Utterly Monkey: A Novel (P.S.)
by Nick Laird
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 151)
Read in November, 2006
I really enjoyed this book because it mixed good writing with realism -- which makes it nice to read. It's about two guys who grew up together in Northern Ireland, one of whom moved to London and made good and the other one who's a small-time criminal fleeing from the head guy he'd been dealing with (whose sister he sleeps with and is accidentally in love with). Of course Geordie's past catches up with them, but in the meantime Geordie and Danny have to work through the tensions between them (in...more
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Read in July, 2007
he's married to Zadie Smith, which is part of what got this book noticed when it came out, but despite the awkward phrases strewn throughout the book like carelessly-placed landmines and the baldly autobiographical storyline (young Irish lawyer living in London falls in love with striking black woman WHERE DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT ONE NICK), this actually is a very good first novel. Laird's verbal missteps are the exceptions that prove the rule that yes, he is a good writer, and the ever-presen...more
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Read in February, 2008
Picked this up off the bargain shelf at a local bookstore and was pleasantly surprised, not knowing anything about it. A well crafted story about the waining but still lingering effects of "The Troubles" on two men who were childhood friends in Northern Ireland. One has moved on to London and a successful if tedious career, while the other is on the run seeking sanctuary. The politics are told from the Unionist point of view, which seems to be somewhat of a rarity in most of the lite...more
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This book was much longer than necessary. As I read it, I felt like it was a long journal kept by Danny Williams, going into every detail of the life he hates. Danny had much to complain about his job, friends, romance, etc. While reading it, I felt bad for this Danny character but it got kind of annoying at times. I don't feel that this is a book that requires much digging into but that might also be the reason why I didn't like it it that much. Overall, I would say this book is mediocre; there...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in February, 2008
A good, easy read. It only gets 3 stars from me, because even though the character development is okay, the way the story is told is not as bold as the story-line dictates it should be. I found it difficult in some places to even visualize what was happening in the story, which is usually not a problem for me. It was a worthwhile read, and an overall good book, I just think it could have been better. Note: If British or Northern Irish slang terms bother you or hamper your reading experience,...more
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Read in March, 2008
Mixed reviews from my book group on this but I loved it! Modern day story of two former childhood friends who had weathered tough times in Northern Ireland together , reunited in London for some unexpected adventures. It was farcical at times; laugh-out-loud funny descriptions of office life appealed to me. Some interesting insights into life in Northern Ireland in these relative "peaceful" days & reconciling that with the past.
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
no one really.
this was one of the first books in my mission to read all the billions of advanced readers copies i got for free when i was working at borders. not so into it. the only good thing i can say about it is that at least it was quick. the storyline was predictable and never really kicked in. i am now inclines to believe the reviews that say the only reason this book was published at all is that the author is zadie smiths husband.
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Read in October, 2006
Like many others, I suspect, I read this book because I was so damn curious about this man Zadie Smith married. And you know, I was pleasantly surprised. The book's a fun and fast-paced read, with a few good insights into the psyche of the British lad with regard to women and friendships. I'm eager to check out Laird's poetry...
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Amusing book for an easy afternoon read. The only thing that was unexpected was how absolutely predictable the plot was. However, it is about an Irish attorney and has "monkey" in the title. That has to be worth something, right?
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Read in January, 2008
Pretty decent read. Lost my interest a little at the end, but I finished 'er off because I only had 30 or so pages left to go. In his acknowledgements though he thanks Zadie. Zadie Smith perhaps?
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i read this cos the author is zadie smith's husband. book is quite generific, about some sort of corporate worker who decides it's all not for him. also involves gangsters, as i remember.
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He's married to Zadie Smith and he already has a collection of poems out. Then he writes this book! It is funny and enjoyable like watching a fun fast well-made movie. Utterly monkey!
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in September, 2007
It was a little slow at the beginning but turned out to not be too bad. I could see it being confusing if you aren't well versed in British slang though.
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Utterly Monkey is famous in our house for likening the first sip of a pint of guinness to taking a bite of wedding cake.
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Read in November, 2006
Despite a great title and promising premise, ended up being just an okay book with a lot of British slang thrown in for fun.
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A quick and entertaining read ala Bright Lights, Big City, but it's impossible to forget that he's Zadie Smith's husband.
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This guy sure can concoct a beautiful phrase but the plot and characters don't really live up to that
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good title-but i didn't get too absorbed by the book. his poems are really nice.
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Read in January, 2008
Good trashy Irish stuff. I laughed out loud.
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