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181st out of 1,665 books
—
2,421 voters
Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About
Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About concerns a guy named Pel who lives with his German girlfriend, Ursula. Pel leads an uneventful life—quietly bluffing his way through his job and discovering new things to argue about with Ursula. But when his boss mysteriously disappears, Pel steps innocently into his shoes and his life spirals out of control in a chaotic whirl...more
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
January 14th 2003
by Villard
(first published January 1st 2003)
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I LOVED this book. In fact, there were parts where I would be laughing so hard that I'd have to stop reading, compose myself and then read it to my husband, who was sitting next to me wondering if I had lost my mind. He read it also and would agree - this is an amazingly good/quick/fun read.
I quite enjoyed this book, though be warned: if you care about plot, this is not a book for you. The book does make some vague effort to come up with an interesting plot for the story to follow, but this book is really about providing opportunities for Mil Millington to provide the reader with funny insights about relationships and, sometimes, the world in general. Mostly about relationships, though. Millington is genuinely funny, and he keeps it up throughout the book, making this one heck of a...more
May 30, 2008
Brian
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone looking for the male version of chick lit.
Recommended to Brian by:
a google search for the male version of chick lit.
Shelves:
own
I was going to Florida and knew that I'd have a lot of time to sit on the beach and read. So I went on a book hunt.
The best summer reading, in my opinion, is smart, funny, original fiction. Unfortunately, I've found that the bulk of books fitting this description are written by women and directed primarily at women. If I were a member of that group, I'd find it fascinating to read about various relationships and their quirky intersection with career advancement. Or whatever. Chick lit.
This is pr...more
The best summer reading, in my opinion, is smart, funny, original fiction. Unfortunately, I've found that the bulk of books fitting this description are written by women and directed primarily at women. If I were a member of that group, I'd find it fascinating to read about various relationships and their quirky intersection with career advancement. Or whatever. Chick lit.
This is pr...more
I really wanted to like this book. I wanted it to be witty and funny and everything else I thought I would get from the title. Unfortunately, I found that his "zingers" sometimes got in the way of the flow. He'd try to throw something fast moving dialogue in, but the insults were distracting and contrived...and I found that I often had to re-read pages just to remember what was going on in the story line.
The plot became stronger towards the end, but at that point, I just didn't care anymore.
The plot became stronger towards the end, but at that point, I just didn't care anymore.
This is an excellent book, and the one I chose to make me laugh after another novel failed to do the job.
I was not disappointed.
This book made me laugh out loud, and I read it very quickly, because it was so fast paced, and managed to make even the mundane portions of the character's lives deeply entertaining.
The plot seems to have bothered other reviewers, but I actually found it very good. MAD, but good. The way things escalate is believable, in a totally insane way, and had the book had a sl...more
I was not disappointed.
This book made me laugh out loud, and I read it very quickly, because it was so fast paced, and managed to make even the mundane portions of the character's lives deeply entertaining.
The plot seems to have bothered other reviewers, but I actually found it very good. MAD, but good. The way things escalate is believable, in a totally insane way, and had the book had a sl...more
This is an excellent example of why not to try to turn a funny website into a hopefully funny novel with plot imposed on it. Ugh. Can't do it. I'm taking it back to the library.
You're better off just looking at his website, which is hilarious. Trying to expand that content into a full-fledged novel with fictionalized versions of himself and his German girlfriend was a mistake because, amazingly enough, he can't seem to make himself or her seem likable or sympathetic, or make their real relationship seem worth preserving. The plot is just an asinine and ridiculous structure on which to hang unfunny anecdotes.
Apr 02, 2008
Nick
added it
After finding the author's website http://www.milmillington.com and not being able to stop reading or laughing, I was dying to get my paws on this book. What a disappointment! Nothing like the brilliant website at all. A rather dull novel, with little of the "arguments" that make the website so funny. Not a bad book, but nothing special either. It was marginally better than having my eye jabbed with a sharp stick.
2 likes · like · see review
Oh my god, Mil Millington is devastatingly hilarious. I honestly don't remember ever laughing this hard -- out loud! -- and this often during a book.
Starting from the terrific and relatable title (I'm pretty sure my boyfriend writes a book with this title, furiously, in his head every day), this book is hysterical and fast-moving and so very, divinely British. I hardly even want to talk about it because -- luckily for me -- I pulled it randomly off the shelf at a used book store and didn't know...more
Starting from the terrific and relatable title (I'm pretty sure my boyfriend writes a book with this title, furiously, in his head every day), this book is hysterical and fast-moving and so very, divinely British. I hardly even want to talk about it because -- luckily for me -- I pulled it randomly off the shelf at a used book store and didn't know...more
3 likes · like · see review
Jul 18, 2007
Brittanie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Comedy readers
Shelves:
adult-realistic-fiction
This was a surprising and highly entertaining read. I grabbed it on my way to a 16 hour flight from Finland back to the US and didn't see anything else worthwhile in English. First off, this book is HILARIOUS and, though I couldn't relate to any of the situations or characters, it was easy to go from cover to cover in no time. I finished the book on that plane.
This book I read aloud to my husband, and it often had both of us in tears from laughing so much. Partly for the well written humor and commentary on relationships, and partly because we related to a lot of the arguments had by Pel and Ursula.
In the story Pel has to deal with missing colleagues, paying off illegal deals, and stepping into increasingly larger shoes as more and more work is foisted off on him. Ursula and his kids make things at home similarly wacky and stressful as they deal with...more
In the story Pel has to deal with missing colleagues, paying off illegal deals, and stepping into increasingly larger shoes as more and more work is foisted off on him. Ursula and his kids make things at home similarly wacky and stressful as they deal with...more
this is one of my favorite books of the last five years or so. dry as a bone british humor, reeking with sarcasm and cheekiness. to give credit where credit is due, the non-literary boyfriend recommended this one, and for once, he was on to something!
i love the part where the main character, pel, is called in to his son's church of england school because the kid's been attempting to convert his classmates to atheism and the principal asks pel to "do something about it." pel responds with somethi...more
i love the part where the main character, pel, is called in to his son's church of england school because the kid's been attempting to convert his classmates to atheism and the principal asks pel to "do something about it." pel responds with somethi...more
OK, so it doesn't have the most stellar plot in the world. It really doesn't need to - the plot simply serves as a device for Mil Millington to vent, and when he unleashes his thesaurus-busting litany of sarcastic, terminal-underdog wit, particularly in relation to his eponymous other half, it's a hell of a fun ride.
Actually didn't finish. Had seen the author compared to one I like, so picked up this book. Trying too hard to be clever in my opinion. Pop culture references seemed forced rather than a natural part of the story. Didn't like the characters. Read about half of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90l6Xr...
I never read the internet site this was based on, only the book. However, now I am aware of it, it sort of make me more aware of the books problems.
The main character, Pel, is an okay protagonist, although if you ask me to discribe him, I couldn't honestly recall his character much. His girlfriend, Ursula, is german and funny, although she is oddly not really explored. It would have been nice to see a few chapters from her perspective.
The plot is lame and...more
I never read the internet site this was based on, only the book. However, now I am aware of it, it sort of make me more aware of the books problems.
The main character, Pel, is an okay protagonist, although if you ask me to discribe him, I couldn't honestly recall his character much. His girlfriend, Ursula, is german and funny, although she is oddly not really explored. It would have been nice to see a few chapters from her perspective.
The plot is lame and...more
This is a book that made me laff out loud several times! Sadly, there was no one in the house to collar and read passages to except the cat, who tolerated the frequent nap-interruptions.
If you can get past the question of "Why would anyone want to stay with a woman who is obviously an insane demon from hell?" then you will a) be highly tolerant of the use of hyperbole, and b) enjoy the madcap antics of this dysfunctional household.
So, why did it work for me?
* I like Brit-humor.
* Mil Millington...more
If you can get past the question of "Why would anyone want to stay with a woman who is obviously an insane demon from hell?" then you will a) be highly tolerant of the use of hyperbole, and b) enjoy the madcap antics of this dysfunctional household.
So, why did it work for me?
* I like Brit-humor.
* Mil Millington...more
Pel and his German girlfriend Ursula live in a terrible neighborhood, have two young sons, and argue about some very pedestrian things. Pel never wins these arguments. Pel's supervisor quits and Pel gradually starts taking on increasingly superior supervisory positions, each of which puts him more and more out of touch with his comfort zone and sense of reality. Soon he's having dealings with the Chinese mafia, running in-service days, and trading snarky comments with librarians. And Ursula expe...more
This book doesn't get the full points for the story (as that's kind of weak), but for recognition and for a language full of irony and sarcasm - and for many laughs. Especially of you worked in IT or know someone who did, and especially if you have experienced or observed multicultural relationships. Or any relationship for that matter. Appreciated it even more second time (or third?) I read it as I now have experience from living in Germany myself, and know and recognise many of the situations...more
The overall plot of this book is supposed to have something to do with his boss getting kidnapped by international mafiosi or something like that, but I haven't found anything like that. I've found a lot of yadda-yadda and, well, arguing with his girlfriend. Which I suppose I should have foreseen, what with the title and all. Anyway, I got to page 75 or so and just didn't care.
My original notes still hold:
"Picked this up on a whim at a used bookstore a long time ago. The story jumps around in...more
My original notes still hold:
"Picked this up on a whim at a used bookstore a long time ago. The story jumps around in...more
A mixed bag: what's not to love about a guy who rises to the top of the library staff at a British university by bluffing his way through troubleshooting the computers at the library's student help center? Yes, at his university they even play the odds on how many students per day will forget to save their work. On the other hand, the guy's constant arguments with his girlfriend are a smoothly polished comic routine. Rancorous and witty? Yes, but they obscure whatever connection might keep this...more
As my friend who recommended this book to me pointed out, this book isn't long on plot, but it makes up for it in the humorous commentary of the narrator, Pel. The book is set in the northeast of England, so I had a personal connection already since that is where my husband is from. The protagonist, Pel, works in a college library there and the book centers on his contentious relationship with his horrid girlfriend Ursula and his new job at the university library. As I said, the plot is unimport...more
I find some of trends in contemporary British literature to be sort of depressing, despite the sense of humour. However—and however much I failed to identify with the main character—I enjoyed this book. I didn’t find out about this dude and book the way most people did, i.e. through the website of the same title or at a bookstore, but through The Weekly, in which the author was (is?) involved, and which I admire to nearly no end anywhere. I was meaning to read the book for a long time, and then...more
There definitely is a plot tucked away there inside this book. It just takes a while to find. Mil Millington is a columnist for the Guardian. This is his first novel, an "anti-romantic-comedy", which tells the story of British Pel Dalton, put-upon university IT support worker and his German girlfriend Ursula. Their bickering can be both incredibly funny, and incredibly exhausting, but this is part of what keeps them together. Add to this mix, their two sons, Chinese gangs, nasty biochemical wea...more
hilarious nonsense - if you don't like it 40 pages in then just stop reading.
I agree with the reviewer that called this book "chick lit for men." I don't consider that a bad thing. I loved this book. LOVED IT.
The back cover material is stretching it a bit to say that there's a "thriller" plot--or any plot at all, really. The missing money, disappearing bosses, and Chinese mafiosi ideas get lost about halfway through. However, the narrator's ongoing battles with his girlfriend were SO DAMN FUNNY I didn't care.
It gets five stars for making me laugh so hard for so long tha...more
The back cover material is stretching it a bit to say that there's a "thriller" plot--or any plot at all, really. The missing money, disappearing bosses, and Chinese mafiosi ideas get lost about halfway through. However, the narrator's ongoing battles with his girlfriend were SO DAMN FUNNY I didn't care.
It gets five stars for making me laugh so hard for so long tha...more
I was very disappointed in this book. A long-time follower of the cult website that preceded the book, www.thingsmygirlfriendandihaveargueda..., I was hoping for a lot more humour and a lot fewer silly plot turns. I have read A Certain Chemistry, a more recent novel by Millington, which I found much funnier (at least in the first half), but both books are somewhat crippled by having a main character with little appeal, whose self-deprecating narration only serves to make the reader wonder just h...more
This is the kind of book you probably absolutely love or simply hate. I wanted very much to be in the first group but already a few pages in I suspected it wasn't for me. I kept at it, hoping it would improve, but it didn't. Basically, if you find the author as witty, snarky, and clever as he obviously considers himself to be, then you'll enjoy this book. If not, then sadly there is very little going on in the plot and character-development departments to distract from his never-ending supposedl...more
1 like · like · see review
Painfully hilarious at various points. I first came across the original (a long list on Mil Millington's website), which quickly became one of those things where the humor accumulates till the person sitting on the other side of the room demands to know why you're rolling on the floor and all you can do is gasp, wheeze and point at the screen, only to see a look of "Is that it?"
Anyway, the book holds true to this, but is not - in case you were wondering - a reiterated list, but instead a sort of...more
Anyway, the book holds true to this, but is not - in case you were wondering - a reiterated list, but instead a sort of...more
En castellano editado por Alfaguara pero nadie lo ha incluido, cuando encuentre mi edición lo haré.
Sinopsis:
Pel Dalton no sabe de ordenadores, trabaja como supervisor del equipo informático de una biblioteca universitaria, y es feliz cuando puede pasarse horas jugando con el mando a distancia del coche.
Su vida sería perfecta si no fuera porque tiene una novia alemana: Ursula Krötenjäger es atractiva e inteligente, trabajadora, buena madre, eficiente, muy eficiente... y la única mujer en toda Ing...more
Sinopsis:
Pel Dalton no sabe de ordenadores, trabaja como supervisor del equipo informático de una biblioteca universitaria, y es feliz cuando puede pasarse horas jugando con el mando a distancia del coche.
Su vida sería perfecta si no fuera porque tiene una novia alemana: Ursula Krötenjäger es atractiva e inteligente, trabajadora, buena madre, eficiente, muy eficiente... y la única mujer en toda Ing...more
If you want a funny laugh-out-loud book - this is definately it! I was chuckling and laughing out loud within the first two pages. I'm not sure whether this book had extra appeal to me because firstly the character works in an academic library as I do, so I understood the "in-jokes" - many of which the author hit on perfectly - ie "Appointing a non-librarian as the Learning Centre Manager. It's sure to be an issue with the librarians in the Learning Centre. They'll march through the streets , ov...more
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Mil Millington is a British author of humorous books. He first came to public prominence as a writer when he created a web-site entitled "Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About. The site's main content was (and remains) anecdotes describing arguments and misunderstandings between Mil and his German girlfriend Margret, mother of his two sons. The site was hosted on Wolverhampton University's...more
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“No, no, no, no, no. Sex should not be fun, okay? Sex can be lots of things - thrilling, romantic, scary, mindless, dirty, dangerous, frantic, forbidden, freaky - but if you're finding it 'fun,' you're doing it wrong.”
—
5 people liked it
“All real estate agents should be put on a decommissioned naval frigate which is then towed out into the deepest part of the Atlantic and sunk. It's rather unfortunate that, in recent years, real estate agents have become comedy betes-noires. Rather like lawyers or used car salesmen. Every time they mention their job they probably get people amusingly making the sign of the cross at them or are subjected to some good-natured, humorous ribbing. This has the effect of distorting what I'm trying to say here, which isn't in the nature of a smiling roll of the eyes and a "Tsk, real estate agents, eh?" but rather "All real estate agents should be put on a decommissioned naval frigate which is then towed out into the deepest part of the Atlantic and sunk.”
—
3 people liked it
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Hey Brian,
I was just reading your review...I think a couple authors you should check out for "lad lit" should be Christopher Moore - Dirty Job and Fl...more
Jun 10, 2008 03:25pm