chapters.indigo.ca: A Spot of Bother: A Novel: Mark Haddon: Books

About this Book

Format:Trade Paperback

Dimensions:368 Pages, 5.17 x 8.02 x 0.8 in

Published:August 14, 2007

Publisher:Doubleday Canada

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:
ISBN - 10:0385662440
ISBN - 13:9780385662444

From the Publisher

George Hall is an unobtrusive man. A little distant, perhaps, a little cautious, not quite at ease with the emotional demands of fatherhood or of manly bonhomie. "The secret of contentment, George felt, lay in ignoring many things completely." Some things in life can't be ignored, however: his tempestuous daughter Katie's deeply inappropriate boyfriend Ray, for instance, or the sudden appearance of a red circular rash on his hip.

At 57, George is settling down to a comfortable retirement, building a shed in his garden and enjoying the freedom to be alone when he wants. But then he runs into a spot of bother. That red circular rash on his hip: George convinces himself it's skin cancer. And the deeply inappropriate Ray? Katie announces he will become her second husband. The planning for these frowned-upon nuptials proves a great inconvenience to George's wife, Jean, who is carrying on a late-life affair with her husband's ex-colleague. The Halls do not approve of Ray, for vague reasons summed up by their son Jamie's observation that Ray has "strangler's hands." Jamie himself has his own problems - his tidy and pleasant life comes apart when he fails to invite his lover, Tony, to Katie's wedding. And Katie, a woman whose ferocious temper once led to the maiming of a carjacker, can't decide if she loves Ray, or loves the wonderful way he has with her son Jacob.

Unnoticed in the uproar, George quietly begins to go mad. The way these damaged people fall apart - and come together - as a family is the true subject of Haddon's hilarious and disturbing portrait of a dignified man trying to go insane politely.

A Spot of Bother is Mark Haddon's unforgettable follow-up to the internationally beloved bestseller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Once again, Haddon proves a master of a story at once hilarious, poignant, dark, and profoundly human. Here the madness - literally - of family life proves rich comic fodder for Haddon's crackling prose and bittersweet insights into misdirected love.

From the Hardcover edition.

From the Jacket

Praise for THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME

"Moving . . . Think of The Sound and the Fury crossed with The Catcher in the Rye and one of Oliver Sacks's real-life stories." -Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

"Both clever and observant, and the effect is vastly affecting." -Washington Post Book World

"This original and affecting novel is a triumph of empathy." -The New Yorker

"Gloriously eccentric and wonderfully intelligent." -Boston Globe

"Disorienting and reorienting the reader to devastating effect . . . as suspenseful and harrowing as anything in Conan Doyle." -Jay McInerney, New York Times Book Review

"Funny, sad and totally convincing." -Time

"More so than precursors like The Sound and the Fury and Flowers for Algernon, The Curious Incident is a radical experiment in empathy. " -Village Voice

"One of the strangest and most convincing characters in recent fiction." -Slate

From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

MARK HADDON is the author of the international bestseller, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for First Fiction and the Whitbread Book of the Year award. In addition to the recently published The Talking Horse, the Sad Girl, and the Village Under the Sea, a collection of poetry, Haddon has also written and illustrated numerous awardwinning children''s books and television screenplays. He teaches writing for the Arvon foundation and at Oxford University. He lives in Oxford with his wife and son.

Bookclub Guide

1. What do you think is the spot of bother of the title? Does every character have a spot of bother, or is it just George?

2. Do you think Katie does love Ray? Was she right to marry him?

3. Why do you think Jean has an affair? Did this affect your feelings towards her character, and George''s?

4. Mark Haddon writes about some very serious subjects - mental illness, adultery, prejudice - but often in a humorous way. Would you describe A Spot of Bother as a comedy?

5. Why do you think Jamie tells Ray that he loves Tony before he tells Tony himself?

6. A Spot of Bother includes several pairings of siblings: Jamie and Katie; Becky and Tony; Ray and Martin; Jean and Eileen. Which are the closest? Are any of their relationships similar to your relationship with your siblings?

7. Many of the characters are driven by concerns about loving or being loved by the right people: do you think the characters resolve these issues? Does everyone end up with the right person at the end of the novel?

8. Do you think it''s fair to say that A Spot of Bother is a very British novel?

9. Each character has their own issue to deal with: George''s illness; Jean''s affair; Katie''s wedding; Jamie''s feelings towards Tony. Who did you feel the most sympathetic towards? Are their problems self-inflicted?

10. What was your favourite moment in the book?

From the Critics

Praise for THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME

"Moving . . . Think of The Sound and the Fury crossed with The Catcher in the Rye and one of Oliver Sacks's real-life stories." -Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

"Both clever and observant, and the effect is vastly affecting." -Washington Post Book World

"This original and affecting novel is a triumph of empathy." -The New Yorker

"Gloriously eccentric and wonderfully intelligent." -Boston Globe

"Disorienting and reorienting the reader to devastating effect . . . as suspenseful and harrowing as anything in Conan Doyle." -Jay McInerney, New York Times Book Review

"Funny, sad and totally convincing." -Time

"More so than precursors like The Sound and the Fury and Flowers for Algernon, The Curious Incident is a radical experiment in empathy. " -Village Voice

"One of the strangest and most convincing characters in recent fiction." -Slate

From the Hardcover edition.

From The Community

Who's Listing it as a Top Ten

This title has appeared in 7 Top Ten lists. See the most recent lists below:

Books I want

amanda westerik , 2 years ago
All-time best

Bonnie , 2 years ago
books I like

bensrose , 2 years ago
Shibl Fave's

Shibl Mourad , 2 years ago
10 Favorites

Kim McQuaker , 14 months ago
My Favourite Authors

~Laura~ , 13 months ago
Some modern-ish fiction favourites

Nightfalltwen , 5 months ago
+ see more
- see less

Who's Blogging

This title has been mentioned in 2 blogs. See the most recent posts below:

February Book Poll

Mella Bella , 2 years ago
A Spot of Bother

Alans , 14 months ago
+ see more
- see less

Average Customer Rating:
Reviews from the Community8 Reviews

Write a Review

Brenda Wyber
Does not match up to "Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night"

13 months ago

I loved "the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night" and was hoping for something as funny, and moving. I found this one was a bunch of people who seemed to wallow in self pity or live in their own worlds. I did not enjoy the book at all.
- add a comment
- Was this helpful? yes no yes no
- report this
Jeff Schissler
- Indigo Employee
Awesome!

14 months ago

My boyfriend gave me this book after telling him how much I liked "Curious Incident". He said "you'll fall in love with every character"...and he was right! This is such a great story about an elderly man going crazy, his wife having an affair, and their homosexual son who is looking for love. All of this takes place around preparing for their daughters wedding. To those who say "I don't laugh out loud when I read": this book is for YOU! It will leave you howling at some parts and really moved… + read more
- add a comment
- Was this helpful? yes no yes no
- report this
Chihoe Ho
- Indigo Employee
This is no spot of bother

2 years ago

I like stories on dysfunctional families. Every family is dysfunctional in one small way or another. Mark Haddon takes this a little further without being exaggerated. Giving personal accounts from the viewpoint of the four members of the family - George, Jean, Katie and Jamie - Haddon paints a disturbing yet powerful picture on a man's slow descend to madness. I panned the book from the beginning (as what could possibly top "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time"?), especially… + read more
- add a comment
- Was this helpful? yes no yes no
- report this
celina c
- 1 person found this helpful
hilarious

2 years ago

I have read The curious incident of the dog in tne night time and I have to say I found this book infinitely more satisfying. A Spot of Bother was fast paced and the characters personalities were true to life. there is a large amount of sarcastic humour and the total dysfunctionality of the Halls family will definitely make you feel better about your own!
- add a comment
- Was this helpful? yes no yes no
- report this
Ariel
- Top Book Reviewer
- 1 person found this helpful
Well written

2 years ago

Another well-written book by Mark Haddon. I have started to enjoy Mark Haddon's writing because of "Incident of the dog in the night-time". He has done an excellent job with "A spot of bother" - interesting storyline, crisp writing and convincing multiple third person point-of-view. I really don't mind reading it again.
- add a comment
- Was this helpful? yes no yes no
- report this