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Henry Pratt #4
Pratt a Manger
1st edition trade paperback, fine
- GenresFiction
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 1, 2019
A strange concoction that somehow works
This novel concludes the story begun in "Second from Last in the Sack Race," chronicle of the fictional life of Henry Pratt, and continued in two further novels, published collectively as " The Complete Pratt. "
Of course this volume renders that title inaccurate, in one sense at least.
After several career changes Henry is now a chef, and as the book opens, on the verge of ce!ebrity.
Characters old and new are gathered around him, and as a result it is sometimes hard to keep hold of who is who. The story belts along apace, to the extent that you sometimes wish you could slow down to admire the scenery.
The ferocious pace leads to some characters and events being rather sketched in, as too many of both are crammed in to a fairly brief novel.
It's not quite Nobbs at his funniest and best but it still manages to be moderately amusing. One throwaway line towards the end made me roar, and I wish there had been more like it.
It's probably a good idea to come to this after the other novels in the series, but it has a life of its own too, being much more surreal and wild than the earlier work.
All that said, it's still very readable and entertaining - a book you can lose yourself in, like a hall of mirrors, where reflections are distorted and enlarged enough to make you smile.
This novel concludes the story begun in "Second from Last in the Sack Race," chronicle of the fictional life of Henry Pratt, and continued in two further novels, published collectively as " The Complete Pratt. "
Of course this volume renders that title inaccurate, in one sense at least.
After several career changes Henry is now a chef, and as the book opens, on the verge of ce!ebrity.
Characters old and new are gathered around him, and as a result it is sometimes hard to keep hold of who is who. The story belts along apace, to the extent that you sometimes wish you could slow down to admire the scenery.
The ferocious pace leads to some characters and events being rather sketched in, as too many of both are crammed in to a fairly brief novel.
It's not quite Nobbs at his funniest and best but it still manages to be moderately amusing. One throwaway line towards the end made me roar, and I wish there had been more like it.
It's probably a good idea to come to this after the other novels in the series, but it has a life of its own too, being much more surreal and wild than the earlier work.
All that said, it's still very readable and entertaining - a book you can lose yourself in, like a hall of mirrors, where reflections are distorted and enlarged enough to make you smile.
October 26, 2024
I loved the first three Pratt novels. But this wasn't in the same league. The first three were humorous stories with the odd sprinkling of pathos. Pratt a Manger pretty much stood this on its head and almost all the joy went out of the narrative. Also, a lot of the humour in the first 3 books was down to Henry's insecurity, lack of self-confidence and general "losing at life".
The suddenly hugely successful Henry of "Pratt a Manger" just isn't that funny. It even seems that David Nobbs realised this halfway through the book as, in the space of a couple of chapters near the end, Henry suddenly becomes extremely arrogant and obnoxious, then equally suddenly and predictably gets his comeuppance.. But it all feels shoe-horned in, with no real reason why any of it happened.
The suddenly hugely successful Henry of "Pratt a Manger" just isn't that funny. It even seems that David Nobbs realised this halfway through the book as, in the space of a couple of chapters near the end, Henry suddenly becomes extremely arrogant and obnoxious, then equally suddenly and predictably gets his comeuppance.. But it all feels shoe-horned in, with no real reason why any of it happened.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2021
Delicious. Once again Nobbs serves up a winner.
April 18, 2022
Too long, mildly amusing rather than LOL, food descriptions only just managed authenticity (I'm a chef) but David Nobbs' warmth and likeable style meant 3.5 stars to me.
November 16, 2015
I was a little apprehensive about reading this. The Henry Pratt trilogy (Second From Last in The Sack Race/Pratt of The Argus/The Cucumber Man) has long been one of my favourite comic works and it always felt complete in itself. A fourth book felt superfluous.
The final volume picks up the story when Henry is 60 and is happily running his own gourmet café. He is approached to join a food based daytime quiz show, and as a result if this he kicks off a highly successful TV career and makes himself a firm enemy. As this is, at least in part, a satire on the TV industry, the trajectory of Henry's TV career rises and then falls. This is in large part due to the actions of his enemy, whom he firmly believes to be a rival TV cook. It is in much larger part about Henry, and longer term affects of the decisions he has made in his life. It does a remarkably good job of picking up and dealing with loose ends from the trilogy that the I hadn't previously seen as loose ends. The climax is true to the story, and the ending is both tense and moving.
The final volume picks up the story when Henry is 60 and is happily running his own gourmet café. He is approached to join a food based daytime quiz show, and as a result if this he kicks off a highly successful TV career and makes himself a firm enemy. As this is, at least in part, a satire on the TV industry, the trajectory of Henry's TV career rises and then falls. This is in large part due to the actions of his enemy, whom he firmly believes to be a rival TV cook. It is in much larger part about Henry, and longer term affects of the decisions he has made in his life. It does a remarkably good job of picking up and dealing with loose ends from the trilogy that the I hadn't previously seen as loose ends. The climax is true to the story, and the ending is both tense and moving.
November 21, 2011
The title should have warned me but it fell off the library shelf into my hand.
First of all, for someone who has allegedly made his living entirely from writing, he is a very poor practioner of the art - with little apparent knowledge of basic grammar and without the aid of a dictionary / editor / internet search engine to help him. An Italian is named "Guiseppe" not Giuseppe throughout - and he uses stupid names for his characters throughout in place of humour so he ought to be paying more attention. Other 'humorous' episodes - how about a letter from the "Predisent of the Dyslexia Society' - seriously.
Could not have been much worse had he tried.
First of all, for someone who has allegedly made his living entirely from writing, he is a very poor practioner of the art - with little apparent knowledge of basic grammar and without the aid of a dictionary / editor / internet search engine to help him. An Italian is named "Guiseppe" not Giuseppe throughout - and he uses stupid names for his characters throughout in place of humour so he ought to be paying more attention. Other 'humorous' episodes - how about a letter from the "Predisent of the Dyslexia Society' - seriously.
Could not have been much worse had he tried.
May 2, 2008
Actually fourth in David Nobbs' series about Henry Pratt, but while it refers back a bit, the references aren't so dense that you can't enjoy this book for itself. Henry is running a cafe in Soho, when he's discovered by 'TV' and ends up first as a panellist on a cookery show, and then gets his own show. And of course, then everything goes wrong... Quite enjoyable. Wondered about reading the others in the series but I've never really got around to it.
July 28, 2011
Unspectacular mildly satirical account of an everyday café owner who becomes a celebrity chef and is seduced by fame and fortune... but finally finds the will to resist. (Easier when the build-em-up-knock-em-down carousel has completed its turn.) Enjoyable and undemanding read, humane and well written, not up to Reggie Perrin standard.
July 19, 2008
A very light read, fine if you want to read on auto-pilot . The accolades for the book all mention its humour - to me the humour is contrived and not at all subtle.
Excellent read for the beach when you pick it up in between people-watching!
Excellent read for the beach when you pick it up in between people-watching!
January 14, 2011
4th in the Henry Pratt series, I've read a few of his novels (including Reggie Perrin and Going Genttly which is one of the best books I've ever read. I'm hoping the standard is kept up with this one!
~It was most excellent. Now I'm off to find more of his work.
~It was most excellent. Now I'm off to find more of his work.
September 28, 2009
Mildly amusing.
December 8, 2010
This is a funny book but not in a sarcastic way. David Nobbs has sympathy for his characters. It's quite a warm hearted read.
March 7, 2012
And now I want another follow-up
May 25, 2013
As I was a fan of the Reggie Perrin TV series (the original one) I'd wanted to read a David Hobbs novel for some time. I was not disappointed. A fan of dry British wit? You'll love it.
December 6, 2012
This is great so far. Wacky, funny, dorky. And it's a story with some oomph to it also.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews