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Confessions with Keith
Winner of the 2023 City of Victoria Butler Book Prize
An outrageously comic novel documents a middle-aged writer and mother's grappling with mid-life crisis—her husband's and her own.
Preoccupied with her fledgling literary career, intent on the all-consuming consolations of philosophy, and scrambling to meet the demands of her four children, the acutely myopic and chronically inattentive Vita Glass doesn’t notice that her house and her marriage are competing to see which can fall apart fastest. She can barely find time for her writing career, and just when her newfound success in vegetable erotica is beginning to take off. Our heroine’s only tried and trusted escape is the blissful detachment of Keith's hairdressing salon, but when her husband leaves the country, unannounced, she decides to do likewise—in the opposite direction, and with their children. Drawn from the pages of Vita’s journal, this outrageously comic novel documents Vita's passage through a mid-life crisis and explores all the ways we deceive each other and ourselves.
An outrageously comic novel documents a middle-aged writer and mother's grappling with mid-life crisis—her husband's and her own.
Preoccupied with her fledgling literary career, intent on the all-consuming consolations of philosophy, and scrambling to meet the demands of her four children, the acutely myopic and chronically inattentive Vita Glass doesn’t notice that her house and her marriage are competing to see which can fall apart fastest. She can barely find time for her writing career, and just when her newfound success in vegetable erotica is beginning to take off. Our heroine’s only tried and trusted escape is the blissful detachment of Keith's hairdressing salon, but when her husband leaves the country, unannounced, she decides to do likewise—in the opposite direction, and with their children. Drawn from the pages of Vita’s journal, this outrageously comic novel documents Vita's passage through a mid-life crisis and explores all the ways we deceive each other and ourselves.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 20, 2022
3 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Pauline Holdstock
27 books15 followersPauline Holdstock is a Canadian citizen who has lived in Canada for over thirty years. She writes novels, short fiction and essays. Her books have been published in the U.K, the U.S., Brazil, Portugal, Australia and Germany, as well as in Canada, where CBC’s 'The Arts Tonight' has featured her work.
Pauline’s short fiction has appeared in numerous literary magazines.
The Hunter And The Wild Girl, Winner of the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize Prize, is her most recent novel.
Her novel, Beyond Measure, was a finalist for the 2004 Giller Prize and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, Canada and Caribbean Region. It won the BC Book Prizes Ethel Wilson Award for Fiction in 2005.
A recent novella, The World of Light Where We Live, was the winner of the Malahat Review 2006 Novella Contest.
Pauline Holdstock also writes non-fiction. Her essays and book reviews have appeared in Canada’s national newspapers and have been broadcast on CBC radio. She was the winner of the Prairie Fire Personal Journalism Prize, 2000.
Pauline has taught at the Victoria School of Writing and at the University of Victoria. She has served on the faculty of the Banff Centre Wired Writing Studio, and the Banff Centre’s Writing with Style program.
Pauline’s short fiction has appeared in numerous literary magazines.
The Hunter And The Wild Girl, Winner of the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize Prize, is her most recent novel.
Her novel, Beyond Measure, was a finalist for the 2004 Giller Prize and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, Canada and Caribbean Region. It won the BC Book Prizes Ethel Wilson Award for Fiction in 2005.
A recent novella, The World of Light Where We Live, was the winner of the Malahat Review 2006 Novella Contest.
Pauline Holdstock also writes non-fiction. Her essays and book reviews have appeared in Canada’s national newspapers and have been broadcast on CBC radio. She was the winner of the Prairie Fire Personal Journalism Prize, 2000.
Pauline has taught at the Victoria School of Writing and at the University of Victoria. She has served on the faculty of the Banff Centre Wired Writing Studio, and the Banff Centre’s Writing with Style program.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 24, 2025
Vita Glass is struggling to meet the competing demands on her life—four active and increasingly headstrong children, a crumbling house, a distant husband and her neglected writing career. Her only safe harbour is hairdresser Keith, whose blithe observations of life help keep Vita sane. Written as Vita's journal entries, Pauline Holdstock's vivid and occasionally hilarious prose describes Vita's attempts to salvage her marriage, attend book readings (sometimes with the wrong book), master the art of being a sports mom and discover the unlikely market for vegetable erotica. Rollicking, poignant and honest, Confessions is about what many women long to say, but need a few glasses of wine to do so.
May 23, 2023
After a promising review by fellow book blogger Naomi, I was convinced I should pick up the latest release from Canadian writer Pauline Holdstock. Confessions with Keith is a look at a year in the life of a wife and mother who is barely holding on. I love tales of motherhood, and the frantic scribblings of this protagonist offered an entertaining plot that makes most households look positively dull. The humour is one of my favourite parts of this book, which I also enjoyed in Holdstock’s last release, Here I Am! which I wrote about back in 2020.
Plot Summary
Vita Glass is flying by the seat of her pants, and we are treated to the disastrous consequences of her actions through the regular updates in her journal. Seemingly the only thing she does with regularity, these entries detail the dissolution of her marriage, the crumbling state of her house, the rollercoaster of her modest writing career, and the frequent trips to her hair salon to talk to Keith, her hairdresser. She lives on the west coast, she has four kids, it’s 1999 (I think), and her husband is incredibly selfish. These circumstances elicit a certain amount of sympathy, but she also elicits a considerable amount of frustration from those around her, made obvious by the remarks of her friends and family. It’s clear that Vita is used to being walked over, and those who love her wish she would smarten up, in more ways than one.
My Thoughts
Vita is a character of contradictions; she is a caring mother who successfully makes the most of any situation; a few days during the winter where the power goes out, and instead of moaning about it, she tries to re-create a camping trip inside the house, lighting lots of candles, playing games, etc. On the other hand, its frustrating to witness her resolution to ignore her husband after he leaves when its clear she’s in desperate need of money and help; has she never heard of child support? Her inability to follow through on the ‘adulting’ part of life is what leads to many of her difficulties, which her kids obviously see and are frustrated by as well. But once I got past whether or not I was blaming Vita for her situation, I began to appreciate the humour she found in her life, and the writing showcased this beautifully:
“Later, I cried when the elephants came in. Trapped in their bulk they are so sad. I think they know we love them despite our inexplicable behaviour and that is why they do not step on us. Shared the thought with Miles. He said no. It was because the trainer has a poky thing.”
-p. 170 of Confessions with Keith, advanced readers’ copy edition (uncorrected proof)
The above quote is the perfect demonstration of a few things; Vita’s empathy, the humour of her life, but also the annoying way this book is written. The sentence “shared the thought with Miles” is indicative of how much of the journal is written, not always in complete sentences, barely using the word “I”. I found this sort of aggravating, but it’s not likely to bother most.
It was an interesting to choice to name the book in reference to Vita’s hair appointments because her hair seemed to be the last thing on her mind most days. She obviously uses these appointments as a break from her everyday life, excited to chat with someone who gives her the benefit of the doubt, but Keith himself plays a very minor role in the book despite being the titular character. Towards the end of the novel Vita comes to a few realizations; about her husband, about her marriage, even about the stories Keith tells her. Even though these things happen at the same time, they aren’t all connected, but it seems to bring her a sense of peace anyway. Upon further reflection, it’s difficult to pinpoint what this book is actually about; Vita’s inner life, or her interactions with others? And which is in more desperate need of resolution – or is it all of it? Although the plot may not lead to a specific and obvious climax and solution, it’s a realistic depiction of one person’s life: the opposite of tidy.
To read the rest of my reviews, please visit my blog:
https://ivereadthis.com/
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Or follow me on social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ivereadthis/
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Plot Summary
Vita Glass is flying by the seat of her pants, and we are treated to the disastrous consequences of her actions through the regular updates in her journal. Seemingly the only thing she does with regularity, these entries detail the dissolution of her marriage, the crumbling state of her house, the rollercoaster of her modest writing career, and the frequent trips to her hair salon to talk to Keith, her hairdresser. She lives on the west coast, she has four kids, it’s 1999 (I think), and her husband is incredibly selfish. These circumstances elicit a certain amount of sympathy, but she also elicits a considerable amount of frustration from those around her, made obvious by the remarks of her friends and family. It’s clear that Vita is used to being walked over, and those who love her wish she would smarten up, in more ways than one.
My Thoughts
Vita is a character of contradictions; she is a caring mother who successfully makes the most of any situation; a few days during the winter where the power goes out, and instead of moaning about it, she tries to re-create a camping trip inside the house, lighting lots of candles, playing games, etc. On the other hand, its frustrating to witness her resolution to ignore her husband after he leaves when its clear she’s in desperate need of money and help; has she never heard of child support? Her inability to follow through on the ‘adulting’ part of life is what leads to many of her difficulties, which her kids obviously see and are frustrated by as well. But once I got past whether or not I was blaming Vita for her situation, I began to appreciate the humour she found in her life, and the writing showcased this beautifully:
“Later, I cried when the elephants came in. Trapped in their bulk they are so sad. I think they know we love them despite our inexplicable behaviour and that is why they do not step on us. Shared the thought with Miles. He said no. It was because the trainer has a poky thing.”
-p. 170 of Confessions with Keith, advanced readers’ copy edition (uncorrected proof)
The above quote is the perfect demonstration of a few things; Vita’s empathy, the humour of her life, but also the annoying way this book is written. The sentence “shared the thought with Miles” is indicative of how much of the journal is written, not always in complete sentences, barely using the word “I”. I found this sort of aggravating, but it’s not likely to bother most.
It was an interesting to choice to name the book in reference to Vita’s hair appointments because her hair seemed to be the last thing on her mind most days. She obviously uses these appointments as a break from her everyday life, excited to chat with someone who gives her the benefit of the doubt, but Keith himself plays a very minor role in the book despite being the titular character. Towards the end of the novel Vita comes to a few realizations; about her husband, about her marriage, even about the stories Keith tells her. Even though these things happen at the same time, they aren’t all connected, but it seems to bring her a sense of peace anyway. Upon further reflection, it’s difficult to pinpoint what this book is actually about; Vita’s inner life, or her interactions with others? And which is in more desperate need of resolution – or is it all of it? Although the plot may not lead to a specific and obvious climax and solution, it’s a realistic depiction of one person’s life: the opposite of tidy.
To read the rest of my reviews, please visit my blog:
https://ivereadthis.com/
Sign up for my newsletter here: https://ivereadthis.com/subscribe/
Or follow me on social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ivereadthis/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD6E...
June 2, 2023
This was such a pleasant surprise and I enjoyed it so much. It was funny and refreshing and didn't feel like Holdstock was trying too hard to be relevant or relatable. Vita's voice felt honest and Holdstock was able to capture the intimate voice of a journal in a way that I thought was both accurate and incredibly immersive.
I was also pleasantly surprised by how likeable Vita was. I feel a lot of other female protagonists in the genre of 'woman trying to get her life together' are either bland yet also unlikeable or it feels like they are just trying too hard to stand out. Vita, on the other hand, felt a lot more realistic and personable. Yes there is a lot in her life that is less than ideal but she just did her best muddling through, bitching when needed and making do when she had to. The book felt more mature than a lot of other similar ones, both because of the characters but also because I think Holdstock comes across as more mature and worldly. I very much enjoyed her family and social dynamic which, because of the size of her family and its chaos, reminded me of Kate Atkinson whom I adore.
So overall a smashing success and I will definitely look out for more of Holdstock's novels.
I was also pleasantly surprised by how likeable Vita was. I feel a lot of other female protagonists in the genre of 'woman trying to get her life together' are either bland yet also unlikeable or it feels like they are just trying too hard to stand out. Vita, on the other hand, felt a lot more realistic and personable. Yes there is a lot in her life that is less than ideal but she just did her best muddling through, bitching when needed and making do when she had to. The book felt more mature than a lot of other similar ones, both because of the characters but also because I think Holdstock comes across as more mature and worldly. I very much enjoyed her family and social dynamic which, because of the size of her family and its chaos, reminded me of Kate Atkinson whom I adore.
So overall a smashing success and I will definitely look out for more of Holdstock's novels.
December 29, 2022
Confessions with Keith is a novel comprised of journals entries made by Vita Glass, an aspiring writer, mother and wife grappling with middle age and all that comes with it. This comic novel gives us a window into perpetually-frazzled Vita’s life of domestic servitude and her quest to escape, at least in the sense of transforming into something else. The reader understands that the bottom is going to fall out sooner or later, even if the narrator does not.
The style of humour may not be for everyone, but those who get it will laugh out loud. Vita’s misadventures, and her literary career built on vegetable erotica, is sure to inject some comedy into the family strife that could otherwise be grim. Fans of Bridget Jones’s Diary will find much to love in this novel.
The style of humour may not be for everyone, but those who get it will laugh out loud. Vita’s misadventures, and her literary career built on vegetable erotica, is sure to inject some comedy into the family strife that could otherwise be grim. Fans of Bridget Jones’s Diary will find much to love in this novel.
November 3, 2022
I'm afraid the attempt at humour in this novel does nothing for me. I feel about it the same way as I felt about the TV series "Seinfeld" -- a technically proficient comedy that I simply don't find funny. I'm sure this novel tickles many a funny bone...but I'm afraid I'm not one of them. Not liking any of the characters in the novel certainly didn't help. This book isn't for me.
December 26, 2023
This book is mildly amusing. Vita Glass is a somewhat scatty mother of 4 as well as a would-be author. A pleasant read. Keith is her hairdresser. The house is always in a mess and so is the marriage.
We go through a separation, not for the usual reasons as it turns out. All is resolved in the end.
We go through a separation, not for the usual reasons as it turns out. All is resolved in the end.
May 28, 2024
The harried life of Vita is quite overwhelming, four kids, a non-present husband, and a neurotic dog. If you have kids you can appreciate the hectic family life, the OMG Mom! moments with her teenagers, and the tender moments with Miles and Hettie. Vita’s life is falling apart, she’s not handling it well, sometimes it’s humorous, sometimes you just want her to get it together.
May 22, 2023
I got halfway through this book and lost interest in the whole story. I couldn’t warm to a single character and my desire to read the book evaporated. It had a few funny moments but was hardly hilarious, and my overall feeling was just “meh, who cares?”.
Read
March 29, 2023Thoroughly enjoyable domestic comedy.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews