Product Description

Flatmates Fiona, Kerry and Linzi have problems enough squabbling over the itemised phone bill and whose turn it is to do the washing up. But nothing can prepare them for the chaos which ensues when Linzi's latest boyfriend arrives on the scene. Gorgeous but feckless, Gaetano spells trouble with a capital 'T'. And soon events are spiralling out of everyone's control . . .

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #593241 in Books
• Published on: 1997-08-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
'If you've ever shared a flat, been to a bad party or fallen in love with the wrong man, you'll find this book spot on' Company

'A funny first novel . . . That's more realistic than FRIENDS, cleaner than THE YOUNG ONES and not as frightening as SHALLOW GRAVE' Daily Mail

'She answers the prayers of all those suffering from post-THIS LIFE disorder' GQ

About the Author
Chris Manby grew up in Gloucester and published her first short story in Just Seventeen magazine at the age of fourteen. Now aged twenty-eight, she lives in London and writes full-time. She has just finished a stint as Writer in Residence at Sheffield Hallam University.

Customer Reviews

The Poorest of Chris Manby's Books
Normally I really really enjoy Chris Manby's books, however this one was boring, the characters were boring and it was nothing like I expected. Normally I find Chris Manby really funny and they are page turning books, however this one simply isn't, if it hadn't been so short I don't think I would have finished it.

A pointless, misandric rant
I have nothing against Chris Manby. I've read some of her later stuff, and some of it is good. But this isn't.

Some of the problems are mere first book glitches. The author thinks there's an Australian Embassy in London, or that South Africa doesn't have a vibrant gay scene. She gives us three characters named Andrew, and two Ryans. But these are excusable.

But to get to the main problem. A bit of 'battle of the sexes' never did a book any harm. But this book is too one-sided. Every female character in the book has her life messed up by a man. Men are violent, commitment-phobic, clingly, dominating...you name it! Every engagement or marriage involving a young lady ends in disaster..and it's ALWAYS the man's fault!

The young husband who so controlled his wife that he forbade her from opening an account in her own name...straight out of 'The Forsyte Saga' or 'Middlemarch'!

Why stop at sexism..? Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the portrayal of Gaetano and his mum. No stereotype about Mediterranean people was left unused

The book might as well have been called 'Forget it sisters..there are NO good men!' There is good stuff by Chris Manby..I recommend 'Lizzie Jordan's Secret Life'...but this book is poor. AND offensive.

Mildly entertaining but chauvinist
I found this book mildly entertaining overall, but as somebody else also mentioned, I was struck by the predjudiced views. I realise this was just meant to be humourous, but off the top of my head I remember being a little bothered at certain points by the harsh anti male bias in particular. I felt she was trying to tap into that feeling we've probably all had at some point where for a moment after a bad experience, we feel jealous or hateful of the opposite sex. I don't really think that is the sort of attitude I want to enforce in my mind, that it should be all the girls together and all men are the same. Yes there are bad guys out there, but bashing men in general doesn't get you revenge, it just perpetuates predjudice. I wouldn't recommend this book at all, it's not even very funny.