≡ Read Gratis The Bad Mother Handbook Kate Long 9780330419338 Books

The Bad Mother Handbook Kate Long 9780330419338 Books

Download As PDF : The Bad Mother Handbook Kate Long 9780330419338 Books

The Bad Mother Handbook Kate Long 9780330419338 Books

I’ve seen the movie multiple times and liked it, so I wasn’t in a hurry to read the book. It turns out, the book really is better than the movie. Go figure!

The Bad Mother’s Handbook chronicles a year in the life of a three generation household – daughter Charlotte, mother Karen and grandmother Nan. It examines mother/daughter relationships in many different forms; teen moms, single moms, adopted moms, birth moms, etc. On the flipside, it shows what it means to be a daughter. Sounds sappy, I know, but honestly, this is a good book. It can be realistic and funny, heartbreaking and joyous. God, I sound like a flipping Hallmark commercial!

I think what I liked best is the characterization. These people are deeply flawed and kind of crazy, yet I can relate to them. (What does that say about me?) I especially loved Charlotte and her unlikely romance with a weirdo boy at school. He was totally the guy I would have gone for, sweet and nerdy. Grandmother, Nan, has dementia and health issues with stress Karen to the max. You want to get angry with Karen for losing her temper all of the time, but if you put yourself in her position, she can sympathize with her situation.

Something American readers might have trouble with is the language. This is a contemporary British fiction written in the vernacular of the working class. I read a lot of Brit Lit, of I didn’t find it distracting, but there are those who might. The point of view shifts can be distracting as well. POV changes frequently and it takes a paragraph or so before you can figure out who is speaking. It gets easier as the book goes on, but in the beginning, it inhibited the reading flow.

Overall, I give The Bad Mother’s Handbook…
Plot – 3 bookmarks
Characters – 4 ½ bookmarks
Humor – 3 bookmarks
Love Story – 3 ½ bookmarks

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) – It’s probably no surprise that that I can only picture the movie cast, considering I’ve seen it like five times. Karen (Catherine Tate), Nan (Anne Reid), Charlotte (Holly Grainger), Daniel (Rob Pattinson)


Tags : The Bad Mother's Handbook [Kate Long] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. 1st trade edition paperback, fine In stock shipped from our UK warehouse,Kate Long,The Bad Mother's Handbook,Pan MacMillan,0330419331,Fiction & related items,General & Literary Fiction,Fiction

The Bad Mother Handbook Kate Long 9780330419338 Books Reviews

THE BAD MOTHER'S HANDBOOK by Kate Long
July 13, 2007

Rating 4/5 stars

Here's a book that I wasn't sure what to expect, but I ended up liking a lot. THE BAD MOTHER'S HANDBOOK is the story of three generations of women, all of whom ended up raising their child in an unconventional setting, and are now all living together under one roof for one reason or another.

The novel takes place in London. Nan is the oldest and in her twilight years, driving her daughter Karen up the wall. Karen is in her thirties and is having issues with her daughter Charlotte, who unexpectedly finds herself pregnant and unwed (something Karen has done but was hoping that Charlotte wouldn't make the same mistake). Life is complicated for all of them, and gets worse as Nan starts to behave erratically, a sign of her old age. While Charlotte has to deal with a baby in her future, Karen has just learned that she's adopted. So she goes in search of the biological mother she hopes will love her more than she thinks Nan ever did.

While at first the three women drove me nuts, the more I got to know them, the more I got caught up in their stories. All three women had complicated histories, but the author did a wonderful job in making each story stand out. All three women are treated as main characters, just with different issues, as they learn to be a family and learn what really matters in the long run.

One stand out character I enjoyed was Charlotte's "friend" Daniel, who seems to have a crush on Charlotte. Charlotte, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with him at first. But he perseveres, and continues to be her friend after her boyfriend dumps her and fails to acknowledge that she's pregnant (he calls her "stupid"). Daniel and Charlotte's relationship is a test in friendship, and it's this that I think makes the story a big step above chick lit. (Actually, the book is NOT chick lit but the title may mislead some readers).

I'm definitely recommending THE BAD MOTHER'S HANDBOOK. It was a pleasant surprise and a good read. I hope to read more by this author.
I read the book first and loved it so much I had to get the movie. Wonderful humor and sensitivity.
Lovely book to read, comfortable and easy. Very relaxing. I enjoyed the day to day chatter and the ladies' emotions. Very good storyline.
I thoroughly enjoyed this funny novel. The characters are real, relatable and intriguing. I saw the film first and enjoyed it, so since books are most often better, I gave it a shot and I'm glad I did.
One of my favorite books AND movie too!!
Deleted book
I really enjoyed reading this book. Its a story about three generations living under the same roof- female perspective. Interesting to read about English lower-middle class life and tribulations. Had seen the tv movie based on this story and loved it. But after reading the novel, I love this story even more. Well done Kate Long. After posting this review, I'll be purchasing her other novels!
I’ve seen the movie multiple times and liked it, so I wasn’t in a hurry to read the book. It turns out, the book really is better than the movie. Go figure!

The Bad Mother’s Handbook chronicles a year in the life of a three generation household – daughter Charlotte, mother Karen and grandmother Nan. It examines mother/daughter relationships in many different forms; teen moms, single moms, adopted moms, birth moms, etc. On the flipside, it shows what it means to be a daughter. Sounds sappy, I know, but honestly, this is a good book. It can be realistic and funny, heartbreaking and joyous. God, I sound like a flipping Hallmark commercial!

I think what I liked best is the characterization. These people are deeply flawed and kind of crazy, yet I can relate to them. (What does that say about me?) I especially loved Charlotte and her unlikely romance with a weirdo boy at school. He was totally the guy I would have gone for, sweet and nerdy. Grandmother, Nan, has dementia and health issues with stress Karen to the max. You want to get angry with Karen for losing her temper all of the time, but if you put yourself in her position, she can sympathize with her situation.

Something American readers might have trouble with is the language. This is a contemporary British fiction written in the vernacular of the working class. I read a lot of Brit Lit, of I didn’t find it distracting, but there are those who might. The point of view shifts can be distracting as well. POV changes frequently and it takes a paragraph or so before you can figure out who is speaking. It gets easier as the book goes on, but in the beginning, it inhibited the reading flow.

Overall, I give The Bad Mother’s Handbook…
Plot – 3 bookmarks
Characters – 4 ½ bookmarks
Humor – 3 bookmarks
Love Story – 3 ½ bookmarks

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) – It’s probably no surprise that that I can only picture the movie cast, considering I’ve seen it like five times. Karen (Catherine Tate), Nan (Anne Reid), Charlotte (Holly Grainger), Daniel (Rob Pattinson)