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A is for Angelica
'My life is different now. I don't go to work. I don't have an office. I stay at home, hide behind curtains and make notes. I wait for something to happen.'
Gordon Kingdom struggles with the fate of his seriously-ill wife while patiently observing and methodically recording the lives of those around him: his neighbours.
He has files on them all, including:
-Don Donald (best friend and petty thief)
-Annie Carnaffan (lives next door, throws footballs over the fence)
-Benny (the boy who paints with his eyes closed).
And then there's Angelica, the new girl (42) on the street, with her multi-coloured toenails and her filthy temper. It's when she arrives that Gordon's world of half-truths really begins to unravel.
Faced with a series of unexpected events and a faltering conscience, he's left with an impossible decision. Because in the banality of everyday life, what would you do if the unthinkable happened?
Gordon Kingdom struggles with the fate of his seriously-ill wife while patiently observing and methodically recording the lives of those around him: his neighbours.
He has files on them all, including:
-Don Donald (best friend and petty thief)
-Annie Carnaffan (lives next door, throws footballs over the fence)
-Benny (the boy who paints with his eyes closed).
And then there's Angelica, the new girl (42) on the street, with her multi-coloured toenails and her filthy temper. It's when she arrives that Gordon's world of half-truths really begins to unravel.
Faced with a series of unexpected events and a faltering conscience, he's left with an impossible decision. Because in the banality of everyday life, what would you do if the unthinkable happened?
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2012
6 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
About the author
Iain Broome
3 books47 followersIain Broome is the author of the novel, A is for Angelica.
A graduate of Sheffield Hallam’s MA Writing programme, he has edited literary magazines, co-run a successful monthly spoken word event and currently maintains a popular website and podcast about writing, reading and publishing.
Iain lives in Sheffield with his wife and identical twin boys.
A graduate of Sheffield Hallam’s MA Writing programme, he has edited literary magazines, co-run a successful monthly spoken word event and currently maintains a popular website and podcast about writing, reading and publishing.
Iain lives in Sheffield with his wife and identical twin boys.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 16, 2012
Oh dear lord, what a sad, tragic tale of loss and grief and the achingly slow descent into madness. And how funny it is.
Gordon Kingdom is fifty-two. He’s left his dreary job to look after Georgina, his wife, who is bed-ridden and incapacitated after a stroke. Gordon hasn’t told the doctor about his wife, making the choice to ignore reality even as it’s hitting him in the face with a spade, because he and Georgina have a pre-prepared plan, a system for her care, he knows he can look after her better himself. He spends his days observing his neighbours, keeping notes on the details of their lives, keeping watch through the day and night. Then Angelica moves in across the road and Gordon’s obsession with his neighbours becomes Angelica-centric - and begins to deepen.
At times I was reminded of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time in Gordon’s language and thoughts, his almost autistic attention to detail and the obsessive way he now deals with every tiny facet of his always-small and now fast-shrinking life. There are echoes of The Roundabout Man and Harold Fry, too, but A is for Angelica lacks the sweetness that lifted those stories out of depression and into melancholy. Iain Broome uses dark humour in place of sentiment to diffuse the tension and it works well, it feels real. His style is sparse and spare, he sticks to the point, the plot never wanders unnecessarily. There’s a wealth of beautiful detail but it never gets in the way of the story:
‘She sits and crochets in the light from her television. Its colours always changing.’
‘There’s a puddle on the floor and a hole in the roof. The wood is rotting and coated with moss. Along the wall is a line of nails. Some have tools hanging from them, other just shapes of tools drawn round with a felt tip pen. There’s a hammer where a spanner should be.’
A is for Angelica is a surprisingly compelling page-turner; a fast read and terrifically told but terribly depressing. I couldn’t decide if it was darkly comically tragically funny or comically dark and tragic. I feel the latter is most apposite, though I did laugh – sometimes out-loud – there are some wonderfully comic moments, but I cried more.
The end was inevitable but no less moving for all that and I suspect the tragedy doesn’t end with the final page. And was it just me, or was Angelica a terrifically annoying person? I used to know someone just like her. I know if I were Gordon, I’d have made sure my doors were always locked and kept my distance.
Gordon Kingdom is fifty-two. He’s left his dreary job to look after Georgina, his wife, who is bed-ridden and incapacitated after a stroke. Gordon hasn’t told the doctor about his wife, making the choice to ignore reality even as it’s hitting him in the face with a spade, because he and Georgina have a pre-prepared plan, a system for her care, he knows he can look after her better himself. He spends his days observing his neighbours, keeping notes on the details of their lives, keeping watch through the day and night. Then Angelica moves in across the road and Gordon’s obsession with his neighbours becomes Angelica-centric - and begins to deepen.
At times I was reminded of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time in Gordon’s language and thoughts, his almost autistic attention to detail and the obsessive way he now deals with every tiny facet of his always-small and now fast-shrinking life. There are echoes of The Roundabout Man and Harold Fry, too, but A is for Angelica lacks the sweetness that lifted those stories out of depression and into melancholy. Iain Broome uses dark humour in place of sentiment to diffuse the tension and it works well, it feels real. His style is sparse and spare, he sticks to the point, the plot never wanders unnecessarily. There’s a wealth of beautiful detail but it never gets in the way of the story:
‘She sits and crochets in the light from her television. Its colours always changing.’
‘There’s a puddle on the floor and a hole in the roof. The wood is rotting and coated with moss. Along the wall is a line of nails. Some have tools hanging from them, other just shapes of tools drawn round with a felt tip pen. There’s a hammer where a spanner should be.’
A is for Angelica is a surprisingly compelling page-turner; a fast read and terrifically told but terribly depressing. I couldn’t decide if it was darkly comically tragically funny or comically dark and tragic. I feel the latter is most apposite, though I did laugh – sometimes out-loud – there are some wonderfully comic moments, but I cried more.
The end was inevitable but no less moving for all that and I suspect the tragedy doesn’t end with the final page. And was it just me, or was Angelica a terrifically annoying person? I used to know someone just like her. I know if I were Gordon, I’d have made sure my doors were always locked and kept my distance.
August 26, 2012
'I stay at home, hide behind curtains and make notes. I wait for something to happen.'
Gordon Kingdom watches the happenings on Cressington Vale, a street in a northern town, where he lives with his wife Georgina and dog Kipling. He keeps files of notes and his observations about the lives of those on the opposite side of the street. His wife has suffered two strokes, the first of which happened eighteen months ago, and he patiently cares for her at home, trying to cope, to continue some sort of existence, so lonely and so sad. No longer working outside the home, and with no children, Gordon records what he sees outside from his concealed viewpoint upstairs, in the house they've shared throughout their married life. There are several characters we meet, all seen through Gordon's eyes; there's Benny, who paints at night with his eyes closed, there's Gordon's best friend Don, and the new lady who moves into the street, Angelica. Gordon recalls how he started observing the little world in miniature around him:
'I found myself sitting by the window for hours on end, surveying the street. Letting the world drift past. Taking my mind off things. I watched my neighbours and got to know them better than I ever had before. Their changes in behaviour. Their simplest of movements. Their finest of details.'
He rarely encounters some of the people he keeps his files on in fact, until the arrival of Angelica, when things start to change. Gordon rarely sees his parents now. As he sits and thinks, Gordon also recalls times from his past, times shared with Georgina, and their parents. These events are sometimes happy, often rather tinged with sadness though. One of my favourite sections was the chapter entitled 'Umbrage', in which Gordon recalls a memory from just under a couple of years ago, when it was Georgina's birthday and they went to the coast. It's a lovely, happy recollection amidst the more troubled and unhappy thoughts that often dominate the moments he looks back on.
This is Iain Broome's debut novel, and it's a well written, emotional and thoughtful book with a story that flows well throughout. The novel is composed of short chapters, each with a relevant title that takes us through the alphabet, from Angelica, then Benny, to Birthdays and then Cressington Vale, and so on. This makes for a fairly quick read, though this is an emotional rather than eventful plot, and it's all delivered through Gordon as the first person narrator throughout, so we are intensely involved with his life. The author depicts the intense sadness and at times despondency present in Gordon's current way of life as a carer for Georgina, yet he manages at times to inject an element of humour into some of Gordon's encounters that I felt was very real, I could imagine someone like Gordon saying some of things he says, and doing some of the things he does. One example is when Georgina suffers her first stroke, during a neighbourhood watch meeting arranged by Gordon. The attendees are discussing the spate of milk thefts, and allocating shifts for keeping a look out. Even after what happens next, Gordon still remembers to remind Don about his shift. This sort of mundanity in the face of tragedy appears both surprising and yet likely too; trying to keep a hold of the small things.
The reader observes Gordon and is made to think about him and his unconventional behaviour, just as he watches those around him. At times it felt painful for me to be present with Gordon and party to his thoughts, and it is difficult when he can't admit the truth about his situation to himself, never mind to anyone else. He is determined to persist with his way of thinking; the alternative seems too painful, too much to contemplate. I found this a moving read that made me think. It captures the quiet sadness and loneliness that envelopes many lives, the spark of interest that someone new can inject. Sometimes Gordon's behaviour angered me and I questioned his choices, with him leaving me feeling both sympathetic towards him and at other times disbelieving; hence the story makes you think - what would you do?
A is for Angelica is about love, fear, the small things that make up a life, and the huge things that can suddenly change a life forever. It is made up of poignant observations, reminiscences, memories of the past and thorough scrutiny of the present. Contained in these pages there is sadness, grief and loss, the mundane and everyday occurences in a random life, not without some dark humour, and certainly offering us some truths. I look forward to seeing what this writer does next.
Gordon Kingdom watches the happenings on Cressington Vale, a street in a northern town, where he lives with his wife Georgina and dog Kipling. He keeps files of notes and his observations about the lives of those on the opposite side of the street. His wife has suffered two strokes, the first of which happened eighteen months ago, and he patiently cares for her at home, trying to cope, to continue some sort of existence, so lonely and so sad. No longer working outside the home, and with no children, Gordon records what he sees outside from his concealed viewpoint upstairs, in the house they've shared throughout their married life. There are several characters we meet, all seen through Gordon's eyes; there's Benny, who paints at night with his eyes closed, there's Gordon's best friend Don, and the new lady who moves into the street, Angelica. Gordon recalls how he started observing the little world in miniature around him:
'I found myself sitting by the window for hours on end, surveying the street. Letting the world drift past. Taking my mind off things. I watched my neighbours and got to know them better than I ever had before. Their changes in behaviour. Their simplest of movements. Their finest of details.'
He rarely encounters some of the people he keeps his files on in fact, until the arrival of Angelica, when things start to change. Gordon rarely sees his parents now. As he sits and thinks, Gordon also recalls times from his past, times shared with Georgina, and their parents. These events are sometimes happy, often rather tinged with sadness though. One of my favourite sections was the chapter entitled 'Umbrage', in which Gordon recalls a memory from just under a couple of years ago, when it was Georgina's birthday and they went to the coast. It's a lovely, happy recollection amidst the more troubled and unhappy thoughts that often dominate the moments he looks back on.
This is Iain Broome's debut novel, and it's a well written, emotional and thoughtful book with a story that flows well throughout. The novel is composed of short chapters, each with a relevant title that takes us through the alphabet, from Angelica, then Benny, to Birthdays and then Cressington Vale, and so on. This makes for a fairly quick read, though this is an emotional rather than eventful plot, and it's all delivered through Gordon as the first person narrator throughout, so we are intensely involved with his life. The author depicts the intense sadness and at times despondency present in Gordon's current way of life as a carer for Georgina, yet he manages at times to inject an element of humour into some of Gordon's encounters that I felt was very real, I could imagine someone like Gordon saying some of things he says, and doing some of the things he does. One example is when Georgina suffers her first stroke, during a neighbourhood watch meeting arranged by Gordon. The attendees are discussing the spate of milk thefts, and allocating shifts for keeping a look out. Even after what happens next, Gordon still remembers to remind Don about his shift. This sort of mundanity in the face of tragedy appears both surprising and yet likely too; trying to keep a hold of the small things.
The reader observes Gordon and is made to think about him and his unconventional behaviour, just as he watches those around him. At times it felt painful for me to be present with Gordon and party to his thoughts, and it is difficult when he can't admit the truth about his situation to himself, never mind to anyone else. He is determined to persist with his way of thinking; the alternative seems too painful, too much to contemplate. I found this a moving read that made me think. It captures the quiet sadness and loneliness that envelopes many lives, the spark of interest that someone new can inject. Sometimes Gordon's behaviour angered me and I questioned his choices, with him leaving me feeling both sympathetic towards him and at other times disbelieving; hence the story makes you think - what would you do?
A is for Angelica is about love, fear, the small things that make up a life, and the huge things that can suddenly change a life forever. It is made up of poignant observations, reminiscences, memories of the past and thorough scrutiny of the present. Contained in these pages there is sadness, grief and loss, the mundane and everyday occurences in a random life, not without some dark humour, and certainly offering us some truths. I look forward to seeing what this writer does next.
April 2, 2014
This accomplished and haunting first novel tells of middle-aged Gordon Kingdom who lives an ordinary life on an ordinary street with his much-loved wife Georgina and dog Kipling. But his routine existence is thrown into disarray when illness presents him with a situation that is beyond his capabilities, try as he might to do the right thing. I don’t want to go into the plot any more than that, because one of this fantastic novel’s greatest strengths is the controlled way that Broome gradually reveals to the reader exactly what’s going on in Gordon’s head and life. Deftly plotted, this original and deeply moving portrait of a quietly desperate man, an unreliable narrator par excellence, is powerful and heart-breaking. With some dark humour and much compassion, this is quite simply a wonderful book, which will remain with me for a long time.
December 4, 2013
Gordon Kingdom lives in Cressington Vale, a perfectly suburban, uncontroversial and terribly middle class street whose various characters waltz through their daily routines and, in the main, lead highly predictable lives. Apart, perhaps, from Benny the boy across the road, who between the hours of 1 and 2am every morning settles down in his bedroom to paint with his eyes closed. We know this because, whilst caring for his seriously ill wife Georgina, Gordon spends his days peeping around his curtains and making detailed notes on his neighbours’ habits. Using his meticulously organised files on people to bring order to a life thrown into complete chaos by his wife’s second stroke, Gordon is a narrator of many colours; sometimes pitiable, often unwittingly amusing as he details the life and times of their aging dog Kipling, lonely bachelor Don Donald and who could forget A, for Angelica. An attractive, foul-mouthed and multi-coloured new friend who inadvertently pushes Gordon’s secretive life in an entirely new direction.
It is a wonderful thing to invest yourself in a novel without any preconceptions, which, despite our best efforts, inevitably colour our opinions. I found the domesticity and sheer ‘Britishness’ of Broome’s surprisingly dark story to be incredibly comforting (a little like Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand) and I found myself feeling highly protective of Gordon and his little world, where it could be all too easy to criticise his actions. Broome’s suburbia is awash with charming, unique characters and I found his subtlety and balance between the comedic and tragic aspects of the book to be quite astonishing considering the fact that this is, after all, his debut novel. Although I try and avoid making too many grandiose statements…could we perhaps have another Mark Haddon on our hands?
http://relishreads.wordpress.com/2013...
It is a wonderful thing to invest yourself in a novel without any preconceptions, which, despite our best efforts, inevitably colour our opinions. I found the domesticity and sheer ‘Britishness’ of Broome’s surprisingly dark story to be incredibly comforting (a little like Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand) and I found myself feeling highly protective of Gordon and his little world, where it could be all too easy to criticise his actions. Broome’s suburbia is awash with charming, unique characters and I found his subtlety and balance between the comedic and tragic aspects of the book to be quite astonishing considering the fact that this is, after all, his debut novel. Although I try and avoid making too many grandiose statements…could we perhaps have another Mark Haddon on our hands?
http://relishreads.wordpress.com/2013...
October 5, 2012
This is a very sad novel about loneliness. It is told through the eyes of Gordon Kingdom who is in his 50s and who clearly has some sort of autism. Everything he does is very methodical and he takes everything literally.
One day Angelica moves in across the road from him and he opens a file "A is for Angelica" because he keeps written files on what his neighbours across the road get up to. It is some sort of therapy for him to help with his coming to terms with the state his wife is in - she's had a stroke and can do hardly anything. Gordon is sure that he can help her get better all on his own but things get worse. At the same time his dog dies and his best friend dies. So very sad, but at least there is Angelica across the road, who he sort of gets obsessed with.
And within the main narrative the back-story is filled in, the Gordon Kingdom memories of the good times when his wife was well - the times that can never be again.
The book reminded me a little of The Notable Brain of Maximilian Ponder in the way that the lead character takes meticulous notes, although this book was more melancholy.
One day Angelica moves in across the road from him and he opens a file "A is for Angelica" because he keeps written files on what his neighbours across the road get up to. It is some sort of therapy for him to help with his coming to terms with the state his wife is in - she's had a stroke and can do hardly anything. Gordon is sure that he can help her get better all on his own but things get worse. At the same time his dog dies and his best friend dies. So very sad, but at least there is Angelica across the road, who he sort of gets obsessed with.
And within the main narrative the back-story is filled in, the Gordon Kingdom memories of the good times when his wife was well - the times that can never be again.
The book reminded me a little of The Notable Brain of Maximilian Ponder in the way that the lead character takes meticulous notes, although this book was more melancholy.
January 7, 2014
A surprisingly funny debut novel in the vein of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time or Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Gordon Kingdom is a 50-something recluse caring for his disabled wife in secret. He fancies himself an expert on his neighborhood and all its goings-on – until Angelica moves in and changes everything. Especially if your sense of humor runs to dogs committing suicide, you’ll latch on to this gentle satire set in the north of England.
August 10, 2012
A is for Angelica starts off on an interesting premise - the protagonist being an older man who watches his neighbours and makes notes on them while juggling his own home life. Broome pulls it off well too, and it rarely gets boring - something that I was concerned would happen as it is too steeped in reality.
The protagonist, Gordon, is well-developed, yet Broome does not employ the use of special techniques, or long descriptions to do so. Instead, what drives most of the characterisation is simply his choice of using first-person present tense narration. Through the words used, the reader can build up an image in their head of this old man who rarely leaves his house, struggling to look after his stroke-affected wife and ill dog. Many readers probably have known someone just like Gordon.
I also appreciated the glimpses into Gordon's notes that are peppered throughout the novel. Being someone who does theorise upon subtext if it is not clear in the story, I did wonder whether Gordon was on the spectrum, due to the almost obsessive need to write things down, and the highlighting of 'important information'. And this is how I could tell that the novel has largely succeeded in its job. Even if the language is not as vivid or detailed as more descriptive novel, there are plenty of opportunities for interpretation. Additionally, the story itself is compelling, and, as a reader, you begin to care for the main characters during the progression of the novel.
Definitely worth a read, and readers should keep an eye on Iain Broome.
The protagonist, Gordon, is well-developed, yet Broome does not employ the use of special techniques, or long descriptions to do so. Instead, what drives most of the characterisation is simply his choice of using first-person present tense narration. Through the words used, the reader can build up an image in their head of this old man who rarely leaves his house, struggling to look after his stroke-affected wife and ill dog. Many readers probably have known someone just like Gordon.
I also appreciated the glimpses into Gordon's notes that are peppered throughout the novel. Being someone who does theorise upon subtext if it is not clear in the story, I did wonder whether Gordon was on the spectrum, due to the almost obsessive need to write things down, and the highlighting of 'important information'. And this is how I could tell that the novel has largely succeeded in its job. Even if the language is not as vivid or detailed as more descriptive novel, there are plenty of opportunities for interpretation. Additionally, the story itself is compelling, and, as a reader, you begin to care for the main characters during the progression of the novel.
Definitely worth a read, and readers should keep an eye on Iain Broome.
December 21, 2016
Very claustrophobic - most of the action either happens in Gordon's head or what he sees outside his front spare bedroom window. The chapters are in alphabetical order, starting with the titular Angelica who arrives on Gordon's street in a cloud of cigarette smoke, perfume, swear words, and intrigue. Gordon is keeping notes so he doesn't forget.
Gordon should be looking after his wife Georgina, who isn't introduced for a few chapters. Georgina has had a stroke, and Gordon's notes started with the instructions from doctors and nurses about how to care for her at home. Gordon should also be taking better care of Kipling, their dog. When both the dog and Georgina take turns for the worse, he doesn't do the right thing. His life continues to unravel until chapter "Zero Tolerance" were the novel ends abruptly.
I enjoyed how the novel was written from Gordon's (flawed) perspective, but I found him too unlikeable as character who doesn't interact well enough with the other characters for those others to become well defined.
Gordon should be looking after his wife Georgina, who isn't introduced for a few chapters. Georgina has had a stroke, and Gordon's notes started with the instructions from doctors and nurses about how to care for her at home. Gordon should also be taking better care of Kipling, their dog. When both the dog and Georgina take turns for the worse, he doesn't do the right thing. His life continues to unravel until chapter "Zero Tolerance" were the novel ends abruptly.
I enjoyed how the novel was written from Gordon's (flawed) perspective, but I found him too unlikeable as character who doesn't interact well enough with the other characters for those others to become well defined.
October 8, 2012
Gordon, the lead character in this book is a bit of an oddity. He spends all his time either looking after his wife (who has had a stroke) or spying on his neighbours (he keeps notes on all of them in his files).
He comes across at times as a mixture of Adrian Mole and the boy from The Curious Case of The Dog In The Night-time, but for all his quirks he is not a bad person.
The fact that he keeps his bed-ridden wife upstairs and tells nobody she has had a second stroke could be seen as sinister but he truly believes he can look after her alone.
When Gordon befriends the new neighbour, Angelica, things start to become a bit unravelled, eventually Gordon will have to tell someone.
This debut novel by Iain Broome is by turns, comic, tragic and quite touching. I will be looking out for more by Mr. Broome in the future and would highly recommend this book to all
He comes across at times as a mixture of Adrian Mole and the boy from The Curious Case of The Dog In The Night-time, but for all his quirks he is not a bad person.
The fact that he keeps his bed-ridden wife upstairs and tells nobody she has had a second stroke could be seen as sinister but he truly believes he can look after her alone.
When Gordon befriends the new neighbour, Angelica, things start to become a bit unravelled, eventually Gordon will have to tell someone.
This debut novel by Iain Broome is by turns, comic, tragic and quite touching. I will be looking out for more by Mr. Broome in the future and would highly recommend this book to all
December 20, 2013
On the one hand, Gordon’s life is embedded in the factual monotony of the everyday. He watches his street, obsessively taking copious notes on what his neighbours are doing, when they do it and with whom. On the other hand his life is embedded in pretence. His wife is lying in bed, suffering the effects of a severe stroke, but he has told everyone that she is visiting relatives.
Gordon is a difficult man to like at first. He seems emotionally removed from his ill wife, who is totally dependent on him; his surveillance of the street has taken Neighbourhood Watch to a creepy level; and his obsessive note taking is fairly disturbing. But keep on reading and you will soon find yourself warming to Gordon.
A wonderfully fast read, this book was intriguing. At times depressing, at times amusing, but always entertaining.
Gordon is a difficult man to like at first. He seems emotionally removed from his ill wife, who is totally dependent on him; his surveillance of the street has taken Neighbourhood Watch to a creepy level; and his obsessive note taking is fairly disturbing. But keep on reading and you will soon find yourself warming to Gordon.
A wonderfully fast read, this book was intriguing. At times depressing, at times amusing, but always entertaining.
December 29, 2012
Protagonist Gordon Kingdom's narration of his story and circumstances is so immediate and direct, you are right inside his head from the off. This book is a touching and perceptive study of real lives behind the anonymous, respectable front doors of Cressington Vale. A touch of the Rose Tremain in the way the author peels back the bland pretensions of society to reveal tooth and claw underneath.
Criticism of the harsher aspects of our 'welfare' state is so deftly delivered, you don't notice it until you reflect, later. The touches of black humour are sublime, in the best British tradition. Prose as sparkling as cut crystal and immaculate editing. A cracking good read and I thoroughly recommend it.
Criticism of the harsher aspects of our 'welfare' state is so deftly delivered, you don't notice it until you reflect, later. The touches of black humour are sublime, in the best British tradition. Prose as sparkling as cut crystal and immaculate editing. A cracking good read and I thoroughly recommend it.
April 16, 2014
I don't quite know what to make of this novel. I actually found it difficult to read - quite dreary and depressing. Gordon's life is Boring to say the least, and maybe it's just that I don't want to read about other people leading boring lives; maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind when I read it. I didn't find it funny, which I think it was supposed to be; I think it's a little creepy, to be honest. The thought that we could all be watched from behind someone's curtains is somewhat unsettling.
The book is well-written, it's just the subject matter that doesn't appeal to me. Maybe I'll give it another go in a year or so. I honestly can't see it appealing to the mass market
The book is well-written, it's just the subject matter that doesn't appeal to me. Maybe I'll give it another go in a year or so. I honestly can't see it appealing to the mass market
September 9, 2014
Tragically moving yet occasionally darkly comical. This is a must read suburban heartbreaker,occasionally blunt and tiptoeing into melodrama. I challenge anyone not to be enthralled by George's narrative (and filing system). He will amuse you, fascinate you, very much frustrate you, and you will suffer every wince with him. Go get it now...
October 23, 2014
A poignant, desperately sad tale about a man caring for his wife. His loneliness and angst is beautifully portrayed and the darkness of the tale interspersed with nuggets of humor. Read it in a gulp. Beautiful.
September 17, 2012
It was alright I guess.
June 18, 2013
Thoroughly depressing but a great book none-the-less
August 15, 2025
Reading this story took me on an emotional roller-coaster as Gordon’s life, past and present, was presented through his obsessionally recorded observations of his neighbours’ lives and habits, and his reflections on the minutiae of his past and present life. I felt that I was ricocheting between horror, discomfort, laughter, sadness and tears as I joined him on his journey. Much of my discomfort came from the power of the writing, which made me feel like a 'fly on the wall'. I found myself complicit in, and fascinated by, his behaviour – but also uncomfortable with 'spying' on him, when he was at his most vulnerable.
With reflections which are insightful and compassionate, this is a haunting and powerful first novel, exploring the often lonely and isolating world of carers, and examining how people cope (or fail to cope) when faced with serious illness, trauma and loss.
With reflections which are insightful and compassionate, this is a haunting and powerful first novel, exploring the often lonely and isolating world of carers, and examining how people cope (or fail to cope) when faced with serious illness, trauma and loss.
January 20, 2019
I spoke to the author at a book signing when I purchased the book and he told me it was quite a sad story. A slight understatement; heart-breaking is nearer the mark. Nevertheless it's a poignant, disturbing and thought provoking novel in the age of care in the community, mental health awareness and dwindling NHS budgets. And virtually everything is left unsaid, which lets your imagination run riot. An accomplished and gloriously downbeat first novel.
March 9, 2014
Wow. First of all, I'd like to thank the publisher through NetGalley for my copy of A is for Angelica by Iain Broome.
This is a really difficult novel for me to rate, or write about, in several ways. To start with, the basic premise (without spoilers) is that our narrator, Gordon Kingdom, is a man who keeps files on all his neighbors, as he watches them through the window in his spare bedroom. His wife Georgiana has recently had a stroke, and Gordon has taken the doctor's suggestion to "write things down" very literally.
The characters that figure prominently in Gordon's life include Angelica, the 42-year-old woman who moves into the house across the street from him, Benny, the teenaged artist who Gordon observes painting at one in the morning, and Don Donaldson, Gordon's oldest friend. Gordon also has a dog named Kipling, who he attempts to care for, and interacts with various quirky other people who he encounters in his daily life.
The story starts with a prologue chapter describing a conversation between Gordon and Angelica which is confusing to the reader, since we have no background on their relationship. Then, the novel takes us back in time to when the two first meet, and follows them over the ensuing months, ending with a recap of the prologue, which the reader now views with more understanding.
The novel is written in simple language, but that does not mean that it is a simple story. From the beginning, Gordon's narrative voice is distinctive, and I was unsure if he was supposed to be portrayed as autistic. What exactly is going on with Gordon is never clarified, which I found frustrating.
However, Gordon's narration is frequently laugh-out-loud funny, and this is accomplished because author Iain Broome has a true talent at writing humor. The flip side of this is that Gordon's situation, and the understated way in which he describes tragic events, make the deep sadness in this story all the more powerful.
Gordon doesn't tell us that he is sad, even as he deals with several life-altering tragedies in the course of the novel. Instead, he tries to deal with sickness and loss in his world through controlling it in ways he can, through documenting the daily routines of his neighbors, and through researching how to help someone recover from a stroke and writing his own manual about his wife's progress. The great tragedy is that, as Gordon tries so hard to organize minutia, his world is collapsing around him, and there is absolutely nothing he can do to stop it.
As other reviewers have noted, the humor in A is for Angelica almost makes the reader feel guilty, because it comes in tandem with devastating losses. So while in many ways this novel is brilliant, at the same time, it is not an easy read. It made me feel uncomfortable, but more than that it was consistently, increasingly, terribly sad.
Because of the author's obvious talent, I had expected there to be some sort of resolution or understanding at the end of the novel, and for me, there was not. As I read the final chapter, the recap of the prologue, I felt that the dialogue was supposed to have some deep significance, but that I must be missing it. And I am honestly not sure whether Iain Broome meant for there to be some sort of message that I missed, or whether the message was that there is no resolution. Perhaps A is for Angelica was a sad story, pure and simple.
This is where, for me, it becomes difficult to rate the book. While I admire Broome's talent as a writer, as a reader find myself deeply affected by the tone of a novel. Reading A is for Angelica made me feel depressed, and even angry, for the days in which I was in that world. And without some sort of point, even if that point was that we cannot control our world, I felt a bit emotionally used. A is for Angelica seemed to be a narrative of the downfall of a man's life, but I was left wondering "why" the narrative had been told. Reading it felt like absorbing a dose of sadness, and for me, if that sadness does not bring with it any new understanding about the world, it is not worth adding to a world that already has enough suffering in it.
In conclusion, A is for Angelica is a well-written work of art. However, if you are feeling down, or if you are the kind of person whose mood is deeply affected by the books you read, I would not recommend reading this book. Or if you do read A is for Angelica, make sure to have something silly or uplifting handy for when you finish.
This is a really difficult novel for me to rate, or write about, in several ways. To start with, the basic premise (without spoilers) is that our narrator, Gordon Kingdom, is a man who keeps files on all his neighbors, as he watches them through the window in his spare bedroom. His wife Georgiana has recently had a stroke, and Gordon has taken the doctor's suggestion to "write things down" very literally.
The characters that figure prominently in Gordon's life include Angelica, the 42-year-old woman who moves into the house across the street from him, Benny, the teenaged artist who Gordon observes painting at one in the morning, and Don Donaldson, Gordon's oldest friend. Gordon also has a dog named Kipling, who he attempts to care for, and interacts with various quirky other people who he encounters in his daily life.
The story starts with a prologue chapter describing a conversation between Gordon and Angelica which is confusing to the reader, since we have no background on their relationship. Then, the novel takes us back in time to when the two first meet, and follows them over the ensuing months, ending with a recap of the prologue, which the reader now views with more understanding.
The novel is written in simple language, but that does not mean that it is a simple story. From the beginning, Gordon's narrative voice is distinctive, and I was unsure if he was supposed to be portrayed as autistic. What exactly is going on with Gordon is never clarified, which I found frustrating.
However, Gordon's narration is frequently laugh-out-loud funny, and this is accomplished because author Iain Broome has a true talent at writing humor. The flip side of this is that Gordon's situation, and the understated way in which he describes tragic events, make the deep sadness in this story all the more powerful.
Gordon doesn't tell us that he is sad, even as he deals with several life-altering tragedies in the course of the novel. Instead, he tries to deal with sickness and loss in his world through controlling it in ways he can, through documenting the daily routines of his neighbors, and through researching how to help someone recover from a stroke and writing his own manual about his wife's progress. The great tragedy is that, as Gordon tries so hard to organize minutia, his world is collapsing around him, and there is absolutely nothing he can do to stop it.
As other reviewers have noted, the humor in A is for Angelica almost makes the reader feel guilty, because it comes in tandem with devastating losses. So while in many ways this novel is brilliant, at the same time, it is not an easy read. It made me feel uncomfortable, but more than that it was consistently, increasingly, terribly sad.
Because of the author's obvious talent, I had expected there to be some sort of resolution or understanding at the end of the novel, and for me, there was not. As I read the final chapter, the recap of the prologue, I felt that the dialogue was supposed to have some deep significance, but that I must be missing it. And I am honestly not sure whether Iain Broome meant for there to be some sort of message that I missed, or whether the message was that there is no resolution. Perhaps A is for Angelica was a sad story, pure and simple.
This is where, for me, it becomes difficult to rate the book. While I admire Broome's talent as a writer, as a reader find myself deeply affected by the tone of a novel. Reading A is for Angelica made me feel depressed, and even angry, for the days in which I was in that world. And without some sort of point, even if that point was that we cannot control our world, I felt a bit emotionally used. A is for Angelica seemed to be a narrative of the downfall of a man's life, but I was left wondering "why" the narrative had been told. Reading it felt like absorbing a dose of sadness, and for me, if that sadness does not bring with it any new understanding about the world, it is not worth adding to a world that already has enough suffering in it.
In conclusion, A is for Angelica is a well-written work of art. However, if you are feeling down, or if you are the kind of person whose mood is deeply affected by the books you read, I would not recommend reading this book. Or if you do read A is for Angelica, make sure to have something silly or uplifting handy for when you finish.
August 14, 2012
I was alerted to this by Myke Hurley on Twitter, someone I know purely from his tech-related podcasts on the 70 Decibels network. My reading list is ridiculously long, so adding to it is not really something I need to be doing. But somehow, not only did this book get _added_ to my queue, not only did it appear at the _top_ of my queue, but it somehow got read, finished and starred before I knew what had happened.
And d'you know why that was?
Because it's very good, that's why!
Honestly though, I've been slogging through the audiobook of Dance with Dragons for weeks now. My non-audio reading is dedicated right now to getting through Kourosh Dini's OmniFocus book (nearly there) and my coffee table book of Soviet pictures.
A is for Angelica was such a refreshing change, a breath of fresh air.
Firstly, the style. I've heard that this is Iain Broome's first novel. I find that simply remarkable. The storytelling was lean: short sentences, quick dialogue, no bloat. I was going to say that I would guess that the author uses Twitter, but I happen to _know_ that he does. It reads like it was written by a Twitter user, if that makes any sense. No bloat. You get me?
The style and content felt very English and made me think a bit of Nick Hornby or that other guy, Tony Parsons I think it is. That was refreshing. The time of year features well too, almost as a character. The descriptions of the dark and light, times of the day, the snow, the cold.
The characters themselves were enjoyable, particularly the interaction. Some of the stuff that Gordon came away with! He seemed kind of nervous, unconfident, antisocial, fearful of change, all to the extent of being creepy. Kind of like an Internet nerd or, something I have experience of, someone with Asperger's. So, let's just say I could relate.
The awkward beginnings of his relationship with Georgina illustrated his character very well I thought. And his devotion to looking after her _in secret_ showed another aspect of his character. And sneaking into Don's shed to get his hedge cutters back, the midnight tree-cutting, the observing of his street. He really is quite a difficult character to fathom, but strangely likeable for all that.
This book came along at the perfect time for me, so it gets four stars. It's not up there with my unforgettable favourite reads, so for that reason I can't give it five. But I will certainly be looking out for Iain's next novel!
And d'you know why that was?
Because it's very good, that's why!
Honestly though, I've been slogging through the audiobook of Dance with Dragons for weeks now. My non-audio reading is dedicated right now to getting through Kourosh Dini's OmniFocus book (nearly there) and my coffee table book of Soviet pictures.
A is for Angelica was such a refreshing change, a breath of fresh air.
Firstly, the style. I've heard that this is Iain Broome's first novel. I find that simply remarkable. The storytelling was lean: short sentences, quick dialogue, no bloat. I was going to say that I would guess that the author uses Twitter, but I happen to _know_ that he does. It reads like it was written by a Twitter user, if that makes any sense. No bloat. You get me?
The style and content felt very English and made me think a bit of Nick Hornby or that other guy, Tony Parsons I think it is. That was refreshing. The time of year features well too, almost as a character. The descriptions of the dark and light, times of the day, the snow, the cold.
The characters themselves were enjoyable, particularly the interaction. Some of the stuff that Gordon came away with! He seemed kind of nervous, unconfident, antisocial, fearful of change, all to the extent of being creepy. Kind of like an Internet nerd or, something I have experience of, someone with Asperger's. So, let's just say I could relate.
The awkward beginnings of his relationship with Georgina illustrated his character very well I thought. And his devotion to looking after her _in secret_ showed another aspect of his character. And sneaking into Don's shed to get his hedge cutters back, the midnight tree-cutting, the observing of his street. He really is quite a difficult character to fathom, but strangely likeable for all that.
This book came along at the perfect time for me, so it gets four stars. It's not up there with my unforgettable favourite reads, so for that reason I can't give it five. But I will certainly be looking out for Iain's next novel!
July 12, 2013
Inaugural Loop Book Club Book. And this was chosen on the back of its launch being held at the Lantern Theatre, and thus its links to Sheffield. And Mr Risby. The author and the cover designer (cover: a beautiful modernist affair inspired by the architecture of Sheffield) are closely linked to the area and bloody good chaps they both seem. A huge amount of thought and talent seems to lie behind the overall package, and I was excited about what the book actually had to offer.
Aaaaaand, I was relieved to find that the book met all my expectations and more. This is a book that, in some aspects, is Sheffield personified. On the one hand its writing style and content matches the modernist influence suggested by the cover design – it’s a direct, pared back style of prose, gently innovative format and it covers some pretty brutal topics. The story revolves around the inhabitants of a small street in an unnamed coal mining town. Told from the perspective from Gordon Kingdom, whose wife has been effectively disabled by a succession of strokes. Gordon has quit work to care for her, and the book charts his own mental decay along with his wife’s physical decline. Other characters move in and out and have influence on Gordon in certain ways. Some truly shocking events happen mid book that are pretty darn depressing. However, it’s also littered with darkly funny, warm and gentle but huge moments. An emotional core is present that makes this a likable (Sheffield again) and very readable novel. It reminds me somewhat of Jon McGregor in its simple poetry of the everyday. An almost matter of fact look at small domestic details that reveal so much.
It’s not a perfect novel, there are some minor gripes, but the overall novel has been so well crafted that its broad impact far outweighs any negative detail. I’ll be keen to see what else he has to offer.
Aaaaaand, I was relieved to find that the book met all my expectations and more. This is a book that, in some aspects, is Sheffield personified. On the one hand its writing style and content matches the modernist influence suggested by the cover design – it’s a direct, pared back style of prose, gently innovative format and it covers some pretty brutal topics. The story revolves around the inhabitants of a small street in an unnamed coal mining town. Told from the perspective from Gordon Kingdom, whose wife has been effectively disabled by a succession of strokes. Gordon has quit work to care for her, and the book charts his own mental decay along with his wife’s physical decline. Other characters move in and out and have influence on Gordon in certain ways. Some truly shocking events happen mid book that are pretty darn depressing. However, it’s also littered with darkly funny, warm and gentle but huge moments. An emotional core is present that makes this a likable (Sheffield again) and very readable novel. It reminds me somewhat of Jon McGregor in its simple poetry of the everyday. An almost matter of fact look at small domestic details that reveal so much.
It’s not a perfect novel, there are some minor gripes, but the overall novel has been so well crafted that its broad impact far outweighs any negative detail. I’ll be keen to see what else he has to offer.
January 24, 2013
Hard to comment on this one. I originally thought that Gordon's wife was dead and he had deluded himself into imagining her still alive.
The real story, of the stroke-ridden wife and her tired, loving and obsessive husband is sad, touching and slow. Their love story is gradually told and is achingly lovely, Gordon's constant spying and noting of his neighbours' every move creepy but almost understandable.
A very interesting novel, different but moving.
The real story, of the stroke-ridden wife and her tired, loving and obsessive husband is sad, touching and slow. Their love story is gradually told and is achingly lovely, Gordon's constant spying and noting of his neighbours' every move creepy but almost understandable.
A very interesting novel, different but moving.
July 5, 2013
Mundane, ordinary- a beautifully observed, blackly comic story of a man coping with life. I never worked out what was going to be the outcome, so many potential threads of storylines that could have come to the fore, yet the conclusion still was very powerful. Not my normal kind of read, but excellent.
July 26, 2016
A heartbreaking story that follows a protagonist that we don't always like, but we always empathise with. Touching, full of love and hurt, sometimes uncomfortable to read, but also very real. Alongside that it's also very funny. And very British. This is Dark British humour at its best.
A copy of this book was supplied by the publisher in return for an honest review
A copy of this book was supplied by the publisher in return for an honest review
August 26, 2014
"There’s a lot of dark satire encouched in this terse and straight to the point prose that makes an otherwise claustrophobic novel into something entertaining."
read more: http://likeiamfeasting.blogspot.gr/20...
read more: http://likeiamfeasting.blogspot.gr/20...
March 30, 2015
There seems to be a spate of these beautiful, poignant heart-wrenching novels at the moment. I'm making a habit of crying on public transport. Recommended if you liked Elizabeth is Missing or The Extraordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81.
September 10, 2012
Wonderful, tragic, moving, and achingly funny, this is an incredibly accomplished debut. More Iain Broome please!
October 24, 2013
Rather bleak
June 20, 2012
So honest and moving. This one was hard to put down.
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