Broken Places

by Wendy Perriam

You may love Eric - or want to shake him! Passionately idealistic about his work as a librarian, and his mission to extend literacy and literature into the wider community, he’s also ruefully aware that he’s not exactly Superman. Forced to hide his mysterious background and his mortifying fears, he’s a man with secrets - withheld even from close friends. His once homely wife, now a fashionista, has abandoned him, to live in Seattle with a high-powered corporate kingpin; taking their only child, a moody minx-in-waiting, about to turn thirteen. Yet, against the odds, Eric sets out to prove himself - indeed, even to find a soul-mate. Whether braving choco-luv Speed-Dating (chocolates provided, but is he a hard nut or a melting cream?); running Wandsworth Prison readers’ groups; attending an American Church that champions the Gospel of Prosperity, or rescuing his daughter from near-rape - he finally comes to epitomize the truth of Hemingway’s “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.”

Genres: Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2010

About the author

Wendy Perriam has been writing since the age of five, completing her first ‘novel’ at eleven. Expelled from boarding school for heresy and told she was in Satan’s power, she escaped to Oxford, where she read History and also trod the boards. After a variety of offbeat jobs, ranging from artist’s model to carnation-disbudder, she now divides her time between teaching and writing. Having begun by writing poetry, she went on to publish 16 novels and 7 short-story collections, acclaimed for their power to disturb, divert and shock. She has also written extensively for newspapers and magazines, and was a regular contributor to radio programmes such as Stop the Week and Fourth Column.

Perriam feels that her many conflicting life experiences – strict convent-school discipline and swinging-sixties wildness, marriage and divorce, infertility and motherhood, 9-to-5 conformity and periodic Bedlam – have helped shape her as a writer. ‘Writing allows for shadow-selves. I’m both the staid conformist matron and the slag; the well-organised author toiling at her desk and the madwoman shrieking in a straitjacket.’

Reviews

[Dor · Rating 2 out of 5]

The blurb of this book claims some people will love its central character, Eric, but also warns that some people will want to shake him for his passivity. Having read the thing, I suspect most people will chose option three: put the book down and never return to it because it lacks a compelling story.

So, Eric. An idealogical Librarian. Some things happen - he goes on a date, he sets up a prison book club, he expects his daughter to visit from the US. Some other things happen - he eats soup, he rides a bike, he recounts his childhood. Then some other things happen. Then some other things than that happen.

Although well written if rather old fashioned in Eric's language, it never manages to recover from its own lack of direction. The final chapters in particular are poor, the dialogue stilted - it could have worked beautifully as a punchline, but it's played straight and is, for my taste, unbearably naff.

1.5 stars because it's well written and some of the chapters are good.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A glorious book about love, loss, OCD and ultimately the power of the human spirit to overcome just about anything.
Joyous and very witty.

[Kirsty Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

A snapshot of Eric's life with almost all aspects left unresolved. The writing was good and certain chapters I enjoyed but I found it lacking overall. Rather than it reading as a point in time it felt like it was to be a complete story tackling at least one aspect to meet a pleasing resolution. I've read a few books that just show a moment in time, this one was lacking something for me unfortunately.

[Val · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eric is a librarian whose unpromising start in life was turned around by another librarian. He wants his library to reach out to all the disadvantaged people in his area.
This is not just a story about a sad, rather pathetic man who wants sex and gets some, although that is a big part of the book.
I could wish the female characters were less two-dimensional and wonder whether it is realistic that a mother would give in to her twelve year old daughter so readily, even if ordering the ex-husband about is easier, and the young adult bits about not having to go with the crowd don't fit with the rest of the book. I am also not sure that the author understands the rights of birth parents of children in care. There are some nice bits and some funny bits and some readers will enjoy it more than I did.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character in this book takes a bit of getting used to. You wither feel sympathy for him or you find him pathetic and want hime to do something with his life. I found the whole journey rather amusing, comedic in places when you got to know the characters and they mannerisms.

[Bonnie Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story. Funny at times, but also sad in parts. I could empathise with the main character's feelings, but on occasions I wanted to tell him to stop being such a wimp and man up! Overall I enjoyed the book.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast-paced tale about an unfortunate insecure librarian. Definitely grew on me.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this an interesting read. I really liked the way that the main character was depicted although the story itself - which I finished reading a couple of months ago - has already escaped me.....

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

What an odd book. I really don't know what to make of it. It was really poorly written - almost absurd and lacking in believability.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really my kind of book. It was all really a bit too much and I found it an effort to read.