August 2026 - Mad Mabel > Likes and Comments
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Thank you! Not a book I’d have chosen for myself but I’m looking forward to something different - at least I was until I read that it’s perfect for lovers of “The Thursday Murder Club”, which I DNF’d. Mainly because it was so patronising to older people. Here’s hoping this is a good ‘un!
How's everyone getting on? I'm still waiting for my copy to come from the library!
Gah! So many group reads, so little time. Going to go start this one right now!
Bethan wrote: "Gah! So many group reads, so little time. Going to go start this one right now!"Mine are piling up around me too!
I read it! What a great choice. Thank you!
Me too. I enjoyed it. It had more layers than first expected.
It was ok, pulp fiction, the reveals were a little obvious and telegraphed and the ending a little meh but I needed an easy read after spending the best part of a month on Demons. Gonna stay with the easy reads for the rest of the month before taking on The Idiot 🙂
Got 4 chapters in yesterday. I was laughing out loud on the first. Looking forward to continuing when some pesky real life tasks get done.Great choice!
I loved this. An approachable read with a strong main character. I very much enjoyed the humour. The reveal didn’t matter to me but the main tale was engaging and I felt original. I’d put this higher up than pulp fiction though there isn’t purist literary merit here o suppose.
SPOILERS AHEAD.I'm about a third of the way through Mad Mabel, and I'm having a few issues...
I'm enjoying the 'Then' portions more than the 'Now'. Older Mabel's grumpy old woman shtick feels very performative, I don't believe in the character. It reminds me a little of 'A Man Called Ove', which I didn't get on with for similar reasons.
Am I overthinking it, or is Daphne an imaginary friend? ('Fight Club' anyone?) - again, she doesn't feel like a real person.
I will see how it all progresses...
Sorry DNF; it’s not for me, too trite and predictable. Should have heeded the 🚩(for me) that it was for fans of The Thursday Murder Club
I have just finished and, despite the book being my suggestion in the first place, it didn't work for me. I found the premise of the book intriguing (what got it onto my to-read list in the first place) and I enjoyed the pattern of the story telling - the switching from present to past. However, I spotted one of the major twists - Daphne anyone? - really early on and the rest of the tale unwound similarly predictably.
The jaunty tone really bugged me. I think you have to be really careful, as an author, when you're tackling serious issues like loneliness, and rejection, yet also attempting to be humorous. In this I feel Sally Hepworth often failed. I disliked A Man Called Ove for exactly the same reasons. This approach can work - Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine treads a similarly fine line, but imho succeeds where these other two books fail.
I also had a problem with the characters. I felt that they were types, not fully fleshed people whom I could believe in. They were regularly described by their clothes rather than through anything that really told us who they were. They spoke in cliches and I almost threw the book across the room when a character 'rolled their eyes' - it's such a lazy description.
Oh well. We can't love every book. Onwards! ;)
Finally got a copy from the library yesterday 😬 looking forward to reading it after such a mixed bag of reviews!
Get hold of a copy and join in the discussion below. If you need to comment on something revealing within the story, please remember to write SPOILERS at the start of your post.
Happy Reading!