Excellent.
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I've recently enjoyed reading Madeleine Wickham's first book "The Tennis Party", but felt it lacked bite, but I was optimistic that this would change as she went on, and this, her second book, proved it. It largely concerns Jonathan and Liz Chambers who have decided to set up their own tutorial college, and have got themselves into an alarming state of debt in the process. Estate agent Marcus Witherstone, a middle-aged smoothie with some dubious business deals on the side, steps in to help them. Liz finds herself becoming smitten by his charms and the two embark on an affaire. Meanwhile her daughter, Alice, is having a bad case of teenage blues, and starts to spend more and more of her time with Piers and Ginny, the trendy London couple who move in to her parents old house. Piers is a good-looking but failed actor, and Alice inevitably gets a crush on him. Also in the mix is Marcus's wife, Anthea, an ambitious woman who has set frighteningly high standards for their two sons (Wickham writes very engagingly about the two little lads, and has a real understanding of children). This is one of those very rare books these days that I actually wished was longer. Liz's affair is very real and very sad, as we see this woman deluding herself that she's about to embark on a new and glamorous life. Wickham is branded as a light author (i.e presumably not serious and heavyweight like Anita Brookner for instance), and yet she writes about human relationships with a lot more insight and credibility than many so-called quality authors. A good read all round.
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Fabulous!
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Another excellent story from Madeleine Wickham! Definitely worth a read...or two...or three!
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slightly disappointing when her other books are brilliant
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I was totally gripped by Swimming Pool Sunday and the Tennis Party so I embarked on Desirable Residence with great enthusiasm. I found the plot a bit strange and not entirely believable. The characters however were great, particularly the youngsters who were good fun. I enjoyed it but not as much as the other two.
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