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lizziaha's review against another edition
4.0
Group of lonely misfits turned found family waged war against loneliness and Hubert Bird comes to grips with his past. I really enjoyed the beginning half of the book, but the ending fell a little flat for me. The main conflict of the book was not exactly resolved, it was sort of dissolved, which meant there was no payoff for the tension, which didn’t work for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Racism
Moderate: Addiction, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dementia, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Fatphobia
elliemayxox's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If you like books that will make you sad for all the right reasons this is the one! It gives 'A Man Called Ove' vibes and I'm here for it.
This narrative follows an elderly man called Humbert Bird. In his weekly phonecalls with his daughter, Rose, he paints the picture of a perfect retirement including fun and friends, in reality this is not true. When his daughter announces she is visiting soon so Humbert needs to make his real life as close to his fake life as he can. The story follows as he tries to renew a cherished friendship and joins a community group, will he succeed or will he always be one for those lonely people?
I love the split timelines within the book. It adds tension in just the right places, creating almost a mini cliff hanger, and helps you get to know and love Humbert as a character. It breaks your heart just that bit more when you come to realise his resilience and constant optimism despite the many hurdles he faced when he moved away from his family and country.
I like the ending but I'm still conflicted about it. It was sweet, especially the found family elements and seeing everyone still together and happy. Without giving spoilers, there was simply an element that I'm not entirely sure was necessary, yes it pulls on the heartstrings and the ending would without the element would have read completely different. It just felt a bit cut short, almost as if it was an afterthought, especially as it was a particularly short chapter in the novel.
The way the narrative voice changes to a couple different characters was also quite clever. It really emphasized not only Humbert's sadness and loneliness but also the impact of people choices, but not in a victim blaming way, the characters did what they thought was best in that moment for them, and it felt realistic.
The love between Humbert and Joyce was beautiful as well, very much forbidden love vibes because of the time setting of the novel but they preserved and worked super well a couple. Humbert was truly dedicated to Joyce, and the juxtaposition between Gus the Lady's man and dedicated Humbert further emphasized the strength and love within Humbert and Joyces marriage.
This book really touched my heart and I hope it touches yours. I feel this would be a good match for people who like elderly, lonely characters or if you enjoyed 'A Man Called Ove'. Would possibly work for people who like historical fiction because of the split timelines.
This narrative follows an elderly man called Humbert Bird. In his weekly phonecalls with his daughter, Rose, he paints the picture of a perfect retirement including fun and friends, in reality this is not true. When his daughter announces she is visiting soon so Humbert needs to make his real life as close to his fake life as he can. The story follows as he tries to renew a cherished friendship and joins a community group, will he succeed or will he always be one for those lonely people?
I love the split timelines within the book. It adds tension in just the right places, creating almost a mini cliff hanger, and helps you get to know and love Humbert as a character. It breaks your heart just that bit more when you come to realise his resilience and constant optimism despite the many hurdles he faced when he moved away from his family and country.
I like the ending but I'm still conflicted about it. It was sweet, especially the found family elements and seeing everyone still together and happy. Without giving spoilers, there was simply an element that I'm not entirely sure was necessary, yes it pulls on the heartstrings and the ending would without the element would have read completely different. It just felt a bit cut short, almost as if it was an afterthought, especially as it was a particularly short chapter in the novel.
The way the narrative voice changes to a couple different characters was also quite clever. It really emphasized not only Humbert's sadness and loneliness but also the impact of people choices, but not in a victim blaming way, the characters did what they thought was best in that moment for them, and it felt realistic.
The love between Humbert and Joyce was beautiful as well, very much forbidden love vibes because of the time setting of the novel but they preserved and worked super well a couple. Humbert was truly dedicated to Joyce, and the juxtaposition between Gus the Lady's man and dedicated Humbert further emphasized the strength and love within Humbert and Joyces marriage.
This book really touched my heart and I hope it touches yours. I feel this would be a good match for people who like elderly, lonely characters or if you enjoyed 'A Man Called Ove'. Would possibly work for people who like historical fiction because of the split timelines.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Addiction and Dementia
heartofhorrors's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Grief, Drug abuse, Racism, Addiction, and Death
amandadelbrocco's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Overall enjoyed but it was incredibly similar in plot development to A Man Called Ove and that's all I could think about while reading. I think some of the topics weren't discussed as deeply as they could have been and some of it was very surface level and repetitive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction
ashenlar's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A quick, fun read with book club. Probably not something I would've picked up in terms of writing style, but I'm glad to have read it for the hopeful and positive message overall, and very diverse characters.
I do think generally everything things either a bit too easy or obvious for plot progression (eg the first woman Hubert really meets ends up being the love of his life with a pretty blandly perfect relationship) - or twists that come too out of nowhere and don't really feel convincing (Rose's death)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia, Addiction, Mental illness, Racism, Grief, Racial slurs, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Death, and Drug use
jenna_30's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Absolutely great read. Halfway through the book it got really emotional. I will definitely think about this book for a long time.
The characters are so diverse and absolutely lovable. Don’t hesitate to read it yourself!
The characters are so diverse and absolutely lovable. Don’t hesitate to read it yourself!
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse and Addiction
alexisgarcia's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
this was very very similar to a man called ove, but with a twist. unsurprisingly, i loved it. it was a total cheese fest but if you’re okay with that, it’s really enjoyable and wholesome. there are also some darker themes which gives the book more substance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Car accident, Chronic illness, Grief, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Mental illness, Racism, Terminal illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
akshade's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Terminal illness, Classism, Drug use, Death, Racism, and Addiction
Minor: Car accident
okiecozyreader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I can see why so many of my friends have read and liked this one. I was not familiar with Mike Gayle before; now I see he has written about 20 books in the UK. I listened to a little of the audiobook and it is fantastic. The full narration wasn’t available for a while from my library, so I mostly read a paperback copy. It was also a Target bookclub pick, so they have a version with some extra notes, but I found my copy from The Gloss bookclub had them also.
Like the title implies, this book is about a lonely, old man named Hubert Bird, an immigrant from Jamaica to London. I didn’t realize that in the 1950s, the British government encouraged West Indian people to move there because of a labor shortage. But, at the same time, people didn’t welcome them into their communities.
Such is the case with Hubert, who after he arrives is treated unfairly at his job and meeting someone is difficult until he meets Joyce. We get to know Hubert from being this young man until older age, with alternating chapters in the current Now of his life. We know his wife is not there, and his daughter Rose calls every week to check on him. For the last five years, he hasn’t kept up with any friends, but he has a journal with made up activities he does with friends, so she doesn’t think he is alone. When she tells him she is coming to visit in a few months, he considers what it would be like to have friends again and if he could make himself available in those ways again, especially after a friendly neighbor with a young daughter move in next door and need a friend.
I loved this book until the very end. I stayed up until 12:30 last night reading and couldn’t put it down until I was finished. I just felt like the last chapters rushed the ending and there were a couple parts I wondered more about . But it is such a lovely story of friendship and loneliness.
This one reminded me of: The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett, Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting and Meredith, Alone.
“And in that moment, as he attempted to stem his tears, Hubert realized something he hadn’t quite understood before now: he was lonely, really lonely, and most likely had been for a very long time.” P84
“After all, it was always easier to meet new people if there were two of you. It gave you confidence and made you feel at ease. Look, it said to the world, I already have one friend so I can’t be all that bad.” P51
“I know sometimes the world’s a horrible place, but not always. Sometimes it’s a lovely place where nice things happen for no reason and I’d much rather… live in that world than the other one.” P54
P98 making new friends “become more Ashleigh.”
“Rose watched the dilemma play out across her father’s features. The desire to protect her from the truth matched with the relief of no longer having to hide it.” P243
“And that’s the funny thing about life. Extraordinary things can happen to ordinary people like you and me, but only if we open ourselves up enough to let them be.” P359
“…one of the central questions of the book is, do you resign yourself to the fact that one day your life might be empty or try to fill it up with new friends and “family?” Q&A with author
“I wanted to examine a character’s story from beginning to end as a way of thinking about how people become lonely.”
Understanding history to write a modern day novel
Recommends watching BBC documentary Windrush
Like the title implies, this book is about a lonely, old man named Hubert Bird, an immigrant from Jamaica to London. I didn’t realize that in the 1950s, the British government encouraged West Indian people to move there because of a labor shortage. But, at the same time, people didn’t welcome them into their communities.
Such is the case with Hubert, who after he arrives is treated unfairly at his job and meeting someone is difficult until he meets Joyce. We get to know Hubert from being this young man until older age, with alternating chapters in the current Now of his life. We know his wife is not there, and his daughter Rose calls every week to check on him. For the last five years, he hasn’t kept up with any friends, but he has a journal with made up activities he does with friends, so she doesn’t think he is alone. When she tells him she is coming to visit in a few months, he considers what it would be like to have friends again and if he could make himself available in those ways again, especially after a friendly neighbor with a young daughter move in next door and need a friend.
I loved this book until the very end. I stayed up until 12:30 last night reading and couldn’t put it down until I was finished. I just felt like the last chapters rushed the ending and there were a couple parts I wondered more about . But it is such a lovely story of friendship and loneliness.
This one reminded me of: The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett, Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting and Meredith, Alone.
“And in that moment, as he attempted to stem his tears, Hubert realized something he hadn’t quite understood before now: he was lonely, really lonely, and most likely had been for a very long time.” P84
“After all, it was always easier to meet new people if there were two of you. It gave you confidence and made you feel at ease. Look, it said to the world, I already have one friend so I can’t be all that bad.” P51
“I know sometimes the world’s a horrible place, but not always. Sometimes it’s a lovely place where nice things happen for no reason and I’d much rather… live in that world than the other one.” P54
P98 making new friends “become more Ashleigh.”
“Rose watched the dilemma play out across her father’s features. The desire to protect her from the truth matched with the relief of no longer having to hide it.” P243
“And that’s the funny thing about life. Extraordinary things can happen to ordinary people like you and me, but only if we open ourselves up enough to let them be.” P359
“…one of the central questions of the book is, do you resign yourself to the fact that one day your life might be empty or try to fill it up with new friends and “family?” Q&A with author
“I wanted to examine a character’s story from beginning to end as a way of thinking about how people become lonely.”
Understanding history to write a modern day novel
Recommends watching BBC documentary Windrush
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Addiction, Grief, Racism, and Hate crime
Moderate: Pregnancy
withlivjones's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
What I was expecting: a cute heartwarming little book about an old man getting strangers to pose as his friends so he doesn’t disappoint his daughter
What I got: an absolutely gutpunchingly sad (but still heartwarming) book that deals with themes of grief, life as an immigrant in the 20th century and today, racism, isolation, and both blood and found family.
The diverse range of colourful characters clearly demonstrates the book’s message that anyone of any age, race, or background can experience loneliness, and all it takes is a little effort to discover that we aren’t so different from each other after all. Although the “present day” in this book is set in 2018, this message is particularly poignant after the pandemic, which left so many people literally isolated from a community. Hubert is an extremely likeable protagonist, and his journey throughout the book, both in the present day and in the flashbacks to his younger years, is told in a genuine and heartfelt way that makes the reader sympathise with him even though he has his flaws. I’d be interested in what people who live or have lived in Bromley might say about the setting, and whether it is as much of a love letter to the area (both the good and bad parts of it) as it appears to be to someone who has only ever been there once.
I felt that the pacing of the second half of the book could have been drawn out more as so many major events happen in such a short space of time that it is quite overwhelming. The speed at which the campaign grows, in particular, could have definitely been slower for it to have been more realistic. The twist fully came out of left field for me, and I’m still slightly conflicted as to whether or not I liked it, but I think it would have been great to have had a little more space to process it before moving on.
Overall, this was not the book I was expecting but I am nonetheless very glad I read it.
What I got: an absolutely gutpunchingly sad (but still heartwarming) book that deals with themes of grief, life as an immigrant in the 20th century and today, racism, isolation, and both blood and found family.
The diverse range of colourful characters clearly demonstrates the book’s message that anyone of any age, race, or background can experience loneliness, and all it takes is a little effort to discover that we aren’t so different from each other after all. Although the “present day” in this book is set in 2018, this message is particularly poignant after the pandemic, which left so many people literally isolated from a community. Hubert is an extremely likeable protagonist, and his journey throughout the book, both in the present day and in the flashbacks to his younger years, is told in a genuine and heartfelt way that makes the reader sympathise with him even though he has his flaws. I’d be interested in what people who live or have lived in Bromley might say about the setting, and whether it is as much of a love letter to the area (both the good and bad parts of it) as it appears to be to someone who has only ever been there once.
I felt that the pacing of the second half of the book could have been drawn out more as so many major events happen in such a short space of time that it is quite overwhelming. The speed at which the campaign grows, in particular, could have definitely been slower for it to have been more realistic. The twist fully came out of left field for me, and I’m still slightly conflicted as to whether or not I liked it, but I think it would have been great to have had a little more space to process it before moving on.
Overall, this was not the book I was expecting but I am nonetheless very glad I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Racism
Moderate: Car accident, Death, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Addiction, Dementia, and Racial slurs
Minor: Suicide, Infidelity, and Vomit