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Lump
A dark, satiric novel about a woman whose attempt to escape crises in her health and marriage ends up causing more chaos.
In a single day, Cat finds out that she is pregnant, that a lump in her breast is the worst thing it could be, and that her husband has done something unforgivably creepy. Her life is stressful enough as it is: her career is stalled and being a stay-at-home mom for two young kids has become a grind.
Cat responds by falling apart in the messiest way possible. She tries to run away from her marriage and her life — a life that, on the outside, looks like middle-class success in the big city.
Told through multiple perspectives (including that of a very old dog), Lump is a dark comedy about marriage, motherhood, class, and cancer.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
In a single day, Cat finds out that she is pregnant, that a lump in her breast is the worst thing it could be, and that her husband has done something unforgivably creepy. Her life is stressful enough as it is: her career is stalled and being a stay-at-home mom for two young kids has become a grind.
Cat responds by falling apart in the messiest way possible. She tries to run away from her marriage and her life — a life that, on the outside, looks like middle-class success in the big city.
Told through multiple perspectives (including that of a very old dog), Lump is a dark comedy about marriage, motherhood, class, and cancer.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
320 pages, Paperback
Published August 15, 2023
5 people are currently reading
4868 people want to read
About the author
Nathan Whitlock
4 books43 followersNathan Whitlock’s award-winning fiction and non-fiction has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, National Post, Toronto Life, Report on Business, Flare, Fashion, Geist, Maisonneuve, and Best Canadian Essays, and he has appeared on radio and television discussing books and culture. Heather O’Neill called A Week of This, Whitlock’s first novel, “a portrait of people in a small town so intimate that it feels like you are under the covers with them.” He is a contributing editor for Quill & Quire. He lives in Toronto with his wife and children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
August 26, 2023
In a Nutshell: Could have been outstanding, but messed up big-time in its execution. Such a wasted opportunity! Don’t pick this up if you were expecting a story about a woman battling an emotional breakdown as the blurb promises; the focus is more on the man in her life.
Story Synopsis:
As the blurb focusses on Cat's snapping point after the traumatic events, I expected a strong woman-oriented story about a lady who either fights back against the issues confronting her, or ventures into an introspective reflection of what went wrong. This approach would have made the story brilliant, maybe even making it cross the 4-star mark for me. The initial few pages of the book are a testimony to how amazingly the book could have delivered had it kept the focus on Cat.
Sadly, this didn't happen. What I found instead was a hot mess.
Bookish Yays:
🌹 The book started off very well. The initial few chapters build up the perfect background for Cat and her emotional state.
🌹 Cat’s housemaid Lena is an immigrant, so from her perspective, we get to see a little about immigrant experience in Toronto, where the story is based.
🌹 A few of the sections come from the perspective of Cat’s daughter Isabelle. These were the best in terms of depth and emotions.
Bookish Nays:
🌵 The story begins a few days before the revelations come Cat's way, and ends a few months later. During the interim, we get to hear from Cat, her husband Donovan, her daughter Isabelle, her maid Lena, and one segment from a pet dog's perspective. The shifting points of view mean that we get to see Cat’s emotional conflict only in bits and pieces. When the other characters pick up the narrative baton, their perspective is about the problems *they* are facing than on what’s happening with Cat.
🌵 As mentioned in the blurb and above, one of the character’s we hear from is a dog. This had made me very curious. However, the dog handled the narration for just one chapter, and that was also just about average in execution. What I couldn’t understand was why the dog was given a voice while his owner Meredith, who has a much bigger role to play in the story, never gets a chance to show us her point of view.
🌵 I had expected the major focus to be on Cat. However, to my surprise and utter disappointment, Donovan is the character who is most often on page and who gets the maximum attention, and that too for things absolutely unrelated to Cat’s trauma. This would have been okay if Donovan had any redeeming qualities. Sadly, he is among the most perverted creeps I've read in fiction. His whole perspective, especially his attitude towards women, was infuriating. I would have still enjoyed the book if he had received at least some kind of comeuppance for his behaviour, but that angle is left dangling.
🌵 Because of the writing choice, the only character we truly get to know well is Donovan. The rest of the characters are fit into the book only as per convenience of the storyline. Even for major characters such as Cat, Meredith (the woman who takes Cat in) and Claudia (Cat’s sister), the motivation behind their behaviour is never clarified.
🌵 While the first half was still tolerable, the second half goes downhill. The ending is the worst part of the book. After all that build-up and the various subplots, we don't even get any closure. There are also many loopholes and unexplained plot points. My biggest doubt was how Claudia, who is always super busy and a hyper-involved mom, suddenly finds ample free time to spend at Donovan’s house after Cat leaves, without even bothering about her own husband and baby daughter.
🌵 How can a book use cancer in the blurb and then have it just in passing during the story? We get to see Cat’s first-hand experience only when she hears from her doctor about the diagnosis. After that, nothing. No pondering over treatment options, no worry of death, no chemotherapy, no insecurity over what would happen to her kids, nothing!
🌵 Cat’s track should have generated much sympathy and emotional upheaval in me, but I ended up feeling nothing because of how distanced she was kept. And this is truly a missed chance because the author showed me in the initial chapters that he *can* write women characters well. But Donovan the jerk spoiled the whole show by hogging the attention.
🌵 There are some embarrassingly outdated and insensitive remarks about issues like race, gender, weight, sexual orientation and so on. I know that it's not the author but the character spouting/thinking those ideas, and I also remember that this is supposedly a satirical novel, but it's still cringe-worthy to read. Most of the adult main characters also seem not to know how to talk in front of kids.
All in all, this would have been my kind of book had it actually been a dark satire as promised in the blurb. But because it forgot the cancer sufferer and chose to focus more on her annoying husband, I didn't enjoy the reading experience. I still believe that the premise had potential, but something went wrong in the execution.
Can't recommend this one as a cancer story or as a satire. Might be read as a character-oriented literary fiction; it works somewhat better that way.
2 stars. (3 stars if read without the blurb/genre in mind. 1 star if read keeping an eye on the blurb. Averaging the two.)
My thanks to Dundurn Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “Lump”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn't work out better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Story Synopsis:
Thirty-eight-year-old Cat is having a heck of a day, and not in a good way. Within a few hours' span, she discovers that she is pregnant, she has cancer, and her husband has done something idiotic. Cat falls apart emotionally and runs away from her home, without telling her husband Donovan or her two young kids or anyone else.
What led to Cat's taking such a drastic decision? How do the people in her life respond?
We learn the above through various third-person perspectives, including that of Cat.
As the blurb focusses on Cat's snapping point after the traumatic events, I expected a strong woman-oriented story about a lady who either fights back against the issues confronting her, or ventures into an introspective reflection of what went wrong. This approach would have made the story brilliant, maybe even making it cross the 4-star mark for me. The initial few pages of the book are a testimony to how amazingly the book could have delivered had it kept the focus on Cat.
Sadly, this didn't happen. What I found instead was a hot mess.
Bookish Yays:
🌹 The book started off very well. The initial few chapters build up the perfect background for Cat and her emotional state.
🌹 Cat’s housemaid Lena is an immigrant, so from her perspective, we get to see a little about immigrant experience in Toronto, where the story is based.
🌹 A few of the sections come from the perspective of Cat’s daughter Isabelle. These were the best in terms of depth and emotions.
Bookish Nays:
🌵 The story begins a few days before the revelations come Cat's way, and ends a few months later. During the interim, we get to hear from Cat, her husband Donovan, her daughter Isabelle, her maid Lena, and one segment from a pet dog's perspective. The shifting points of view mean that we get to see Cat’s emotional conflict only in bits and pieces. When the other characters pick up the narrative baton, their perspective is about the problems *they* are facing than on what’s happening with Cat.
🌵 As mentioned in the blurb and above, one of the character’s we hear from is a dog. This had made me very curious. However, the dog handled the narration for just one chapter, and that was also just about average in execution. What I couldn’t understand was why the dog was given a voice while his owner Meredith, who has a much bigger role to play in the story, never gets a chance to show us her point of view.
🌵 I had expected the major focus to be on Cat. However, to my surprise and utter disappointment, Donovan is the character who is most often on page and who gets the maximum attention, and that too for things absolutely unrelated to Cat’s trauma. This would have been okay if Donovan had any redeeming qualities. Sadly, he is among the most perverted creeps I've read in fiction. His whole perspective, especially his attitude towards women, was infuriating. I would have still enjoyed the book if he had received at least some kind of comeuppance for his behaviour, but that angle is left dangling.
🌵 Because of the writing choice, the only character we truly get to know well is Donovan. The rest of the characters are fit into the book only as per convenience of the storyline. Even for major characters such as Cat, Meredith (the woman who takes Cat in) and Claudia (Cat’s sister), the motivation behind their behaviour is never clarified.
🌵 While the first half was still tolerable, the second half goes downhill. The ending is the worst part of the book. After all that build-up and the various subplots, we don't even get any closure. There are also many loopholes and unexplained plot points. My biggest doubt was how Claudia, who is always super busy and a hyper-involved mom, suddenly finds ample free time to spend at Donovan’s house after Cat leaves, without even bothering about her own husband and baby daughter.
🌵 How can a book use cancer in the blurb and then have it just in passing during the story? We get to see Cat’s first-hand experience only when she hears from her doctor about the diagnosis. After that, nothing. No pondering over treatment options, no worry of death, no chemotherapy, no insecurity over what would happen to her kids, nothing!
🌵 Cat’s track should have generated much sympathy and emotional upheaval in me, but I ended up feeling nothing because of how distanced she was kept. And this is truly a missed chance because the author showed me in the initial chapters that he *can* write women characters well. But Donovan the jerk spoiled the whole show by hogging the attention.
🌵 There are some embarrassingly outdated and insensitive remarks about issues like race, gender, weight, sexual orientation and so on. I know that it's not the author but the character spouting/thinking those ideas, and I also remember that this is supposedly a satirical novel, but it's still cringe-worthy to read. Most of the adult main characters also seem not to know how to talk in front of kids.
All in all, this would have been my kind of book had it actually been a dark satire as promised in the blurb. But because it forgot the cancer sufferer and chose to focus more on her annoying husband, I didn't enjoy the reading experience. I still believe that the premise had potential, but something went wrong in the execution.
Can't recommend this one as a cancer story or as a satire. Might be read as a character-oriented literary fiction; it works somewhat better that way.
2 stars. (3 stars if read without the blurb/genre in mind. 1 star if read keeping an eye on the blurb. Averaging the two.)
My thanks to Dundurn Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “Lump”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn't work out better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
April 28, 2023
(May even be 2.5 stars)
I'm not sure quite what to make of Lump. When I read the synopsis I thought it should be interesting. What happens when your life effectively explodes during the course of one day?
Turns out I'm still not sure. I suppose the oddly loose ends with this story could be seen as just being life. We never know what will happen next. However I did sort of expect a bit more detail in the telling rather than the jumping about from one subject to another quite so haphazardly.
We have Cat who finds out she is pregnant and has breast cancer and thar her husband has been up to some quite unsavoury things. We follow her up to the point where it gets interesting then suddenly she's gone for almost the rest of the book. We have Donovan, her husband, who is a totally revolting character - a liar, a cheat, useless with kids, house and money - who makes messes which are also then abandoned mid-stream without a conclusion. Finally we have Lena who sees only some of this but is otherwise a bit part player whose role I can't quite grasp. She makes very little material difference to anything.
I suppose I'm a little bewildered by the book as it seems to leave everything hanging until it gives sentence long conclusions at the end. I would have liked more expansion on the storylines. It all felt a little unfinished.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
I'm not sure quite what to make of Lump. When I read the synopsis I thought it should be interesting. What happens when your life effectively explodes during the course of one day?
Turns out I'm still not sure. I suppose the oddly loose ends with this story could be seen as just being life. We never know what will happen next. However I did sort of expect a bit more detail in the telling rather than the jumping about from one subject to another quite so haphazardly.
We have Cat who finds out she is pregnant and has breast cancer and thar her husband has been up to some quite unsavoury things. We follow her up to the point where it gets interesting then suddenly she's gone for almost the rest of the book. We have Donovan, her husband, who is a totally revolting character - a liar, a cheat, useless with kids, house and money - who makes messes which are also then abandoned mid-stream without a conclusion. Finally we have Lena who sees only some of this but is otherwise a bit part player whose role I can't quite grasp. She makes very little material difference to anything.
I suppose I'm a little bewildered by the book as it seems to leave everything hanging until it gives sentence long conclusions at the end. I would have liked more expansion on the storylines. It all felt a little unfinished.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
February 2, 2023
Edit to add: I received a copy of this book with the promise of my honest review.
The story was quite intriguing and I found myself very invested in the lives being shown here. My biggest complaints are that there was no confrontation regarding one of the biggest issues driving the story - and - I wanted more about Cat. I feel like the story is missing a final section from her pov. Overall, I feel like I needed a little bit more from our protagonists.
The story was quite intriguing and I found myself very invested in the lives being shown here. My biggest complaints are that there was no confrontation regarding one of the biggest issues driving the story - and - I wanted more about Cat. I feel like the story is missing a final section from her pov. Overall, I feel like I needed a little bit more from our protagonists.
July 11, 2023
Nathan Whitlocks latest novel is blurbed as “a darkly satirical contemporary story about marriage, motherhood, class, and cancer. Told through multiple perspectives from the people that surround her, we follow the unraveling of a woman’s life after she receives 3 lifechanging pieces of news in a single day: her husband is cheating, she’s pregnant, and that strange lump in her breast is cancerous.
Despite that bold set-up, and the fact that I’m not against a good piece of dark comedy, Lump takes the lead as my worst read of 2023 thus far. As a “casual reader” I simply found nothing to enjoy about it. As a cancer-survivor and sensitivity reader on the topic, I actually detested it.
I have many thoughts on this book, so will try to keep this as concise as possible. I think the author had an interesting idea on the story he wanted to tell. My dislike boils down to the way he chose to do so, specifically to three elements: the satire/humor, the characters, and the overarching question of “who is telling this story” that kept nagging me. Let’s break it down:
The satire/humor:
Let me preface this by saying that I’m not of the opinion that “you don’t joke about cancer”. I’ve personally joked about cancer whilst having (had) cancer, and I believe humor can be a healthy way to work through big life events, if it’s done in good faith. Lump just wasn’t funny to me.
Much of its satire relies on very tried and tired tropes of “dunking on privileged upper-middle class folks” and the stereotypes that come with that. All the men are immature pigs that think with an organ located a bit lower than their brain. All the women are shallow and seem to lack a brain all together… Good satire can shine in its ability to hold up a mirror in which we can see ourselves/our situations from a different perspective. Lump presents an angle we’ve seen time and time again, bringing nothing new to the table, and thereby losing its sting.
The characters:
going hand in hand with the previous point; almost every character is a detestable stereotype of themselves. It makes it difficult to relate to them, despite sometimes genuinely commiserative circumstances. It also often had me questioning which part of their stereotype was meant to be funny, and which part was the author actually thinking this is the way women talk to each other. Take this gem of a quote from one character, commenting on the other women in her yoga-class.
“Every woman out there looks like a fuck-bot. They all have toddlers with them, but they’re as skinny as rakes. I bet they get C-sections so they don’t get stretched out.”
I honestly cannot tell if this is meant as a joke for the reader to be in on (in which case, it’s a tasteless one), or if this is actually just a thinly veiled bad take by the author… Do their choices seem ridiculous for comedy-sake, or just because their motivations are poorly developed.
Cat is the only character equipped with at least some potential, yet she’s strangely underused, despite being the focal point of the story. Her POV makes up less than half of the novel, and we strangely cut away to side characters at vital points in her story, only to skip back to her, far after the important event has taken place off-page.
Large parts of Cat’s story feel unresolved and messy because of these jump-cuts. Most notably; her entire character arc is left unresolved in the end because of a similar time-skip.
Who is telling this story?
The odd POV-choices led me to an even bigger question however; who’s story is actually being told here, and by who? That all ties in to my ultimate dislike, and reason for rating it a 1-star.
As a cancer-survivor, I love to read stories from people to have a story to tell about cancer, and its impacts on a life. Nathan Whitlock didn’t have that. He wanted to tell a story about marriage, privilege etc., and used cancer as a plot-point- a catalyst- in it. There is something inherently disingenuous about a healthy man (with no personal experience with cancer at the time of writing this novel), writing a story about a woman with cancer. Breast-cancer, mind you…
To his credit: Whitlock actually addresses this in his foreword. He mentions being diagnosed with cancer himself after writing Lump, and feeling like it was a kind of karmic justice for writing a story that wasn’t his originally. I’m sorry for his experience, and I feel horrible he felt this way about his story looking back. It still doesn’t change the bitter aftertaste the story left in my mouth personally.
I’ve spoken about the use of cancer as a vehicle to add a layer of emotion to a different story, many times before now. It’s a topic I’m sensitive to, as it feels exploitative of something so lifechanging. In many ways, Lump reminded me of a Dutch novel Komt een vrouw bij de dokter, in which a man goes on a cheating-spree which he justifies because of his grief over his wife’s recent cancer-diagnosis. It’s one of my most hated books ever, and this gave me some of those same feelings of exploitation and emotional manipulation.
Overall, I appreciate the attempt and the risks this author took, but I cannot recommend it with a clear conscious.
Many thanks to Dundurn Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Despite that bold set-up, and the fact that I’m not against a good piece of dark comedy, Lump takes the lead as my worst read of 2023 thus far. As a “casual reader” I simply found nothing to enjoy about it. As a cancer-survivor and sensitivity reader on the topic, I actually detested it.
I have many thoughts on this book, so will try to keep this as concise as possible. I think the author had an interesting idea on the story he wanted to tell. My dislike boils down to the way he chose to do so, specifically to three elements: the satire/humor, the characters, and the overarching question of “who is telling this story” that kept nagging me. Let’s break it down:
The satire/humor:
Let me preface this by saying that I’m not of the opinion that “you don’t joke about cancer”. I’ve personally joked about cancer whilst having (had) cancer, and I believe humor can be a healthy way to work through big life events, if it’s done in good faith. Lump just wasn’t funny to me.
Much of its satire relies on very tried and tired tropes of “dunking on privileged upper-middle class folks” and the stereotypes that come with that. All the men are immature pigs that think with an organ located a bit lower than their brain. All the women are shallow and seem to lack a brain all together… Good satire can shine in its ability to hold up a mirror in which we can see ourselves/our situations from a different perspective. Lump presents an angle we’ve seen time and time again, bringing nothing new to the table, and thereby losing its sting.
The characters:
going hand in hand with the previous point; almost every character is a detestable stereotype of themselves. It makes it difficult to relate to them, despite sometimes genuinely commiserative circumstances. It also often had me questioning which part of their stereotype was meant to be funny, and which part was the author actually thinking this is the way women talk to each other. Take this gem of a quote from one character, commenting on the other women in her yoga-class.
“Every woman out there looks like a fuck-bot. They all have toddlers with them, but they’re as skinny as rakes. I bet they get C-sections so they don’t get stretched out.”
I honestly cannot tell if this is meant as a joke for the reader to be in on (in which case, it’s a tasteless one), or if this is actually just a thinly veiled bad take by the author… Do their choices seem ridiculous for comedy-sake, or just because their motivations are poorly developed.
Cat is the only character equipped with at least some potential, yet she’s strangely underused, despite being the focal point of the story. Her POV makes up less than half of the novel, and we strangely cut away to side characters at vital points in her story, only to skip back to her, far after the important event has taken place off-page.
Large parts of Cat’s story feel unresolved and messy because of these jump-cuts. Most notably; her entire character arc is left unresolved in the end because of a similar time-skip.
Who is telling this story?
The odd POV-choices led me to an even bigger question however; who’s story is actually being told here, and by who? That all ties in to my ultimate dislike, and reason for rating it a 1-star.
As a cancer-survivor, I love to read stories from people to have a story to tell about cancer, and its impacts on a life. Nathan Whitlock didn’t have that. He wanted to tell a story about marriage, privilege etc., and used cancer as a plot-point- a catalyst- in it. There is something inherently disingenuous about a healthy man (with no personal experience with cancer at the time of writing this novel), writing a story about a woman with cancer. Breast-cancer, mind you…
To his credit: Whitlock actually addresses this in his foreword. He mentions being diagnosed with cancer himself after writing Lump, and feeling like it was a kind of karmic justice for writing a story that wasn’t his originally. I’m sorry for his experience, and I feel horrible he felt this way about his story looking back. It still doesn’t change the bitter aftertaste the story left in my mouth personally.
I’ve spoken about the use of cancer as a vehicle to add a layer of emotion to a different story, many times before now. It’s a topic I’m sensitive to, as it feels exploitative of something so lifechanging. In many ways, Lump reminded me of a Dutch novel Komt een vrouw bij de dokter, in which a man goes on a cheating-spree which he justifies because of his grief over his wife’s recent cancer-diagnosis. It’s one of my most hated books ever, and this gave me some of those same feelings of exploitation and emotional manipulation.
Overall, I appreciate the attempt and the risks this author took, but I cannot recommend it with a clear conscious.
Many thanks to Dundurn Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
January 31, 2023
Unfortunately I was not very enthused by this book, regardless that the synopsis sounded promising.
It was not that humorous as described (and I am a sucker for dark satire), and the wife as well as the husband just annoyed me equally.
Reading this felt more of a chore than actual entertainment.
I am sorry, that I can not give a better review - but this read was just not for me personally.
January 20, 2023
“lump” is heartbreaking. a boring marriage is upended when cat finds out she is pregnant. she’s been ignoring a lump in her breast that causes her pain, and finds out she has cancer when she goes to the doctor to discuss her pregnancy. meanwhile, her husband donovan is an absolute creep to young women and loses his job due to his actions. cat’s journey is one that many people endure — breast cancer. cat starts living life for herself and no one else, knowing her time is limited. and yet others pressure to keep the baby.
nathan whitlock has woven together multiple narratives told from the perspective of women, and a few striking vignettes from men. the men he writes feel like those you would find in any neighborhood of married couples; full of lust and disappointment. the only downside to “lump” is that there are a few too many characters, and a singular vignette that i feel doesn’t fit into the story nor need to be there. cat’s journey will stick with me. so i urge you, people of all genders, check yourself for lumps. and to every woman who has had cancer while pregnant — I’m rooting for you.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this lovely novel!
nathan whitlock has woven together multiple narratives told from the perspective of women, and a few striking vignettes from men. the men he writes feel like those you would find in any neighborhood of married couples; full of lust and disappointment. the only downside to “lump” is that there are a few too many characters, and a singular vignette that i feel doesn’t fit into the story nor need to be there. cat’s journey will stick with me. so i urge you, people of all genders, check yourself for lumps. and to every woman who has had cancer while pregnant — I’m rooting for you.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this lovely novel!
December 27, 2025
A wonderful and deep look into the lives of one family, and how completely messy it can get. Great writing, and perfect for fans of family dramas looking for a dark comedic twist
August 12, 2023
Lump starts as an engaging domestic comedy about a middle-class Toronto family. Cat Joseph is dealing with familiar issues – caring for two small children while managing her web design business, and keeping the family’s finances together. Meanwhile her privileged and feckless husband, Donovan, swans around various local eateries, talking airily about a hypothetical future enterprise.
Events take a darker turn when Cat learns that she is pregnant and she has a malignant tumour on her breast. And that her husband is a creep. Something has to change – and the change Cat makes has massive consequences for them all.
Lump is narrated from a number of points of view – some close to the family, some more remote, but each of their small acts and omissions impacts on the fate of Cat and her family.
Lump keeps the reader pleasingly off balance. The characters are real and believable with minds of their own, including the children (even the dog-as-narrator does okay). I particularly enjoyed the narration of the family’s cleaner, Lena, a recent immigrant who has many wry observations on the oddities of Toronto life and reacts with resilience to the blows that life (and Cat’s family) deal her.
Apart from being glad I’ve never had children, the strongest response Cat evoked in me was the desire to shake her. (Don’t we all know a Cat in real life?) Why does she tolerate so much from her husband?
Throughout her life she seems to have been passive and always cave into selfish, manipulative characters. This is most obvious with Donovan, but we also see it with her sister, Claudia. The question which propels the story is whether she can break free of this trait.
The interleaving of comic set pieces and some horrific moments only highlights Cat’s heightened state and sense of isolation. Lump is funny, shocking and moving in equal measure.
*
I received a copy of Lump from the publisher via NetGalley.
Events take a darker turn when Cat learns that she is pregnant and she has a malignant tumour on her breast. And that her husband is a creep. Something has to change – and the change Cat makes has massive consequences for them all.
Lump is narrated from a number of points of view – some close to the family, some more remote, but each of their small acts and omissions impacts on the fate of Cat and her family.
Lump keeps the reader pleasingly off balance. The characters are real and believable with minds of their own, including the children (even the dog-as-narrator does okay). I particularly enjoyed the narration of the family’s cleaner, Lena, a recent immigrant who has many wry observations on the oddities of Toronto life and reacts with resilience to the blows that life (and Cat’s family) deal her.
Apart from being glad I’ve never had children, the strongest response Cat evoked in me was the desire to shake her. (Don’t we all know a Cat in real life?) Why does she tolerate so much from her husband?
Throughout her life she seems to have been passive and always cave into selfish, manipulative characters. This is most obvious with Donovan, but we also see it with her sister, Claudia. The question which propels the story is whether she can break free of this trait.
The interleaving of comic set pieces and some horrific moments only highlights Cat’s heightened state and sense of isolation. Lump is funny, shocking and moving in equal measure.
*
I received a copy of Lump from the publisher via NetGalley.
September 17, 2023
Absorbing. I couldn’t put it down.
August 11, 2023
Thank you to partner, Bibliolifestyle for a copy of this .... interesting read. Lol
Lump is supposed to be a dark humor satire, which I will agree on the dark humor. I definitely giggled at some things.
On other things, I feel like we kind of lost the plot a bit? And literally all the characters were insufferable, especially the husband.
And the ending for Cat was lacking. We definitely needed more of her POV. The wrap up at the end was strange to me.
Lump is supposed to be a dark humor satire, which I will agree on the dark humor. I definitely giggled at some things.
On other things, I feel like we kind of lost the plot a bit? And literally all the characters were insufferable, especially the husband.
And the ending for Cat was lacking. We definitely needed more of her POV. The wrap up at the end was strange to me.
May 3, 2023
A really good read. One of my big issues with Lump was the pacing. It was quite good at the beginning, it hit a slump about three quarters of the way through, and then the ending felt rushed. Another chapter or two from Cat's POV would have been great. Her story ended a bit unfinished in my opinion. The writing style was quite nice, though. A little less comical than I was expecting.
January 30, 2023
A diagnosis can turn life upside down for an entire family.
When Cat learns on the same day that the lump in her breast is malignant and that she is pregnant, given that she has two small children and a husband she cannot rely on, she panics. What to do—fight or flee?
She makes the decision to leave her family behind and concentrate solely on herself and her well-being. All this shakes the foundations of her family, which are already on shaky ground.
I experienced a wide range of emotions while reading the book, including rage, despair, anxiety, perplexity, and delight.
There are a lot of characters in the book; I missed a bit more interaction with Cat since everything starts and ends with her. I don't think I had enough chances to get to know Cat, her true self, and her thoughts.
The whole novel is mostly based on strong women; the men are described as incompetent, and even the dog is old and weak.
Overall, it is a good novel, albeit quite heavy and dark, that I recommend to anyone who enjoys delving deep into their soul and contemplating life.
When Cat learns on the same day that the lump in her breast is malignant and that she is pregnant, given that she has two small children and a husband she cannot rely on, she panics. What to do—fight or flee?
She makes the decision to leave her family behind and concentrate solely on herself and her well-being. All this shakes the foundations of her family, which are already on shaky ground.
I experienced a wide range of emotions while reading the book, including rage, despair, anxiety, perplexity, and delight.
There are a lot of characters in the book; I missed a bit more interaction with Cat since everything starts and ends with her. I don't think I had enough chances to get to know Cat, her true self, and her thoughts.
The whole novel is mostly based on strong women; the men are described as incompetent, and even the dog is old and weak.
Overall, it is a good novel, albeit quite heavy and dark, that I recommend to anyone who enjoys delving deep into their soul and contemplating life.
February 3, 2023
I'm giving this a rounded 2.5*, mostly for how much this made me chuckle at the beginning. The characters were vivid, and their plights were real - including that of poor Louis the dog. However, the pacing of this book (and how quickly we jumped in the future, even in a few sentences alone!) really threw me off. I also really loathed the majority of the characters here. Some of them, clearly, you're meant to, but... let's just say I wasn't expecting to dislike a 4 year old child so intensely.
I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of different characters' viewpoints being used, but I think there was perhaps a little too much left to the imagination; I'd have preferred a bit more of Claudia's opinion/hot takes (her sister does disappear, and then she seems to be v v flirty with icky Donovan) and even Meredith's (erm, this crazy lady shows up in her house? and just moves in with her? while ACTIVELY DYING?). There's quite a lot left unresolved as well - it almost feels like this book could've been expanded a bit more beyond it's 300-odd pages. And it's quite rare of me to say that.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC.
I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of different characters' viewpoints being used, but I think there was perhaps a little too much left to the imagination; I'd have preferred a bit more of Claudia's opinion/hot takes (her sister does disappear, and then she seems to be v v flirty with icky Donovan) and even Meredith's (erm, this crazy lady shows up in her house? and just moves in with her? while ACTIVELY DYING?). There's quite a lot left unresolved as well - it almost feels like this book could've been expanded a bit more beyond it's 300-odd pages. And it's quite rare of me to say that.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2023
This was a really interesting book. Not an author I know well and he doesn't appear to be a household name.
However, I like my humour like I take my coffee, strong and black, and this novel was definitely for me.
Over the course of a day, our main character finds out some bad news which comes in threes, cancer, pregnancy and an untrustworthy husband.
What happens next is for you to find out but this was definitely a pleasant surprise and an author I will be keeping an eye on.
Thanks to Dundurn Press, Rare Machines and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
However, I like my humour like I take my coffee, strong and black, and this novel was definitely for me.
Over the course of a day, our main character finds out some bad news which comes in threes, cancer, pregnancy and an untrustworthy husband.
What happens next is for you to find out but this was definitely a pleasant surprise and an author I will be keeping an eye on.
Thanks to Dundurn Press, Rare Machines and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
January 24, 2023
This strange book tells the story of a very mixed and muddled bunch of people. A mother, struggling with her day-to-day life who finds (admittedly almost half way through the book - don't let the blurb lead you to think otherwise) that she has cancer and she's pregnant. Her cleaner, walks in on the husband playing with himself and then quits. The husband is a sleazy mess even before he's caught watching porn in the bathroom but he has lied to his wife about losing his job. The woman who he fondled at a work party is also dragged in a few times.
This book is a quick but insubstantial read. Quite how a writer can give their main character cancer and then just send her off to 'deal with it' via yoga and woo-woo is thoroughly beyond me. Irresponsible doesn't begin to describe that approach - throw in lazy as well. Take a life-threatening condition and just kind of push it to the edge of the page and ignore it. Wow!
We go from knowing everything about this woman, her thoughts, her daily activities to completely shoving her to one side of the plot. I've not seen a central character so let down in a long time.
There are important issues but they are fluffed over and rubbed away. This booked annoyed me more than it entertained me.
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley but this one's a 'no' from me.
This book is a quick but insubstantial read. Quite how a writer can give their main character cancer and then just send her off to 'deal with it' via yoga and woo-woo is thoroughly beyond me. Irresponsible doesn't begin to describe that approach - throw in lazy as well. Take a life-threatening condition and just kind of push it to the edge of the page and ignore it. Wow!
We go from knowing everything about this woman, her thoughts, her daily activities to completely shoving her to one side of the plot. I've not seen a central character so let down in a long time.
There are important issues but they are fluffed over and rubbed away. This booked annoyed me more than it entertained me.
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley but this one's a 'no' from me.
February 1, 2023
This book centers around a mother of two and different events that occur in her life and what happens afterwards. I thought the first half of the book was quite well done with good writing about the characters and their lives. We get to know the main character, Cat, and her frustrations of life in general - caring for two young children, trying to keep her business running, a husband acting strange, etc. I was very interested in this character and then very disappointed in the second half of the book. I felt like all the sudden, the character abandons her life and we don’t really get to see why. Oh we see some of the why, too much thrown at her at once - but we don’t see what goes on in her head after that. One minute we are wrapped up in this character’s life and the next we are let down, without much in the way of explaining how she is planning to face what life has now thrown at her. I would give this book 2.5 stars because so much was left out of the second half of the book.
October 29, 2023
So, I liked this. It was interesting. A lot happened. The author has a knack for writing about the mundanity of life, and I thought this was very intriguing. Especially in the beginning of the novel, Cat and Donovan’s simple tasks and day-to-day life is written about — not romanticized, just there. It helps us understand the bore that is their broken marriage, the difficulty of motherhood, her inability to find joy in life. That’s a talent that not all authors have, and I applaud this one for writing about mundane events and still making it interesting. The shifting points of view were beneficial most of the time, but not all of the time. Very interesting things going on in both members of the main couple’s lives, and I’m very glad we got to see altering views of both of these things. Donovan is scum and I’m so glad he got what he deserved by the end. Cat is plagued with illness, both mental and physical, and though the end outcome is predictable, the closure and what it meant for the family is a really sweet way to end a book. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like this, and I’m happy to have picked it up.
August 29, 2023
This was an enjoyable read. Well written and engrossing. A complex slice of life in the form of a book. The chapter with Louis may have broken me.
July 15, 2023
Fantastic! Clear and quirky. The ending was an abrupt left turn.
The smorgasbord of characters move the narrative along quickly, then slowly, then super fast.
There are characters who are unlikeable and downright despicable. The setting was so rich and blue and easy to fall into. I'd read again and I'd read more from this author.
The smorgasbord of characters move the narrative along quickly, then slowly, then super fast.
There are characters who are unlikeable and downright despicable. The setting was so rich and blue and easy to fall into. I'd read again and I'd read more from this author.
August 19, 2023
Lump is the kind of book that quietly creeps up on you. It is a dark, satirical look into the life of Cat. A mother of 2 who has recently just found out she is pregnant, has breast cancer and that her husband has done something vile. How does Cat deal with all of this? She runs away of course, leaving a stream of snowballing chaos behind her.
What worked for me:
Themes of motherhood, privilege, and marriage
Nuanced characters…
Who are quite unlikeable
Page turners
Strong yoga teachers
Multiple points of view
What didn’t work for me:
The ending. It felt a bit rushed and unsatisfying
A lot of reviews express that they would have liked to have heard more from Cat’s perspective once she got her diagnosis and I agree. However, a part of me is wondering if we didn’t hear her voice because she ran away. Did the author intentionally keep her voice absent because the other characters (during their chapters) didn’t hear from her either so that we got to feel a little bit of what they were feeling?
What worked for me:
Themes of motherhood, privilege, and marriage
Nuanced characters…
Who are quite unlikeable
Page turners
Strong yoga teachers
Multiple points of view
What didn’t work for me:
The ending. It felt a bit rushed and unsatisfying
A lot of reviews express that they would have liked to have heard more from Cat’s perspective once she got her diagnosis and I agree. However, a part of me is wondering if we didn’t hear her voice because she ran away. Did the author intentionally keep her voice absent because the other characters (during their chapters) didn’t hear from her either so that we got to feel a little bit of what they were feeling?
March 2, 2023
Note: I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback.
I will start by saying that I have never read a book by this author, but was compelled by the cover and author's note. Overall, this book was not for me. Maybe it was because the subject matter is a little too prescient for me, but mostly I think I just never understood why the characters were motivated to behave as they did.
I thought Cat would be the main character, but I feel like we knew the least about her, and ultimately heard from her even less. Although people may act rash in crisis, her decision to behave as she did seemed extremely out of character for her and did not make sense to me.
As the book went on, I felt the same about Donovan -- his gross behavior and lack of remorse was never explained. He must have been a "good guy" at some point to have held a prestigious job and engaged in a lengthy marriage, but we never saw why.
I continued to want to know more about the main characters, but the book continued introducing chapters from the perspectives of side characters, and therefore left me with even more questions than before.
Maybe someone else will enjoy these deeply unlikeable and mysterious characters, but it just wasn't for me. If you want to read about marital turmoil but want to actually know why the characters behave as they do, just read "Fleishman is in Trouble."
I will start by saying that I have never read a book by this author, but was compelled by the cover and author's note. Overall, this book was not for me. Maybe it was because the subject matter is a little too prescient for me, but mostly I think I just never understood why the characters were motivated to behave as they did.
I thought Cat would be the main character, but I feel like we knew the least about her, and ultimately heard from her even less. Although people may act rash in crisis, her decision to behave as she did seemed extremely out of character for her and did not make sense to me.
As the book went on, I felt the same about Donovan -- his gross behavior and lack of remorse was never explained. He must have been a "good guy" at some point to have held a prestigious job and engaged in a lengthy marriage, but we never saw why.
I continued to want to know more about the main characters, but the book continued introducing chapters from the perspectives of side characters, and therefore left me with even more questions than before.
Maybe someone else will enjoy these deeply unlikeable and mysterious characters, but it just wasn't for me. If you want to read about marital turmoil but want to actually know why the characters behave as they do, just read "Fleishman is in Trouble."
January 25, 2024
Nathan Whitlock's LUMP is one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time, but I love stories with characters that are super complicated, ridiculously eccentric, misogynistic and mean and I most definitely love a novel where an old dog gets his own chapter, where I get to hear his side of things while he struggles to climb the stairs (Did I cry here? Maybe).
Lump is told from multiple perspectives, which I sometimes don’t like, but for this novel, diving into the messed up mind of a dude who thinks his crappy behaviour is not as bad as it seems, and a rich lady who’s dedicated her life to spiritual healing, and a woman struggling to deal with a surprise pregnancy and a lump in her breast, and hearing the perspective of a house cleaner connected to all of them, is essential for this book to as funny as it is, but for us to also get inside the minds of people struggling to be good in the midst of all the crap coming from the other characters in the book. It’s a story about the choices we make, the consequences of those choices, and what we learn and maybe don’t learn from mistakes.
It’s brilliant.
(sorry for the long sentences....I'll never be able write these for a living)
Lump is told from multiple perspectives, which I sometimes don’t like, but for this novel, diving into the messed up mind of a dude who thinks his crappy behaviour is not as bad as it seems, and a rich lady who’s dedicated her life to spiritual healing, and a woman struggling to deal with a surprise pregnancy and a lump in her breast, and hearing the perspective of a house cleaner connected to all of them, is essential for this book to as funny as it is, but for us to also get inside the minds of people struggling to be good in the midst of all the crap coming from the other characters in the book. It’s a story about the choices we make, the consequences of those choices, and what we learn and maybe don’t learn from mistakes.
It’s brilliant.
(sorry for the long sentences....I'll never be able write these for a living)
January 29, 2024
This is described on the back cover as a dark comedy, but it's really a tragedy.
Cat has been ignoring a lump in her breast and her failing health for who knows how long now.
Cat's husband, Donovan, was let go from his job months ago, but hid it from Cat. When he finally does confess, he keeps the reason for his firing vague.
SPOILER: He was sexually inappropriate with a woman from his office, at the office Xmas party. He slid his hands around her body and pressed into her, and when she struggled to get away, he put his hand over her mouth. She had to bite him to get away.
Cat and Donovan have a house cleaner, Lena. When Lena accidentally walks in on Donovan jerking off in the bathroom, he pleads for her to stay and watch, then sprays semen all over the counter and floor before she can leave. Lena leaves the house and never comes back.
Donovan meanwhile sleeps in every day and indulges in going to the movies and lounging at cafes. He tries to start his own business but it fails. He runs out of money but his rich parents keep bailing him out. He decides to sue his former employer for wrongful dismissal. His parents get him a powerful lawyer. They are well-to-do snobs who spoiled their son and turned him into an entitled jerk.
Cat's period is late. She takes a pregnancy test and it's positive, so she goes to the doctor. The doctor tells her she has late stage breast cancer.
When Cat returns home from the doctor's appointment, Lena comes a short while later to tell her what happened with Donovan, how he jerked off and asked her to stay and watch him.
Cat can't take it. She goes to the home of a rich woman for whom she had designed a website for the rich woman's yoga studio. The rich woman takes her in. She does alternative healing strategies for Cat, like the laying on of hands outside in the moonlight, soap water enemas, and fasting.
In a subplot, we see that the woman whom Donovan harrassed is no pure angel. She is a gold digger. She finds out that she is pregnant from her former flame, Ravi. She meets with Ravi to subtly blackmail him into helping her with Donovan's lawsuit. She sends Ravi to threaten Donovan. Ravi ends up accidentally running into Cat's 4 year old son with his car, breaking the little boy's arm.
Cat stays away for months. She finally has some short visits with the children in a park, facilitated by her sister. In the end, she does return home, but how that went down is not described. She dies at home. Cat's parents take in the children. They are good people.
Donovan's lawsuit goes nowhere. The parents find out their son is scum and they stop supporting him.
Lena finds a job at McDonald's where she rises in seniority. She finds a romantic interest in the cashier at the local Rabba store.
At the end of the book, Cat's sister hires Lena to clean Cat's house to ready it for sale after Cat's death. Lena no longer feels she must be quiet and fearful. She has a new confidence.
Verdict:
Most of the characters are deeply flawed. Much as I felt sorry for Cat, I was puzzled by her passivity. Why did she not require Donovan to partake in the care of the children? Why did she allow the rich yoga lady to force her to fast, when she was starving?
The only good characters in this book were the children, the rich yoga lady's dog, and the nice cashier at Rabba.
The author set this story in Toronto, and it was very interesting to see casual references to Canadian culture (eg. RRSPs) and to Toronto landmarks (eg. Bloor St, High Park, Yonge St) in the story.
Well written and very compelling. It was a page turner, but a dark one. I can see what they mean about a dark comedy, but the ending just made it tragic.
4 stars out of 5. I don't think I'd recommend this book, but I would read this author again.
Cat has been ignoring a lump in her breast and her failing health for who knows how long now.
Cat's husband, Donovan, was let go from his job months ago, but hid it from Cat. When he finally does confess, he keeps the reason for his firing vague.
SPOILER: He was sexually inappropriate with a woman from his office, at the office Xmas party. He slid his hands around her body and pressed into her, and when she struggled to get away, he put his hand over her mouth. She had to bite him to get away.
Cat and Donovan have a house cleaner, Lena. When Lena accidentally walks in on Donovan jerking off in the bathroom, he pleads for her to stay and watch, then sprays semen all over the counter and floor before she can leave. Lena leaves the house and never comes back.
Donovan meanwhile sleeps in every day and indulges in going to the movies and lounging at cafes. He tries to start his own business but it fails. He runs out of money but his rich parents keep bailing him out. He decides to sue his former employer for wrongful dismissal. His parents get him a powerful lawyer. They are well-to-do snobs who spoiled their son and turned him into an entitled jerk.
Cat's period is late. She takes a pregnancy test and it's positive, so she goes to the doctor. The doctor tells her she has late stage breast cancer.
When Cat returns home from the doctor's appointment, Lena comes a short while later to tell her what happened with Donovan, how he jerked off and asked her to stay and watch him.
Cat can't take it. She goes to the home of a rich woman for whom she had designed a website for the rich woman's yoga studio. The rich woman takes her in. She does alternative healing strategies for Cat, like the laying on of hands outside in the moonlight, soap water enemas, and fasting.
In a subplot, we see that the woman whom Donovan harrassed is no pure angel. She is a gold digger. She finds out that she is pregnant from her former flame, Ravi. She meets with Ravi to subtly blackmail him into helping her with Donovan's lawsuit. She sends Ravi to threaten Donovan. Ravi ends up accidentally running into Cat's 4 year old son with his car, breaking the little boy's arm.
Cat stays away for months. She finally has some short visits with the children in a park, facilitated by her sister. In the end, she does return home, but how that went down is not described. She dies at home. Cat's parents take in the children. They are good people.
Donovan's lawsuit goes nowhere. The parents find out their son is scum and they stop supporting him.
Lena finds a job at McDonald's where she rises in seniority. She finds a romantic interest in the cashier at the local Rabba store.
At the end of the book, Cat's sister hires Lena to clean Cat's house to ready it for sale after Cat's death. Lena no longer feels she must be quiet and fearful. She has a new confidence.
Verdict:
Most of the characters are deeply flawed. Much as I felt sorry for Cat, I was puzzled by her passivity. Why did she not require Donovan to partake in the care of the children? Why did she allow the rich yoga lady to force her to fast, when she was starving?
The only good characters in this book were the children, the rich yoga lady's dog, and the nice cashier at Rabba.
The author set this story in Toronto, and it was very interesting to see casual references to Canadian culture (eg. RRSPs) and to Toronto landmarks (eg. Bloor St, High Park, Yonge St) in the story.
Well written and very compelling. It was a page turner, but a dark one. I can see what they mean about a dark comedy, but the ending just made it tragic.
4 stars out of 5. I don't think I'd recommend this book, but I would read this author again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2023
Cat's story is a well-trodden one - a woman who is struggling to manage the mental and physical burdens of motherhood, baffled by the way her life has been transformed since having children and trying to carve out an identity for herself outside of the roles of wife and mother. She is the proverbial swan, gliding serenely across the surface of her life whilst fighting to stay afloat, until she finds out that she's pregnant. And has breast cancer. And her husband is even more disappointing than she realised. The novel follows Cat as she tries to come to terms with her life falling apart, with the narrative shared between Cat, her husband Donovan and various other characters.
I was dubious when I started reading Lump, primarily because it was billed as being a story about motherhood but is written by a man, someone who presumably has never, and will never, be a mother. Some of the acerbic, mocking observations about mothers ('Though she says breast, not boob, believing they all ought to be past the point when anything to do with their bodies can be seen as shameful') would feel tongue-in-cheek from a female writer, but feel rather mean-spirited here.
However, overall I enjoyed the first half of the book. Many of the observations about how parenthood changes your life ring true with my own experience, and I thought the split narrative was a useful device for giving the reader an insight into Cat and Donovan's very different perspectives on their marriage and highlighting their dwindling connection; both perspectives reinforce Donovan's being utterly insufferable though.
Some of the other character viewpoints felt less vital, and this was especially true of the second half of the novel. Having become very invested in Cat from the outset, it was frustrating not to have more page time to explore her motivation and thought processes. I reached the end of the story not really understanding why she made some of the choices she did and it would have been good to have more of her perspective to really unpack why she behaves as she does.
Lump is billed as a dark comedy, and does have some very funny lines, but on the whole I found it more sad than satirical.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I was dubious when I started reading Lump, primarily because it was billed as being a story about motherhood but is written by a man, someone who presumably has never, and will never, be a mother. Some of the acerbic, mocking observations about mothers ('Though she says breast, not boob, believing they all ought to be past the point when anything to do with their bodies can be seen as shameful') would feel tongue-in-cheek from a female writer, but feel rather mean-spirited here.
However, overall I enjoyed the first half of the book. Many of the observations about how parenthood changes your life ring true with my own experience, and I thought the split narrative was a useful device for giving the reader an insight into Cat and Donovan's very different perspectives on their marriage and highlighting their dwindling connection; both perspectives reinforce Donovan's being utterly insufferable though.
Some of the other character viewpoints felt less vital, and this was especially true of the second half of the novel. Having become very invested in Cat from the outset, it was frustrating not to have more page time to explore her motivation and thought processes. I reached the end of the story not really understanding why she made some of the choices she did and it would have been good to have more of her perspective to really unpack why she behaves as she does.
Lump is billed as a dark comedy, and does have some very funny lines, but on the whole I found it more sad than satirical.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
February 23, 2023
*Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of Lump in exchange for a fair and honest review*
*Potential Spoilers*
This book is so many things. I am struggling to find the right words to express my feelings on this book, which are all over the place. Much like this book. This book is like that annoying friend that takes forever to get to the point of the story. That friend that gets side-tracked and ends up discussing so many unrelated tangents to a story. That friend that by the time they are done talking, you have NO idea what their point even was.
I was expecting a dark, satirical novel. This was definitely much heavier on the dark side and less satirical than I had hoped for. Based on the description, I was not surprised that this book was depressing but had anticipated a little more satire to keep it a little on the lighter side. I was disappointed. Once the hits started, they just kept coming.
Pros of this book: Easy to read. Hard to put down. Went relatively quickly. Interesting writing style. Appreciated the multiple POVs. Enjoyed the little bits of irony. Good character development.
Cons: Stilted. Unevenly paced. Choppy. Went quickly, too quickly. The start of the book read like bullet points almost with 5-8 word sentences. The beginning was overly descriptive, using whole chapters to describe a few days. All of the sudden, months are passing between pages without any real explanation, just our inference. The ending was so abrupt, sad, and depressing but without the proper space to feel and process the emotions. I did not appreciate the psych-out at the beginning of the last chapter and the nonchalance of the actual event mid-chapter. Mentioned as a side note. Like it wasn't important. Like we hadn't invested this whole book to get to this point!
3 stars for an interesting concept, an enjoyable writing style, and I liked the multiple POVs. 3 stars because the pacing was so off-kilter it was hard to wrap my head around. 3 stars because I am flat out angry with the end of this story. I did not expect a happy ending but I expected better than this.
*Potential Spoilers*
This book is so many things. I am struggling to find the right words to express my feelings on this book, which are all over the place. Much like this book. This book is like that annoying friend that takes forever to get to the point of the story. That friend that gets side-tracked and ends up discussing so many unrelated tangents to a story. That friend that by the time they are done talking, you have NO idea what their point even was.
I was expecting a dark, satirical novel. This was definitely much heavier on the dark side and less satirical than I had hoped for. Based on the description, I was not surprised that this book was depressing but had anticipated a little more satire to keep it a little on the lighter side. I was disappointed. Once the hits started, they just kept coming.
Pros of this book: Easy to read. Hard to put down. Went relatively quickly. Interesting writing style. Appreciated the multiple POVs. Enjoyed the little bits of irony. Good character development.
Cons: Stilted. Unevenly paced. Choppy. Went quickly, too quickly. The start of the book read like bullet points almost with 5-8 word sentences. The beginning was overly descriptive, using whole chapters to describe a few days. All of the sudden, months are passing between pages without any real explanation, just our inference. The ending was so abrupt, sad, and depressing but without the proper space to feel and process the emotions. I did not appreciate the psych-out at the beginning of the last chapter and the nonchalance of the actual event mid-chapter. Mentioned as a side note. Like it wasn't important. Like we hadn't invested this whole book to get to this point!
3 stars for an interesting concept, an enjoyable writing style, and I liked the multiple POVs. 3 stars because the pacing was so off-kilter it was hard to wrap my head around. 3 stars because I am flat out angry with the end of this story. I did not expect a happy ending but I expected better than this.
August 16, 2023
I have to start by saying I'm not sure what the point was of Lump. Described as a satirical look at a marriage that falls apart at the same time as a pregnancy and cancer diagnosis, the book just fell flat for me. There were multiple POV's which instead of pushing the story along just stalled it for me.
The husband and wife were both irritating and the husband lacked even one good quality. He lost his job because he groped a coworker and then just seemed to drink all day and daydream about women other than his wife. Cat for her part at least appears care for their two kids but when she finds out she is not only pregnant with another child she doesn't want but has breast cancer, she goes off the deep end.
Then there is their housekeeper, Not really sure why we need her POV except to complain about rich people and to show the difference in the way people live. I've read much better stories that emphasize the wage gap.
I have to point out that I am a breast cancer survivor, so for the life of me (literally), I don't understand Cat's reaction to her having cancer. For that matter, with so many POV's, Whitlock should have added Meridith's, I don't understand how she had so much control over a woman she barely knew or how she could just watch her waste away. This is not a typical result to breast cancer diagnosis.
The prose were well-written but I couldn't get past the annoying characters and the lack of direction of the story. I think it would have been told better in the third person instead of the POV's.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
The husband and wife were both irritating and the husband lacked even one good quality. He lost his job because he groped a coworker and then just seemed to drink all day and daydream about women other than his wife. Cat for her part at least appears care for their two kids but when she finds out she is not only pregnant with another child she doesn't want but has breast cancer, she goes off the deep end.
Then there is their housekeeper, Not really sure why we need her POV except to complain about rich people and to show the difference in the way people live. I've read much better stories that emphasize the wage gap.
I have to point out that I am a breast cancer survivor, so for the life of me (literally), I don't understand Cat's reaction to her having cancer. For that matter, with so many POV's, Whitlock should have added Meridith's, I don't understand how she had so much control over a woman she barely knew or how she could just watch her waste away. This is not a typical result to breast cancer diagnosis.
The prose were well-written but I couldn't get past the annoying characters and the lack of direction of the story. I think it would have been told better in the third person instead of the POV's.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
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August 25, 2023Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @dundurnpress
A dark, satiric novel about a woman whose attempt to escape crises in her health and marriage ends up causing more chaos.
Cat's career has stalled, her marriage has gone flat, and being a stay-at-home mom for two young kids has become a grind. When she finds out, all within a few days, that she is pregnant, that a lump in her breast is the worst thing it could be, and that her husband has done something unforgivably repulsive, she responds by running away from her marriage and her life ― a life that, on the outside, looks like middle-class success. Her actions send waves of chaos through the lives of multiple characters, including a struggling house cleaner, a rich and charismatic yoga guru, and even an ailing dog. What follows is a dark comedy about marriage, motherhood, privilege, and power.
This book held my attention early on, the writing and topics felt relatable, funny and honest. This book was messy though. MESSY. It reminded me of one of those comedies where bad things keep happening and it’s almost unbearable, yet wildly entertaining and slightly sad. It’s different from most books I’ve read, it felt like l reading about the normal blunders of life.
Biggest issue was the end, absolutely no resolution is hard for me. 😅 So many things I wanted answers to! I would absolutely read more from the author, but I had hoped for a bit more clarity by the end.
A dark, satiric novel about a woman whose attempt to escape crises in her health and marriage ends up causing more chaos.
Cat's career has stalled, her marriage has gone flat, and being a stay-at-home mom for two young kids has become a grind. When she finds out, all within a few days, that she is pregnant, that a lump in her breast is the worst thing it could be, and that her husband has done something unforgivably repulsive, she responds by running away from her marriage and her life ― a life that, on the outside, looks like middle-class success. Her actions send waves of chaos through the lives of multiple characters, including a struggling house cleaner, a rich and charismatic yoga guru, and even an ailing dog. What follows is a dark comedy about marriage, motherhood, privilege, and power.
This book held my attention early on, the writing and topics felt relatable, funny and honest. This book was messy though. MESSY. It reminded me of one of those comedies where bad things keep happening and it’s almost unbearable, yet wildly entertaining and slightly sad. It’s different from most books I’ve read, it felt like l reading about the normal blunders of life.
Biggest issue was the end, absolutely no resolution is hard for me. 😅 So many things I wanted answers to! I would absolutely read more from the author, but I had hoped for a bit more clarity by the end.
January 25, 2023
Rating 3.5 starts out of 5
Lump is a rollercoaster of emotions and I couldn't put it down. At the centre of the story is Cat, worn down from juggling life as a mother and freelance web designer her life is rocked when she finds out not only is she pregnant, but the lump she had noticed is cancerous. Her already rocky marriage is further damaged when she discovers what her husband Cameron is actually capable of.
The story is told from multiple perspectives starting mainly with Cat and Cameron. Cameron's storyline focuses on the secrets he is keeping from Cat and how he deals with the fallout of Cat's breakdown. The background of the story is deepened with perspectives from other characters with heartbreaking vignettes from their daughter.
While at times I became a bit impatient with the descriptive prose, it is very well written and I went from laughter to anger, to crying and back again. I did find the end jarring as what would you would think would be the main arc of the story is described in retrospect by a supporting character. I would have loved to had learned more but I would guess this was a purposeful decision by the author and I don't think it too away from the book itself.
This is an honest review in exchange for an ARC from Netgalley.
Lump is a rollercoaster of emotions and I couldn't put it down. At the centre of the story is Cat, worn down from juggling life as a mother and freelance web designer her life is rocked when she finds out not only is she pregnant, but the lump she had noticed is cancerous. Her already rocky marriage is further damaged when she discovers what her husband Cameron is actually capable of.
The story is told from multiple perspectives starting mainly with Cat and Cameron. Cameron's storyline focuses on the secrets he is keeping from Cat and how he deals with the fallout of Cat's breakdown. The background of the story is deepened with perspectives from other characters with heartbreaking vignettes from their daughter.
While at times I became a bit impatient with the descriptive prose, it is very well written and I went from laughter to anger, to crying and back again. I did find the end jarring as what would you would think would be the main arc of the story is described in retrospect by a supporting character. I would have loved to had learned more but I would guess this was a purposeful decision by the author and I don't think it too away from the book itself.
This is an honest review in exchange for an ARC from Netgalley.
September 6, 2023
Dark satire focusing on marriage, family, and cancer. Cat is a stay at home mom with two young children and a fairly useless husband, Donovan, who is also keeping some disturbing secrets from his wife. After weeks of discomfort, she discovers that she is unexpectedly pregnant... and much worse, she has breast cancer. Unable to cope, she drops everything and runs away. Thus begins Lump.
This novel just wasn't for me. I honestly didn't like any of the characters on this novel, excepting the children and Louis the elderly dog, whose perspectives we get a tiny glimpse of. I feel empathy for Cat to a certain extent, but just can't imagine abandoning my young children for any reason. Donovan is disgusting, no redeeming qualities there. I do have to say that this is very well written, and I do enjoy novels that are told from varying perspectives like this. The writing was visceral, I found myself feeling nauseous while reading certain sections, though it's hard to put into words exactly why it caused that reaction in me. The ending didn't give me the satisfaction I was hoping for either, so I can't say I enjoyed this one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This novel just wasn't for me. I honestly didn't like any of the characters on this novel, excepting the children and Louis the elderly dog, whose perspectives we get a tiny glimpse of. I feel empathy for Cat to a certain extent, but just can't imagine abandoning my young children for any reason. Donovan is disgusting, no redeeming qualities there. I do have to say that this is very well written, and I do enjoy novels that are told from varying perspectives like this. The writing was visceral, I found myself feeling nauseous while reading certain sections, though it's hard to put into words exactly why it caused that reaction in me. The ending didn't give me the satisfaction I was hoping for either, so I can't say I enjoyed this one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
February 22, 2023
Lump opens on Cat, a stay-at-home-mum to two kids, finding out that she's pregnant, has breast cancer, and that her husband is a scumbag, all in quick succession. This leads her to run away from her marriage and her life, to go live in a cottage owned by a kooky yoga guru, whilst she battles through her troubles.
I found the way this book was written interesting; there were chapters from a whole host of characters whose lives all interlink with Cat and Donovan's, even that of Louis the dog. It was done in such a way that I didn't get lost with who was speaking, and found everyone's input helpful at carrying the story forward.
I found most of the characters unlikeable, but I think that is what the author intended. Lena was my favourite character; I found her quite relatable and enjoyed even her flaws. Louis the dog was also a favourite of mine, I found his chapter particularly enjoyable.
Overall, this was an f-ed up read, reminding me a lot of Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata, and was one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I gave this 3.5🌟 and would recommend it to people in need of a dark, satirical read.
I found the way this book was written interesting; there were chapters from a whole host of characters whose lives all interlink with Cat and Donovan's, even that of Louis the dog. It was done in such a way that I didn't get lost with who was speaking, and found everyone's input helpful at carrying the story forward.
I found most of the characters unlikeable, but I think that is what the author intended. Lena was my favourite character; I found her quite relatable and enjoyed even her flaws. Louis the dog was also a favourite of mine, I found his chapter particularly enjoyable.
Overall, this was an f-ed up read, reminding me a lot of Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata, and was one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I gave this 3.5🌟 and would recommend it to people in need of a dark, satirical read.
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