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It's What He Would'Ve Wanted
The Hicksons are a quintessentially comfortable Blairite middle-class family with a house on the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire. On Christmas Eve Shea retires to the study to find his father hanging from the ceiling. So begins a journey of discovery to find out why his father killed himself.
304 pages, Paperback
First published March 20, 2001
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67 people want to read
About the author
Sean Hughes
134 books12 followersAn Irish stand-up comedian, writer and actor, noted for his dark, acerbic sense of humour.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 4, 2011
If jokes about suicide make you chuckle, then you might enjoy IT'S WHAT HE WOULD'VE WANTED by Sean Hughes. It's very dark, set in London, and not for the squeamish or demure.
Sean Hughes is billed on the back flap as a famous humorous writer. I've never heard of him, but he is funny. At several places in this novel, I laughed out loud, despite it not being an appropriate place for laughter (and then had to hedge, because I didn't feel comfortable describing what was so funny.) Hughes' humor kind of smacks you off guard.
Hughes sets the novel in London, with a brief foray to Western Ireland and Australia, and I feel like there were some jokes I didn't quite get because of an infamiliarity with the culture. For example, the protagonist says he's named "Shea Hickson" and laughs/winces that it's a horrid name, and obviously supposed to be an Irish version of "Che Guevara." I still don't get it. There were other slang terms I didn't get, some of which I figured out from context, others of which remained a mystery to me. I don't necessarily say this is a mark against this book, just an observation.
When I say this book isn't for the demure or squemish, it's on account of the main character, Shea. He's loathesome. Imagine if Beavus and Butthead grew older without growing up, and exchanged their youthful enthusiasm for middle-aged existential doubt. Shea hates having a job, misses his brother, and loves blow-jobs. That's what he's about. He also loves his brother's wife, but she only loves her husband. When his father kills himself on Christmas, the tragedy ball really gets rolling.
Shea sets about to decode his late father's journal and figure out why his dad killed himself. His dad has weather-related code words (he was a weatherman) for different people. As we find out about Shea's dad's sordid past and Shea's sordid present, the frail structure of his family falls further apart. Shea may be a feckless, good for nothing man-whore, but his dad was even worse, and now it looks like Shea's brother is trying to live down to his dad's example.
One thing that I disliked, although it was fairly central to the plot, is that Shea is involved in a clandestine nameless organization. I disliked this because Shea talks frequently about how much he doesn't like working, and in every other aspect of his life, he also walks the "not working" walk. So having him do volunteer work for someone seemed out of character. He says he joined the organization because it was at direct odds with everything his own father believed in, but I never got a clear handle on what those beliefs were. How is robbing from the rich and giving to the poor at odds with fighting global warming? It could be this is another cultural miscue.
I really disliked the main character. At one point he was contemplating suicide, and I kind of hoped he'd do it. He's just icky; the kind of man whose existence makes me hope my daughters become lesbians. A hooker with a heart of gold manages to see some good in him, but no one else does, and I can't really blame them. I also disliked the slow pacing. At times, it reminded me of one of those cosy seaside books, where the characters go to some pleasant place and do meaningless activities before they fall gently in love. Only in this book, instead of buying ice cream and visiting the botanical gardens, he buys cheap suits and shacks up with hookers. Readers who spent their youth hip-deep in debauchery may find him more sympathetic.
I recommend this for people who like grim, dark novels, laced with black humor. I also recommend it for people who like Warren Ellis, because it has a similar Hell-in-a-handbasket feel to it. It's funny, but it's also graphic and crass, and it made me depressed at the end.
Sean Hughes is billed on the back flap as a famous humorous writer. I've never heard of him, but he is funny. At several places in this novel, I laughed out loud, despite it not being an appropriate place for laughter (and then had to hedge, because I didn't feel comfortable describing what was so funny.) Hughes' humor kind of smacks you off guard.
Hughes sets the novel in London, with a brief foray to Western Ireland and Australia, and I feel like there were some jokes I didn't quite get because of an infamiliarity with the culture. For example, the protagonist says he's named "Shea Hickson" and laughs/winces that it's a horrid name, and obviously supposed to be an Irish version of "Che Guevara." I still don't get it. There were other slang terms I didn't get, some of which I figured out from context, others of which remained a mystery to me. I don't necessarily say this is a mark against this book, just an observation.
When I say this book isn't for the demure or squemish, it's on account of the main character, Shea. He's loathesome. Imagine if Beavus and Butthead grew older without growing up, and exchanged their youthful enthusiasm for middle-aged existential doubt. Shea hates having a job, misses his brother, and loves blow-jobs. That's what he's about. He also loves his brother's wife, but she only loves her husband. When his father kills himself on Christmas, the tragedy ball really gets rolling.
Shea sets about to decode his late father's journal and figure out why his dad killed himself. His dad has weather-related code words (he was a weatherman) for different people. As we find out about Shea's dad's sordid past and Shea's sordid present, the frail structure of his family falls further apart. Shea may be a feckless, good for nothing man-whore, but his dad was even worse, and now it looks like Shea's brother is trying to live down to his dad's example.
One thing that I disliked, although it was fairly central to the plot, is that Shea is involved in a clandestine nameless organization. I disliked this because Shea talks frequently about how much he doesn't like working, and in every other aspect of his life, he also walks the "not working" walk. So having him do volunteer work for someone seemed out of character. He says he joined the organization because it was at direct odds with everything his own father believed in, but I never got a clear handle on what those beliefs were. How is robbing from the rich and giving to the poor at odds with fighting global warming? It could be this is another cultural miscue.
I really disliked the main character. At one point he was contemplating suicide, and I kind of hoped he'd do it. He's just icky; the kind of man whose existence makes me hope my daughters become lesbians. A hooker with a heart of gold manages to see some good in him, but no one else does, and I can't really blame them. I also disliked the slow pacing. At times, it reminded me of one of those cosy seaside books, where the characters go to some pleasant place and do meaningless activities before they fall gently in love. Only in this book, instead of buying ice cream and visiting the botanical gardens, he buys cheap suits and shacks up with hookers. Readers who spent their youth hip-deep in debauchery may find him more sympathetic.
I recommend this for people who like grim, dark novels, laced with black humor. I also recommend it for people who like Warren Ellis, because it has a similar Hell-in-a-handbasket feel to it. It's funny, but it's also graphic and crass, and it made me depressed at the end.
July 10, 2013
God what an odd book - so deep but so shallow, funny but really morose - it's a really clever but slightly unsettling read.
In short it follows the story of the narrator Shea Hickman - a middle-class, disaffected and confused 30 year old who finds his father hanging from a light-fitting. This inspires him to go on a journey uncovering very dark and disturbing secrets from his family's past. Written by a comic - it is very darkly humorous with some great one liners but it is also surprisingly moving. It demonstrates the effect that peoples past can have on not only them but also others close to them. It's a really well observed book emotionally and raw with feeling. I think the overall message of the book is accepting your lot and making the most of it.
Some great quotes: "The city vs the countryside debate is a pointless one because neither way works. People thought they could mix it up to find the middle ground and they came up with suburbia. The caged suburbia where city and country folk come to laugh at the strange people who volunteered for an experiment that went badly wrong. Suburbia is the place that took on the misery of the city and the boredom of the countryside, and how were they rewarded for this nightmare? With a pleasant driveway outside their abode.
In short, fu%k open spaces. The city offers a place to hide, a place to bleed to death, a place to feel out of place."
"My head weighed twice its size as if I hadn't exhaled the whole night."
"I was beginning to understand happiness and how people prioritise their lives. Trouble-makers are the ones with nothing going on in their lives. it seems so simple, but the complication comes with the fact that this happiness is dependent on other people. This leaves you with no control, knowing that everything can be taken from you at a moments notice."
"It was beginning to be that when I wasn't with her I wasn't being myself. This I guess is what love is..."
Talking about a dosser - "...I knew I was one step away from his standing in society. this was an eye opener. All it would take was one night on the tiles, collapsing on the street and then not being bothered to get back up."
Talking about love of someone you can't have - "It was best to look at it as a finished painting. The last stroke was then she kissed my tears away and said 'The next time you're sad, think of me and I will always kiss your tears away.'"
"We sometimes forget that's all we are. Animals. The highest form, but still animals nevertheless. sometimes the worst sort: animals with consciences. Or the best, animals with choices."
In short it follows the story of the narrator Shea Hickman - a middle-class, disaffected and confused 30 year old who finds his father hanging from a light-fitting. This inspires him to go on a journey uncovering very dark and disturbing secrets from his family's past. Written by a comic - it is very darkly humorous with some great one liners but it is also surprisingly moving. It demonstrates the effect that peoples past can have on not only them but also others close to them. It's a really well observed book emotionally and raw with feeling. I think the overall message of the book is accepting your lot and making the most of it.
Some great quotes: "The city vs the countryside debate is a pointless one because neither way works. People thought they could mix it up to find the middle ground and they came up with suburbia. The caged suburbia where city and country folk come to laugh at the strange people who volunteered for an experiment that went badly wrong. Suburbia is the place that took on the misery of the city and the boredom of the countryside, and how were they rewarded for this nightmare? With a pleasant driveway outside their abode.
In short, fu%k open spaces. The city offers a place to hide, a place to bleed to death, a place to feel out of place."
"My head weighed twice its size as if I hadn't exhaled the whole night."
"I was beginning to understand happiness and how people prioritise their lives. Trouble-makers are the ones with nothing going on in their lives. it seems so simple, but the complication comes with the fact that this happiness is dependent on other people. This leaves you with no control, knowing that everything can be taken from you at a moments notice."
"It was beginning to be that when I wasn't with her I wasn't being myself. This I guess is what love is..."
Talking about a dosser - "...I knew I was one step away from his standing in society. this was an eye opener. All it would take was one night on the tiles, collapsing on the street and then not being bothered to get back up."
Talking about love of someone you can't have - "It was best to look at it as a finished painting. The last stroke was then she kissed my tears away and said 'The next time you're sad, think of me and I will always kiss your tears away.'"
"We sometimes forget that's all we are. Animals. The highest form, but still animals nevertheless. sometimes the worst sort: animals with consciences. Or the best, animals with choices."
February 14, 2023
Selected this book after reading something heavy as I felt a book by the late comedian Sean Hughes would be light hearted and fun.
How wrong I was. This book covers everything from suicide, still birth, bombs claiming innocent people's deaths and rape.
That being said if you are looking for a book that looks at the world with a dark humour on these subjects then I would recommend it.
How wrong I was. This book covers everything from suicide, still birth, bombs claiming innocent people's deaths and rape.
That being said if you are looking for a book that looks at the world with a dark humour on these subjects then I would recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2025
As a comedy novel, this is very funny. Insofar as rating a book on its intent therefore, if this novel was *just* a comedy novel I would probably have a higher view of it. The sardonic humour here is well played and consistent throughout. It's a little bit reminiscent of Ian Banks as another famous comedic author with sprinklings of Miles Jupp, Jack Dee and maybe Jimmy Carr for the odd raunchiness/edgy remark. This is the story of a grumpy middle-class guy with a hedonistic lifestyle, something easily translated into humour. The jokes are constant and consistent, a mix of observational comedy and general wit. I hadn't heard/read of Sean Hughes prior to this but you can tell from this book that he is a practiced comedian given the set-up of the jokes and the confidence telling them. So certainly a success on that side and I did enjoy this as a result.
The comedy peters off more toward the end, as the second element of this book - call it the 'philosophical' side - gets deeper, producing moments of gravity that comedy wouldn't really suit. I do like a comedy with a deeper message at heart and that is the intent of this book, in some ways it succeeds and in other ways it doesn't. Back to the earlier comparisons, our protagonist (Shea) is a very Banks-like lead man: vague impressions of socialist tendencies, a womanister with a romantic edge, stuck in a nebulous rut in life, vaguely existential. The observations as a result, on the meaning of life, love, society, are interesting at times though there is no subtlety in its telling. Often, philosophical sentiments like this are best expressed in literature or certaintly in a medium of writing that lends itself toward less obvious statements.
In a comedy novel like this, the observations are a little on-the-nose and therefore not very impactful. A comedy (or comedic novel) can be an excellent medium for high feelings but it's not easy to do right, though I do admire the attempt. Examples of it done well: Happy Valley, a crime show with a comedic heroine: she's funny but her humour is a reflection of the strength of her character and this audience-character relationship is a vehicle for the show to make you feel things. Whereas Shea is not a particularly likeable man to us the reader, so I don't relate to his predicaments enough to truly empathise with what he goes through. Or - Red Dwarf, largely a comedic show but in a setting where the characters are stranded 3 million years from civilisation there is a real bedrock of isolation that the comedy can pull from. Here Hughes talks of Shea's isolation, his difficult relationship with his father, his woman-issues, but I didn't feel any underpinning *reasons* for his problems. Hughes makes a manful effort of explaining them, but any motifs of feelings were lost on me as his problems felt largely self-imposed, or shallow.
I enjoyed the first half of the book as a comedy with occasional deeper observations, building up to something, but the second half, dipping into its philosophical ambitions, was not a success. The very end I found bewildering. That really dropped it down. The novel is also VERY blue, I don't think I've ever read a book with so many sex scenes (as I don't like them) and here there were loads and actually not always for a comedic effect, often it's pornographic just for the sake of it seemingly. I wouldn't rate it down for that as this isn't 1920s America but still, it was another cause of confusion as to the intent of the novel for me. It was probably a very personal project for the author so I can understand perfection was not the aim even though that is what you want from a book . But I came into this looking for a laugh and got it, so to that end I would recommend it.
The comedy peters off more toward the end, as the second element of this book - call it the 'philosophical' side - gets deeper, producing moments of gravity that comedy wouldn't really suit. I do like a comedy with a deeper message at heart and that is the intent of this book, in some ways it succeeds and in other ways it doesn't. Back to the earlier comparisons, our protagonist (Shea) is a very Banks-like lead man: vague impressions of socialist tendencies, a womanister with a romantic edge, stuck in a nebulous rut in life, vaguely existential. The observations as a result, on the meaning of life, love, society, are interesting at times though there is no subtlety in its telling. Often, philosophical sentiments like this are best expressed in literature or certaintly in a medium of writing that lends itself toward less obvious statements.
In a comedy novel like this, the observations are a little on-the-nose and therefore not very impactful. A comedy (or comedic novel) can be an excellent medium for high feelings but it's not easy to do right, though I do admire the attempt. Examples of it done well: Happy Valley, a crime show with a comedic heroine: she's funny but her humour is a reflection of the strength of her character and this audience-character relationship is a vehicle for the show to make you feel things. Whereas Shea is not a particularly likeable man to us the reader, so I don't relate to his predicaments enough to truly empathise with what he goes through. Or - Red Dwarf, largely a comedic show but in a setting where the characters are stranded 3 million years from civilisation there is a real bedrock of isolation that the comedy can pull from. Here Hughes talks of Shea's isolation, his difficult relationship with his father, his woman-issues, but I didn't feel any underpinning *reasons* for his problems. Hughes makes a manful effort of explaining them, but any motifs of feelings were lost on me as his problems felt largely self-imposed, or shallow.
I enjoyed the first half of the book as a comedy with occasional deeper observations, building up to something, but the second half, dipping into its philosophical ambitions, was not a success. The very end I found bewildering. That really dropped it down. The novel is also VERY blue, I don't think I've ever read a book with so many sex scenes (as I don't like them) and here there were loads and actually not always for a comedic effect, often it's pornographic just for the sake of it seemingly. I wouldn't rate it down for that as this isn't 1920s America but still, it was another cause of confusion as to the intent of the novel for me. It was probably a very personal project for the author so I can understand perfection was not the aim even though that is what you want from a book . But I came into this looking for a laugh and got it, so to that end I would recommend it.
May 27, 2023
The book follows Shea, a character who is not easy to like, but I found to be largely sympathetic, who struggles with life being both desperate for connection whist being too cynical and frankly self-interested to be able to form meaningful attachments. The character is fascinating as he is a ball of contradictions, able to perceive the depths of humanities struggle while also being incapable of delving beyond shallow waters in his own life.
There are some flaws with the novel, the dialogue can sometimes be a little wooden and the pacing is at times frustrating. Moments which have been built up for chapters are resolved in a few paragraphs. But Sean Hughes’s strength is in his ability to observe human nature, to pull it apart and to question it and reveal the stupidities that we take for granted. It’s these observations which make the novel worth reading.
The humour is dark, but cutting. The novel is not for the faint hearted, dealing with suicide, sex and pent up frustrations that Sean refuses to romanticise. Overall, I found the novel fascinating. It’s far from perfect but the good does certainly outweigh any criticisms.
There are some flaws with the novel, the dialogue can sometimes be a little wooden and the pacing is at times frustrating. Moments which have been built up for chapters are resolved in a few paragraphs. But Sean Hughes’s strength is in his ability to observe human nature, to pull it apart and to question it and reveal the stupidities that we take for granted. It’s these observations which make the novel worth reading.
The humour is dark, but cutting. The novel is not for the faint hearted, dealing with suicide, sex and pent up frustrations that Sean refuses to romanticise. Overall, I found the novel fascinating. It’s far from perfect but the good does certainly outweigh any criticisms.
April 20, 2019
"It's What He Would've Wanted" is a dark comedy. I got the impression that this book was semi-autobiographical, the main character being very similar to the Sean we knew and loved from his stand up shows. The novel tells the story of Shea, whose father commits suicide. Shea finds his father's diaries and is inspired to look more deeply into his father's past to find out what could have led him to take his own life.
It's an intricate mystery, with lots of humour but also lots of introspective prose and darker parts to the tale. There are sections of the book where the author seems to be speaking directly to the reader, rather than narrating the characters' views; that reminded me of the segments in "Sean's Show" when Sean would take a few minutes to talk directly to the audience.
Although the book is quite dark, it's entertaining and thought-provoking. Much like Sean's stand-up comedy, this story vents certain frustrations about life and the human condition in an honest and open way.
If you were a fan of Sean's comedy, I would definitely recommend this book.
It's an intricate mystery, with lots of humour but also lots of introspective prose and darker parts to the tale. There are sections of the book where the author seems to be speaking directly to the reader, rather than narrating the characters' views; that reminded me of the segments in "Sean's Show" when Sean would take a few minutes to talk directly to the audience.
Although the book is quite dark, it's entertaining and thought-provoking. Much like Sean's stand-up comedy, this story vents certain frustrations about life and the human condition in an honest and open way.
If you were a fan of Sean's comedy, I would definitely recommend this book.
March 7, 2021
Interesting story with funny bits along the way. Loved the descriptions of the past makes you think about how quickly you grow up without realizing.
July 16, 2024
was skeptical to begin with but actually a great book - got me out of a reading slump. the narrator is icky and unlikable but i think that’s the point??
April 7, 2024
The main character Shea is a world-weary self-described pursuer of truth in a world of lies. The plot centres around Shea’s Father taking his own life and Shea sets out to find out what led to him doing so because on the surface his Father had it all; a happy wife, an idyllic home, 2 Sons, a successful career and was financially comfortable but as the story unfolds more and more lies unravel.
The biggest strength within the book is that Sean is an excellent observer of human life and as often found within his other work he could accurately dissect the absurdity of the life that society tries to force people in to. Within this book he smashes the image of the ideological perfect nuclear family and examines how the actions of Shea’s Father have a ripple effect across the whole family.
The book avoids clichéd plotlines and is all the better for it, as just when you think things might be looking up for Shea, you realise that you are wrong. I liked that the characters weren’t well-rounded and instantly likeable, instead they were realistic people with edges and sometimes it was difficult to like them but that’s true to life. The main character of Shea is initially presented on the surface as being quite unlikeable, he is selfish, manipulative and at times arrogant but as the book progresses and you learn his story I found that I grew to really like him and understood the motives behind some his actions and instead learnt that he’s kind, honest and actually quite sweet. Whilst it isn’t the central plotline of the book the character of Shea does have his own personal growth which was probably my favourite aspect of the book.
It is best described as a dark comedy fiction book and similarly to in his comedy work Sean has the ability to take the reader to the edges of an emotion and then pull it away from turning in to sentimentality through humour. There were a few times within the book where I found myself laughing at something that was very funny at a time when you weren’t expecting there to be humour. At times there were moments it was a hard-going read as to use an expression relating to the book – it never rains, it just pours for Shea, you found yourself willing the guy to get some good luck his way. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but the ending was unexpected and whilst I could guess where a few of the plotlines were heading I was pleased to find there were unexpected twists.
I really enjoyed reading it. I dislike books that follow the same old tropes where everything gets tied up neatly and happily at the end, this book avoids all of that. It’s a shame there is no sequel as I would like to have learnt what happened to Shea after the end of this book.
The biggest strength within the book is that Sean is an excellent observer of human life and as often found within his other work he could accurately dissect the absurdity of the life that society tries to force people in to. Within this book he smashes the image of the ideological perfect nuclear family and examines how the actions of Shea’s Father have a ripple effect across the whole family.
The book avoids clichéd plotlines and is all the better for it, as just when you think things might be looking up for Shea, you realise that you are wrong. I liked that the characters weren’t well-rounded and instantly likeable, instead they were realistic people with edges and sometimes it was difficult to like them but that’s true to life. The main character of Shea is initially presented on the surface as being quite unlikeable, he is selfish, manipulative and at times arrogant but as the book progresses and you learn his story I found that I grew to really like him and understood the motives behind some his actions and instead learnt that he’s kind, honest and actually quite sweet. Whilst it isn’t the central plotline of the book the character of Shea does have his own personal growth which was probably my favourite aspect of the book.
It is best described as a dark comedy fiction book and similarly to in his comedy work Sean has the ability to take the reader to the edges of an emotion and then pull it away from turning in to sentimentality through humour. There were a few times within the book where I found myself laughing at something that was very funny at a time when you weren’t expecting there to be humour. At times there were moments it was a hard-going read as to use an expression relating to the book – it never rains, it just pours for Shea, you found yourself willing the guy to get some good luck his way. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but the ending was unexpected and whilst I could guess where a few of the plotlines were heading I was pleased to find there were unexpected twists.
I really enjoyed reading it. I dislike books that follow the same old tropes where everything gets tied up neatly and happily at the end, this book avoids all of that. It’s a shame there is no sequel as I would like to have learnt what happened to Shea after the end of this book.
June 3, 2009
I've enjoyed Sean Hughes when he was part of the British TV show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, but this book isn't really anything like what I imagined he would write like.
At the best of times, you feel like you're just along for the ride watching the life of someone whose life is in complete disarray with the addition of conspiracies and affairs. At the worst of times, you have no clue what is going on.
At the best of times, you feel like you're just along for the ride watching the life of someone whose life is in complete disarray with the addition of conspiracies and affairs. At the worst of times, you have no clue what is going on.
December 1, 2011
Too many cringe worthy moments. It felt as if it had been written by highly sexed teenager... a really nerdy, whiny, teenager, who felt sorry for himself all the time and had no sense of humour or charm. You can tell that it was written by Sean Hughes when he was 30. There's a moment in it when the character despairs that he hasn't settled down .... frustrating. Its like chick lit for men.
August 19, 2012
Fortunately, the daftness of the narrative arc of this novel doesn't undermine the rest. Although shot through with great one-liners, there is a profound melancholy to this book. And one can't help sympathising with its central anti-hero, no matter how selfish and unlikeable he is. More novels from Mr Hughes, please!
November 13, 2013
Loved the book all the way through, smiled, laughed, frowned, and threw the book at the floor at points (but in a good way of being somewhat caught off guard).
[SORT OF SPOILER HERE]
But I will say the twist in the end was a bit sudden, like one big downward spiral then on the very last page, things turn out alright, that was...I don't know, sort of relieving but also frustrating.
[SORT OF SPOILER HERE]
But I will say the twist in the end was a bit sudden, like one big downward spiral then on the very last page, things turn out alright, that was...I don't know, sort of relieving but also frustrating.
Read
July 9, 2007It's not often I give up on a book, but I didn't get past page 7. Just vulgar drivel, not even one star.
March 30, 2009
Need a sense of humour and cannot be easily offended if reading the book. Overall, the book was average and the ending was disappointing.
August 10, 2011
It's a depressing read with amusing bits.
January 22, 2016
Surprisingly from a comedian it's one of the most cheerless books I've ever read. Not really my type of book.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews