Parlour Games

by Mavis Cheek

Celia, housewife, mother and wonderful cook, is celebrating her fortieth birthday. In her smart London home, her major worries are private schooling and the misplaced zeal of Neighbourhood Watch vigilantes. But the house of cards collapses around her, as friends and a sister turn edgy and fickle, a long-time admirer turns into a crude jester, and Celia spies her husband embracing a ghastly woman in a 'Come Dancing' frock.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Womens Fiction, British Literature

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Born in Wimbledon, now part of London, Mavis left school at 16 to do office work with Editions Alecto, a Kensington publishing company. She later moved to the firm's gallery in Albemarle Street, where she met artists such as David Hockney, Allen Jones, Patrick Caulfield and Gillian Ayres. In 1969 she married a "childhood sweetheart", Chris Cheek, a physicist, whom she had met at a meeting of the Young Communist League in New Malden, but they separated three years later. Later she lived for eleven years with the artist Basil Beattie. She returned to education in 1976, doing a two-year arts course at Hillcroft College, a further education college for women.

Although Cheek had planned to take a degree course, she turned instead to fiction writing while her daughter, Bella Beattie, was a child. She moved from London to Aldbourne in the Wiltshire countryside in 2003, but as she explained to a newspaper, "Life in the city was a comparative breeze. Life in the country is tough, a little bit dangerous and not for wimps."

Cheek has been involved with the Marlborough LitFest, and also teaches creative writing. This has included voluntary work at Holloway and Erlstoke prisons. As she described in an article: "What I see [at Erlstoke] is reflected in my own experience. Bright, overlooked, unconfident men who are suddenly given the opportunity to learn grow wings, and dare to fail. It helps to be able to tell them that I, too, was once designated thick by a very silly [education] system. My prisoners have written some brilliant stuff, and perhaps it gives them back some self-esteem."

Reviews

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast reading, engaging little novel about a woman turning 40 with an idyllic life as a bored housewife in a posh London suburb. A little sexual flirtation is going on between her and a friend's husband but she resists temptation. Then she discovers her husband having an affair and gets even with a fling of her own. In the process she becomes more assertive in her life. The plot isn't anything new, but the characters were interesting and she has amusing interactions with her stodgy housekeeper.

[Rachel Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the writing in Parlour Games was great - witty and knowing, which almost made the 1980s setting seem like something from an Austen novel. However, as I read on I simply disliked almost all the characters, who were all deeply self-obsessed. This, coupled with the seemingly casual acceptance of infidelity made the novel less enjoyable for me, and the ending was also unsatisfying.

[Elizabeth Grieve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must say I didn't enjoy this as much as other books by Mavis Cheek. I almost gave up a few times as I found it rather slow and dull in places, although as usual, well written with the odd humorous observation. None of the characters were particularly likeable, and as I am not familiar with the intimate details of posh London residents and their lifestyles, some of that perhaps went over my head.

Review of an advance digital copy from the publisher.

[Sian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms Cheek’s stories of frustrated middle-aged women can be somewhat predictable but the author’s wry observations of middle-class life always make her works enjoyable. Definitely someone to turn to when you need a light comfort read. A few of the more farcical elements of ‘Parlour Games’ are laugh out loud funny. Certainly not her best book for me though as there was not a single likeable character. It was also rather rude!

[Stella · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe this was too British for me? Maybe I was just surprised with the sex talk began?

I don't know, this was okay, a bit wordy for my taste....and I'm saying this as an avid reader.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

[Reading Fury · Rating 2 out of 5]

Utterly bizarre and ultimately discomfiting. Not sure of the moral I was supposed to learn or the theme's worth. Some funny moments, but ultimately very dark.

[Linda Mcgurrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun reading

[Rachel Trigg · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting and insightful

[Fifi · Rating 5 out of 5]

love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was alright but found it to be dull quite a lot of the time.

[Rosi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books I read when I am simply yearning for a laugh. I probably read it at least once every couple of years, if not every year. Not all of Mavis Cheek's work is humorous, but when it is, I think it's perfection. She has a Dorothy Parker type of wit and her humor tends to be on the dark side. For example, this book deals with infidelity, the loss of trust and the possibility of divorce, which could make for a dismal narrative, but in Mavis Cheek's hands the story weaves and twines and takes on a life of its own, becoming a lively - and lovely -farce.

[Kitten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parlour Games is a great book, even though the basic concept isn't that original and it does rely on a fair amount of coincidence to keep going. Celia is one of my favourite characters from Mavis Cheek; it is wonderful to see her development as the book progresses.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay, very readable. A bit of a womans book I suppose, which isn't my thing normally...too much romance!!

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit quirky, funny. Should explore other titles by this author.

[Fleurtje Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, it felt as if the narrator of this book was the same lady who did the voice-over for Desperate Housewives. At the same time this story also reminded me about stories written by Maeve Binchy - all these different characters and how they relate to each other... People who appear to be happily married or being best of friends... Circumstances that turn out to be far more influential than you would expect at first glance.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.