Nice Change

by Nina Bawden

Amy thought the Hotel Parthenon in Greece would be a nice change for her husband, Labour MP Tom Jones. He is convinced that it's a bad idea as soon as they arrive and he spots Portia, his ex-mistress, in the minibus to the hotel. Also on board are an American publisher, a young doctor, a shady pair from London and two enigmatic, elderly twins. The scene is set for a wonderful comedy.

Genres: Fiction, Greece, Literary Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Nina Bawden was a popular British novelist and children's writer. Her mother was a teacher and her father a marine.

When World War II broke out she spent the school holidays at a farm in Shropshire along with her mother and her brothers, but lived in Aberdare, Wales, during term time.
Bawden attended Somerville College, Oxford, where she gained a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

Her novels include Carrie's War, Peppermint Pig, and The Witch's Daughter.

A number of her works have been dramatised by BBC Children's television, and many have been translated into various languages. In 2002 she was badly injured in the Potters Bar rail crash, and her husband Austen Kark was killed.

Bawden passed away at her home in London on 22 August 2012.

Reviews

[Len · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me of a certain type of radio play once broadcast on BBC Radio 4 each weekday afternoon. The sort of play with plenty of articulate dialogue and accents appropriate to the social class of the character. A play in which, upon reflection, nothing very much seemed to have happened. The type of play listened to by ladies of a certain age, wearing neatly ironed blouses under woollen cardigans while drinking tea from elegant porcelain cups and eating Mr. Kipling's French Fancies from a plate - never from the opened box. French Fancies are a type of small sponge cake coated with icing (frosting) so sweet it would make your dentures ache. And when it was finished one lady would turn to the other and say, "Well, that was nice, wasn't it?"

I understand the idea behind A Nice Change. A miscellany of essentially British middle class people go off on a holiday to Greece, the hopefully select Hotel Parthenon outside Athens. Not a package holiday, you understand. One has a feeling each of them would have been annoyed if they were mistaken as part of a crowd of trippers off to Benidorm. While there, their stereotypical lives are changed by experiences to make them happier, or more contented. Unfortunately, for me, not less stereotypical.

There is a Welsh Labour MP and his posh wife, Amy. While Amy is depressed, a little artfully though justifiably; her husband, Tom, has been having an affair, Tom, an ordinary lad from the valleys made good, is recovering from an operation for a touch of the Farmer Giles - that is haemorrhoids. So painfully common and working class. Tom's former mistress, Portia, is there, accidentally so it seems, scouting for another relationship like a hungry panther in need of meat. Then there are Mr. and Mrs. Boot. Mr. Boot has made a fortune, most of it illegally, as a slum landlord preying on the poor while Beryl is vacuously innocent of almost everything around her, except for her husband's money. Philip, a lonely American businessman still distraught after his wife's suicide. A young doctor called Prudence who insists on behaving as a naive and sex starved teenager. The formerly famous film star Tish Palmer and her not very famous twin sister. And Vic, Tom's father. A self-made entrepreneur. Vic sometimes seems the only sane one there, or perhaps he is the least eccentrically drawn.

Circumstances change them all, most of which are mildly comic even tragic. Do they become better people? Not really, only different. Hopefully happier. For some of them this is through falling in love, possibly maturing, or being set free from whatever had anchored them down. The holiday had finished, the good people packed their bags and went their own ways and when it was over, I swear I sighed and muttered to myself, "Well, that was nice, wasn't it?"

[Nicki Markus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear. My mother sent this along with some other bits so I decided to give it a go, even though the cover and summary did not appeal much.

I got through it but only by determination. I found the story, characters and style all extremely boring. I couldn't care about any of the characters and they all seemed pretty two dimensional.

One to pass on I think...it does not belong on my bookshelf

[The Northern Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written, light hearted story of a group of strangers holidaying in the Hotel Parthenon in Greece.

Initially seeming to be a tale about an unfaithful MP, trying to take a holiday with his wife, the story proves to be an interesting tapestry, bringing together a group of individuals - each with their intriguing back stories - during the course of their stay in the hotel.

Quite adept at writing characters that you initially dislike (but ultimately forgive), as well as those that you cheer for throughout the book, the author captures well, human nature and its foibles whilst remaining entertaining.

[Alina Hinterberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light and funny! Not the most challenging book but a cute story for a summer vacation. Characters could have been elaborated on a little and I think if she would have cut down the cast it would have been a bit less confusing, as to “who is she talking about now”
Over all not bad tho

[Luann Ritsema · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5 stars really -- but I bogged down a bit toward the end. Not my favorite Bawden - but then again a middling Bawden is still pretty damn entertaining.

[Liedie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Viel mehr als eine Urlaubsgeschichte.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK.