks to read as it's not a book I could sit for hours at a time and read, but that's nothing at all against the author, just my own personal preference.
It is written in a very unique way-from the perspective of a deceased character, which does add an interesting dynamic to the book. If you are a general book lover then I'd definitely highly recommend checking out this one!!
October 27, 2023
This is my second Bobbie Darbyshire read (Oz being my first) and, while I thoroughly enjoyed it, it fell short of my expectations - perhaps I had set them too high or maybe I didn't buy into the concept of posthumous adventures.
That said, the early chapters create the building blocks of the tale and its characters which are then skillfully assembled into an amusing narrative - some setting the foundations while others are saved for later to build the walls and roof.
The characters have complicated, flawed lives, some full of doubts, while those without doubts exhibit an arrogant but misplaced confidence. There are questions about how each of their issues will be resolved and these are neatly answered, not always predictably, as the author slaloms her way through clever plot twists and little surprises.
That said, the early chapters create the building blocks of the tale and its characters which are then skillfully assembled into an amusing narrative - some setting the foundations while others are saved for later to build the walls and roof.
The characters have complicated, flawed lives, some full of doubts, while those without doubts exhibit an arrogant but misplaced confidence. There are questions about how each of their issues will be resolved and these are neatly answered, not always predictably, as the author slaloms her way through clever plot twists and little surprises.
May 1, 2019
If you need cheering up, this is the book to do it, which sounds totally counter-intuitive, with a death on page one! t's great fun, the story races along, and you're sure to fall for the characters (particularly Richard, Lily, Tiffany, and Henry V). Perfect holiday reading!
July 18, 2020
Enjoyed this. Fun concept.
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