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Number 10
by
Sue Townsend
“Townsend has a rare gift … wickedly funny.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“It’s not pretty, it’s not subtle, but it’s wickedly funny and skewers London’s prime-time players.”—Columbus Dispatch
Praise for Sue Townsend:
“It’s a good thing British subjects are no longer beheaded for treason, or Sue Townsend’s head would roll . . . outrageously cutting.”—Newsday
“[Townsend] is a n...more
“It’s not pretty, it’s not subtle, but it’s wickedly funny and skewers London’s prime-time players.”—Columbus Dispatch
Praise for Sue Townsend:
“It’s a good thing British subjects are no longer beheaded for treason, or Sue Townsend’s head would roll . . . outrageously cutting.”—Newsday
“[Townsend] is a n...more
Paperback, 282 pages
Published
November 1st 2004
by Soho Press
(first published January 1st 2002)
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May 21, 2008
Caela Harrison
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
recyclers and gerbil owners
Recommended to Caela by:
Lowri
What a load of old toss.
Townsend upset me on page two, when she revealed her dire knowledge of a city she was setting part of a story in. I'm quite baffled as to why she bothered to write this book - I can't even be bothered writing a review, it was that awful.
I persevered for loyalty to my sister, who believes that Townsend is the best thing since Roger Hargreaves. I love my sister a lot, but she has bad bad judgement. (She fancies Jack in EastEnders, that should've given me a wee clue.)
Unbelie...more
Townsend upset me on page two, when she revealed her dire knowledge of a city she was setting part of a story in. I'm quite baffled as to why she bothered to write this book - I can't even be bothered writing a review, it was that awful.
I persevered for loyalty to my sister, who believes that Townsend is the best thing since Roger Hargreaves. I love my sister a lot, but she has bad bad judgement. (She fancies Jack in EastEnders, that should've given me a wee clue.)
Unbelie...more
view 1 comment
Just as she did with royalty in The Queen and I (which I only vaguely remember), Townsend now turns her satiric pen to the Prime Minister. Edward Clare, obviously meant to represent Tony Blair, is a well-intentioned but ineffective PM, accused by his critics of having no particular politics and far removed from the average British citizen. So he goes on a week’s adventure: dressed in his wife’s clothes, accompanied by PC Jack Sprat, he goes on a road trip and is introduced to the joys of public...more
I ended up being a bit disappointed with this - I missed the humour from 'The Queen and I' and found the charcters a bit too one-dimensional. I don't...more I ended up being a bit disappointed with this - I missed the humour from 'The Queen and I' and found the charcters a bit too one-dimensional. I don't really understand why Edward chooses the disguise he did and, conversely, why that didn't lead to a lot more humour. The blurb about the book states that the Prime Minister finds out about life...more
Dem fiktiven Premierminister Edward Clare wird vorgeworfen vom alltäglichen Leben der Briten keine Ahnung mehr zu haben. So verkleidet er sich (mit großer persönlicher Freude) als Edwina und macht sich mit dem Polizisten Jack Sprat auf eine Reise durch Armuts-, Drogen- und Rentnermilieu und entdeckt nebenbei seine eigenen familiären Wurzeln und sich selbst wieder. Neue Energie für den Job findet er allerdings nicht...
Man beobachtet die Briten mit Edwina eher mit den Augen des staunenden Kindes a...more
Man beobachtet die Briten mit Edwina eher mit den Augen des staunenden Kindes a...more
not as good as other Townsend book I read (Adrian Mole). This started out interesting in the beginning, started to drag a bit in the middle, by the time I reached the end, I could hardly wait to put this down. This is supposed to be a satirical look at the British democracy of the nineties and early twentyfirst century. The main character, Edward Clair, the PM is supposed to be a parody of Tony Blair, with a wife and kids to match. Maybe British people will understand much of the subtle ( or so...more
By the standards of the Adrian Mole books this is very disappointing. The idea that a UK Prime Minister would travel the country incognito, dressed as a woman furthermore, is beyond all plausibility. The characters are poorly realised, we are clearly supposed to recognise them as barely disguised real people (Gordon Brown, Peter Mandelson, etc) and fill in the shading ourselves. The set-pieces have their comic moments but picaresque this ain't. About the best character is Peter the budgie. Havin...more
I was sadly disappointed with this and didn't even finish it. Fortunately it was a freebie, a neighbour was moving and put a pile of books out for people to help themselves. :)
I loved the Adrian Mole series, or at least the earlier ones. I have to admit that I didn't read the later ones where Adrian has grown up. I also rather liked The Queen and I. But this novel didn't really seem to know what it was trying to say. Britain in 2003 wasn't such an awful place, not as far as I can remember, yet S...more
I loved the Adrian Mole series, or at least the earlier ones. I have to admit that I didn't read the later ones where Adrian has grown up. I also rather liked The Queen and I. But this novel didn't really seem to know what it was trying to say. Britain in 2003 wasn't such an awful place, not as far as I can remember, yet S...more
Sadly, the 'famouser' authors get, the less editing their works seem to receive.
I thought this book was a rather jumbled mess. Too random, too stream-of-consciousness. Perhaps it was the intent of Ms Townsend to make the writing similar to the story: rambling all around the land with no clearly defined trajectory in mind.
I more or less could understand the jokes, and the basic premise, but Number 10 left me with no particularly distinct impression. Not really worth your time.
I thought this book was a rather jumbled mess. Too random, too stream-of-consciousness. Perhaps it was the intent of Ms Townsend to make the writing similar to the story: rambling all around the land with no clearly defined trajectory in mind.
I more or less could understand the jokes, and the basic premise, but Number 10 left me with no particularly distinct impression. Not really worth your time.
Sep 06, 2012
Saphirablue
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
in-english,
read-in-2012
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I read this book quite a while ago but I found it very funny at the time and I found that she touched very close to describing certain politicians of the time. I could picture exactly who she was talking about and it was so true especially as she managed to rip off their characters and make them look so comical. Very well executed...
amusing, definitely worth reading, its British but even though I am an egocentric american (aren't we all) it's not hard to relate (out of touch politicians, poverty, marginalized elderly and children... sounds familiar). Might have ranked it higher if I hadn't just read The White Tiger and Everything is Illuminated, those are some tough acts to follow
Seems to be more of a rant than a book, tossed in with unnecessary cross-dressing elements and other perversions.
Author rags on the injustices and corruption of modern UK, particularly the disconnect between politicians and people. I don't entirely disagree with the assessment.
Author rags on the injustices and corruption of modern UK, particularly the disconnect between politicians and people. I don't entirely disagree with the assessment.
Aug 19, 2007
Brownie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
any avid reader
I love Sue Townsend's humorous accounts of the pimply Adrian Mole in her diary series and knew I wouldn't pass up the chance to read Number 10- a novel, when it came out. Being a big fan of the Brits capacity for dry wit and humour, I wasn't disappointed because this is Brit humour at one of its best.
Number 10 is a sort of satirical look at the politicians and thier relationship (or the lack of it) with the general public, sensationalized headlines, social neglect along with its stereotyped ima...more
Number 10 is a sort of satirical look at the politicians and thier relationship (or the lack of it) with the general public, sensationalized headlines, social neglect along with its stereotyped ima...more
Townsend is a great comic writer and this book doesn't disappoint with much classic farce. The story is a little far fetched but between the lines there's obviously some fun being had at the expense of a recent inhabitant at No. 10. which is the most enjoyable part.
It was a silly novel about a cross-dressing prime minster and his mental wife. The PM sets out to find out why the electorate is turning against him while his wife, who is not taking her pills, goes on every talk show spouting utter nonsense. A waste of time
It has it's ups and downs and you get upset simply by following the life of Edward Clare as he goes undercover as Edwina to know what his people really lack- everything is a reality check for him and it makes you wonder when the book will end.
Witty satirical take on the demise of New Labour and PM Edward Clare, chancellor Malcolm Black and the PM's press advisorv Alexander McPherson. Easy to read and fun to spot the thinly disguised real-life characters beneath the satire.
Aug 09, 2011
Denise
added it
Fantastic Sue Townsend, again another cracker. This is so funny, and the people are very true to form. I'm surprised she hasn't been done for treason or something similar yet. Amazing wit and insight
Jul 30, 2011
Rachel
added it
Quite entertaining though couldn't say I liked it more than the Adrian Mole books. It's a bit of a grim read in some ways. Life in Britain....hmmmm.
An amusing tale of a new labour prime minister who goes undercover as a woman to get in touch with his people.
True to life and politically correct ;)
True to life and politically correct ;)
Sharp analysis of New Labour's first term but pretty much pointing out what we all knew anyway - and thinking itself more clever than it actually is.
A bit lame in general but some really funny comparisions to everyday British life. Worth reading for everyone who lived in England for a while...
Clearly based on the Blair family while at number 10. Far too much swearing, is it really necessary to swear continuously for a couple of lines?
let hanging towards the end, didn't like the ending and was left confused in some parts of the books but a good social commentary i think.
This book was a real let down. If you have liked other Townsend books or if you've never read anything by her before leave this one on the shelf. It's a good concept but poorly done. It doesn't even read as though anyone bothered to proof read this book. Avoid at all costs.
Having read The Queen and I, I was expecting great funny moments from this book, a few but big as many as ones before! Interesting read from a what if point if view.
Great read. Tried to be as brilliant as 'The Queen and I' and just falls short.
Expected something better; weak plot and not well written either
February 2005
Too depressing, not my kind of humour at all...
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Goodreads Librari...: Missing page count - Number 10 | 2 | 14 | Sep 02, 2012 10:47am |
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Susan Lillian "Sue" Townsend is a British novelist, best known as the author of the Adrian Mole series of books. Her writing tends to combine comedy with social commentary, though she has written purely dramatic works as well. She has suffered from diabetes for many years, a...more
More about Sue Townsend...
Susan Lillian "Sue" Townsend is a British novelist, best known as the author of the Adrian Mole series of books. Her writing tends to combine comedy with social commentary, though she has written purely dramatic works as well. She has suffered from diabetes for many years, a...more
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