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The Life and Soul of the Party
It’s their party...
Meet Melissa and Paul: Five years after they split up he’s still looking for love in all the wrong places while she wants the one thing she can’t have: Paul.
Meet Chris and Vicky: They’re so in tune they even brush their teeth in time with each other. So what is Chris doing risking it all for a meaningless affair?
Meet Cooper and Laura: He wants to settle down, she wants to take a grown-up gap year – but can their relationship really survive a year apart?
Set across a year of leaving dos, birthday parties and anniversary celebrations The Life and Soul of the Party is a warm, funny and moving tale celebrating love, life and those special moments we’ve all spent in the kitchen at parties.
Meet Melissa and Paul: Five years after they split up he’s still looking for love in all the wrong places while she wants the one thing she can’t have: Paul.
Meet Chris and Vicky: They’re so in tune they even brush their teeth in time with each other. So what is Chris doing risking it all for a meaningless affair?
Meet Cooper and Laura: He wants to settle down, she wants to take a grown-up gap year – but can their relationship really survive a year apart?
Set across a year of leaving dos, birthday parties and anniversary celebrations The Life and Soul of the Party is a warm, funny and moving tale celebrating love, life and those special moments we’ve all spent in the kitchen at parties.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
69 people are currently reading
555 people want to read
About the author
Mike Gayle
38 books2,279 followersI was born in the 70s — the 70s were great. I would recommend them to anyone.
I was also born in Birmingham — in my humble opinion the greatest city in the world with the nicest people too.
I used to live in London — a great city too. But a bit on the pricey side.
I also used to live in Manchester — another great city (although technically I lived in Salford which is next door but that’s sort of splitting hairs).
Before I went to university I wanted to be a social worker — I have no idea why. It didn’t last long.
After I left university I wanted to write for the NME — I’ve always loved music but it was only when I went to uni that it started loving me back. I can’t play any instruments or sing so writing about music seemed to make sense.
My first paid writing gig was for a listings magazine in Birmingham — (Actually my first unpaid writing gig was an interview with Kitchens of Distinction for Salford Student Magazine. I can’t begin to tell you how terrible it was.)
I used to write a music fanzine — it was called Incredibly Inedible and I co-edited it with my mate Jackie. We typed up the first issue on my dad’s olde worlde typewriter and then literally cut and paste on to A4 sheets using scissors and glue. Over the three years of its existence we interviewed many bands and artists including: Smashing Pumpkins, The Cranberries, Pavement, Bill Hicks and Blur.
I was also born in Birmingham — in my humble opinion the greatest city in the world with the nicest people too.
I used to live in London — a great city too. But a bit on the pricey side.
I also used to live in Manchester — another great city (although technically I lived in Salford which is next door but that’s sort of splitting hairs).
Before I went to university I wanted to be a social worker — I have no idea why. It didn’t last long.
After I left university I wanted to write for the NME — I’ve always loved music but it was only when I went to uni that it started loving me back. I can’t play any instruments or sing so writing about music seemed to make sense.
My first paid writing gig was for a listings magazine in Birmingham — (Actually my first unpaid writing gig was an interview with Kitchens of Distinction for Salford Student Magazine. I can’t begin to tell you how terrible it was.)
I used to write a music fanzine — it was called Incredibly Inedible and I co-edited it with my mate Jackie. We typed up the first issue on my dad’s olde worlde typewriter and then literally cut and paste on to A4 sheets using scissors and glue. Over the three years of its existence we interviewed many bands and artists including: Smashing Pumpkins, The Cranberries, Pavement, Bill Hicks and Blur.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
August 21, 2019
This is my first Mike Gayle book and I have been saving it for one of those weeks where I wanted something light, fun and easy to read and this week made sense having finished a mammoth book just a few days ago, first week back at work after holidays, Mike Gayle let's go.....
.... and I'm left feeling totally torn on how I feel about it and here's why.
While on the whole I quite enjoy trashy shallow characters and plot lines, I felt this book tackled some pretty full on storylines which required a deeper character casting and without that it felt flat.
For a book that has the title of the 'life and soul of the party' I felt they had ordered a bouncy castle and forgotten to put the air in, the characters were paper thin, lifeless and if there was soul I couldnt find it.
But saying all that there was a part of me that enjoyed this, I certainly flew through the pages, it didnt bore me and I read it in two sittings.
So I guess it's a three star read, it's not a terrible book, it's actually quite good, it just lacked emotion and a cast I could cheerlead for.
.... and I'm left feeling totally torn on how I feel about it and here's why.
While on the whole I quite enjoy trashy shallow characters and plot lines, I felt this book tackled some pretty full on storylines which required a deeper character casting and without that it felt flat.
For a book that has the title of the 'life and soul of the party' I felt they had ordered a bouncy castle and forgotten to put the air in, the characters were paper thin, lifeless and if there was soul I couldnt find it.
But saying all that there was a part of me that enjoyed this, I certainly flew through the pages, it didnt bore me and I read it in two sittings.
So I guess it's a three star read, it's not a terrible book, it's actually quite good, it just lacked emotion and a cast I could cheerlead for.
November 22, 2012
The worst part about Mike Gayle's books is you just have to read them the moment you buy them and they end much too soon, leaving you with that feeling that the book you'll start after it won't be that good.
The 1st 2 books by Gayle were ok. I continued buying the others as they came out and enjoyed a lot how he improved and his books are now a high moment. He just has a way of telling a story, making it so real, so down to earth, his characters so beleivable. The stories are real funny and so poignant at the same time, it's quite hard not to spill some tears along the way.
In this book we follow the life of 6 friends along a year, through the point of view of them all, and that makes it more interesting. And the fact that we know from the beggining one of the main events of the story makes it more unputdownable and touching.
I was a little sad with the ending, maybe beause I always want to believe in "happily ever after" and I think that after such difficult times something could be different, but that's just life, right? And we know it will all turn out ok.
The 1st 2 books by Gayle were ok. I continued buying the others as they came out and enjoyed a lot how he improved and his books are now a high moment. He just has a way of telling a story, making it so real, so down to earth, his characters so beleivable. The stories are real funny and so poignant at the same time, it's quite hard not to spill some tears along the way.
In this book we follow the life of 6 friends along a year, through the point of view of them all, and that makes it more interesting. And the fact that we know from the beggining one of the main events of the story makes it more unputdownable and touching.
I was a little sad with the ending, maybe beause I always want to believe in "happily ever after" and I think that after such difficult times something could be different, but that's just life, right? And we know it will all turn out ok.
October 6, 2015
Two and a half stars
Good reads don’t allow for half stars but three would be too high a rating for this I think, hence two stars.
The Life and Soul of The Party ain’t bad, and as everyday I read about appalling literacy statistics in the UK, and actually know first hand how little people read, I’d recommend this piece of fiction by Mike Gayle for people who generally aren’t into reading books. And this is simply because it’s not a long book, it’s quite entertaining, and has a soap opera feel - and a lot of people still love soaps here in the UK!
I’m not sure it’s clear from my other reviews but I’m against book snobbery. I genuinely think that the more people read books, the better. And even though The Life and Soul is very unlikely to make you reach for a thesaurus, I think books like these are a good way to introduce people into the habit of reading.
I first read TLASOTP when I was eighteen years old, and over ten years later I decided to dust it off (oh man it was dusty) and read it again because I vaguely remembered it being quite a light read, and after some of the dark non-fiction I’ve been reading lately I wanted to read something less depressing.
Why I bought this book a decade ago I don’t really know but eighteen was around the age that I knew I was ready to get serious about writing a novel. I can actually see how I - at the very least subconsciously - was influenced by the character headed mini chapters. I remember liking the way Gayle told the story over the period of one year from the interlinking characters’ perspectives. I thought that was cool then, and I still think so now. Having used a similar device in my most recent novel Vivian’s Couch, I know it takes skill to execute without confusing the reader, and I can only hope that none of the readers’ of my books have ever been too confused. I did have to flick back a few pages to clarify a few things in Mike Gayle’s story but it does take a lot for my mind not to wonder. So maybe this was a combination of my personality, and the fact that within thirty pages - just like when I was eighteen years old - I knew that The Life and Soul of The Party isn’t really my type of book. I think it’s quite chick-flick esque, and I actually think this is a good thing. On a personal level I would find it harder to write a book like this as opposed to something less “popcorn.” I put speech marks because I personally don’t think there is anything wrong with “popcorn” literature. It’s simply another genre, albeit not one for me.
Another reason I may have purchased TLASOTP is because the author, Mike Gayle, is black. Simple as that. I was doing a play in London’s West End when I popped into the Foyles bookstore on Charing Cross Road and spent my whole weekly wage on books ranging from this Mike Gayle one, Che Gueveras Bolivian Diaries, Tupac Shakur’s A Rose That Grew From Concrete, and countless books on the history of Africa. An eclectic mix of purchases by a teenager who knew he wanted to write something, and read everything. The front cover of Mike Gayle’s book looked interesting (if not... cheap) so I flipped it around and saw the author’s picture. I quickly read the blurb, and despite not being all that moved, threw it in my basket because I wanted to see how this black man managed to get published. From personal experience if there is anything “black” about the voice of your story it has less chance of being published. Now we can debate whether this is true, we can go back and forth about whether publishers are colour blind or not. I’m not sure there’s any point in debating: nothing is colour blind as far as I’m concerned - sad but sadder to ignore elephant’s if you ask me.
I think Gayle does a good job of writing a “universal” story. Speech marks again because on a personal level I’m not sure what “universal” means because most stories/films I’ve seen described that way aren’t universal to me - as in some of the stories with that description attached do not have characters that aren’t white, therefore how can that be universal unless you are caucasian?
Mike Gayle’s character descriptions are vague, some would even say bland. I can understand if this bothers other readers but this doesn’t offend me. I actually like the idea of using my imagination when it comes to the face of a character. As long as I have the basics - eg. gender, age - and there is the (obviously basic) required level of consistency, I’m happy. Unfortunately this vagueness stood out to me a bit more than usual because I didn’t love the story, and more importantly because pretty much all of the characters sounded the same. There’s an argument for TLASOTP being set in a world in which similar characters who are all at a crossroads in life exist. But I think that this is lazy because we do need clearer distinctions between people in books - no matter how similar they are to other characters. I genuinely believe this potential blandness occurred because the author was going for (or attempting to maintain) mass appeal.
Overall The Life And Soul of The Party is an easy read - apart from the death of a major character during the tale. I read that sentence back and see how it appears to be a contradiction in terms but I think that’s because the death didn’t have the impact I think the author was going for. To me the reason for the lack of impact is clear: the blandness and similarity of the characters made it difficult for me to be particularly affected by any of their individual stories.
Reading this book again was no waste of time. I have tentatively noted that Mike Gayle has a book called Turning Thirty. Since I shall be turning 29 in a few days time, if I ever give this author another chance I’ll read that book.
Good reads don’t allow for half stars but three would be too high a rating for this I think, hence two stars.
The Life and Soul of The Party ain’t bad, and as everyday I read about appalling literacy statistics in the UK, and actually know first hand how little people read, I’d recommend this piece of fiction by Mike Gayle for people who generally aren’t into reading books. And this is simply because it’s not a long book, it’s quite entertaining, and has a soap opera feel - and a lot of people still love soaps here in the UK!
I’m not sure it’s clear from my other reviews but I’m against book snobbery. I genuinely think that the more people read books, the better. And even though The Life and Soul is very unlikely to make you reach for a thesaurus, I think books like these are a good way to introduce people into the habit of reading.
I first read TLASOTP when I was eighteen years old, and over ten years later I decided to dust it off (oh man it was dusty) and read it again because I vaguely remembered it being quite a light read, and after some of the dark non-fiction I’ve been reading lately I wanted to read something less depressing.
Why I bought this book a decade ago I don’t really know but eighteen was around the age that I knew I was ready to get serious about writing a novel. I can actually see how I - at the very least subconsciously - was influenced by the character headed mini chapters. I remember liking the way Gayle told the story over the period of one year from the interlinking characters’ perspectives. I thought that was cool then, and I still think so now. Having used a similar device in my most recent novel Vivian’s Couch, I know it takes skill to execute without confusing the reader, and I can only hope that none of the readers’ of my books have ever been too confused. I did have to flick back a few pages to clarify a few things in Mike Gayle’s story but it does take a lot for my mind not to wonder. So maybe this was a combination of my personality, and the fact that within thirty pages - just like when I was eighteen years old - I knew that The Life and Soul of The Party isn’t really my type of book. I think it’s quite chick-flick esque, and I actually think this is a good thing. On a personal level I would find it harder to write a book like this as opposed to something less “popcorn.” I put speech marks because I personally don’t think there is anything wrong with “popcorn” literature. It’s simply another genre, albeit not one for me.
Another reason I may have purchased TLASOTP is because the author, Mike Gayle, is black. Simple as that. I was doing a play in London’s West End when I popped into the Foyles bookstore on Charing Cross Road and spent my whole weekly wage on books ranging from this Mike Gayle one, Che Gueveras Bolivian Diaries, Tupac Shakur’s A Rose That Grew From Concrete, and countless books on the history of Africa. An eclectic mix of purchases by a teenager who knew he wanted to write something, and read everything. The front cover of Mike Gayle’s book looked interesting (if not... cheap) so I flipped it around and saw the author’s picture. I quickly read the blurb, and despite not being all that moved, threw it in my basket because I wanted to see how this black man managed to get published. From personal experience if there is anything “black” about the voice of your story it has less chance of being published. Now we can debate whether this is true, we can go back and forth about whether publishers are colour blind or not. I’m not sure there’s any point in debating: nothing is colour blind as far as I’m concerned - sad but sadder to ignore elephant’s if you ask me.
I think Gayle does a good job of writing a “universal” story. Speech marks again because on a personal level I’m not sure what “universal” means because most stories/films I’ve seen described that way aren’t universal to me - as in some of the stories with that description attached do not have characters that aren’t white, therefore how can that be universal unless you are caucasian?
Mike Gayle’s character descriptions are vague, some would even say bland. I can understand if this bothers other readers but this doesn’t offend me. I actually like the idea of using my imagination when it comes to the face of a character. As long as I have the basics - eg. gender, age - and there is the (obviously basic) required level of consistency, I’m happy. Unfortunately this vagueness stood out to me a bit more than usual because I didn’t love the story, and more importantly because pretty much all of the characters sounded the same. There’s an argument for TLASOTP being set in a world in which similar characters who are all at a crossroads in life exist. But I think that this is lazy because we do need clearer distinctions between people in books - no matter how similar they are to other characters. I genuinely believe this potential blandness occurred because the author was going for (or attempting to maintain) mass appeal.
Overall The Life And Soul of The Party is an easy read - apart from the death of a major character during the tale. I read that sentence back and see how it appears to be a contradiction in terms but I think that’s because the death didn’t have the impact I think the author was going for. To me the reason for the lack of impact is clear: the blandness and similarity of the characters made it difficult for me to be particularly affected by any of their individual stories.
Reading this book again was no waste of time. I have tentatively noted that Mike Gayle has a book called Turning Thirty. Since I shall be turning 29 in a few days time, if I ever give this author another chance I’ll read that book.
May 7, 2017
3/5 stars
In all it is a good contemporary read. It was a bit lengthy but the story felt real.
In all it is a good contemporary read. It was a bit lengthy but the story felt real.
November 29, 2018
Easy reading, not gripping, but entertaining and good pace
December 4, 2012
Not one of Gayle's best, and too much of switching points of views feel jarring (not everyone can do it as successfully as George R.R. Martin) and doesn't give time for empathy. Also gives an impression that the life of urban British consist entirely of attending one party after another. Occasional flashes of Gayle insights, but not enough to make a mark on your mind.
March 8, 2017
Life and soul.
I love love love Mike Gayle books! This is the first one I've read for years and he's still got it! To read a book, written by a guy, about feelings is so refreshing, proving there are sensitive men around. His characters are always likeable and you end up caring about them and their lives.
I love love love Mike Gayle books! This is the first one I've read for years and he's still got it! To read a book, written by a guy, about feelings is so refreshing, proving there are sensitive men around. His characters are always likeable and you end up caring about them and their lives.
September 21, 2015
It's a fun read, nothing more and nothing less.
January 21, 2018
I had a gap of a few weeks between starting and finishing this book so, when I picked it up again, I got really confused between the several couples who carry the story and the complicated relationships between them. But, as I read on, I began to appreciate the clever way in which the story is structured through descriptions of different parties, told from the point of view of the various characters. When tragedy strikes, at the start of the book, the characters reveal what led to the event and the part they played in it. It's about growing up, finding who you are and your place in the world. Mike Gayle describes the student/early marrieds world in Manchester very well and, though I'm well beyond that stage myself I did enjoy it. There are a few other Mike Gayles I need to catch up on.
November 15, 2018
It must be my most common gripe on here when reviewing books; too many characters introduced too quickly so they're all just a jumble and I don't know who anyone is. I was 40 pages into this when I'd already been introduced to six different characters and the chapters were flitting between them and I didn't know who was who or what was going on.
It's a shame because I read a lot of Mike Gayle books in my 20s and loved them, but they all had a single main protagonist who the story revolved around. I've said it before but it looks like some of the class weren't listening, so I'll say it again - multi-character stories are damn hard to write and you should read something like Stephen King's Under the Dome to see how to do it successfully.
It's a shame because I read a lot of Mike Gayle books in my 20s and loved them, but they all had a single main protagonist who the story revolved around. I've said it before but it looks like some of the class weren't listening, so I'll say it again - multi-character stories are damn hard to write and you should read something like Stephen King's Under the Dome to see how to do it successfully.
July 27, 2021
Taking advantage of the sunny weather and some time off I have been flying through some books the last week so I continued with another of my Mike Gayle collection.
‘Life And Soul Of a the Party’ tells the story of six friends who are all at different stages of their life, friends who thought they’d all be together forever, along with six parties over a year that would prove it, or change everything…
Another great book from Mike Gayle, I love his writing style and how he captures elements of life that happen to us all, I find all of his stories have very relatable content and gives you that emotional connection with the characters, a skill that this author seems to do with ease. Definitely one of my favourite authors and look forward to continuing through his back catalogue of books.
‘Life And Soul Of a the Party’ tells the story of six friends who are all at different stages of their life, friends who thought they’d all be together forever, along with six parties over a year that would prove it, or change everything…
Another great book from Mike Gayle, I love his writing style and how he captures elements of life that happen to us all, I find all of his stories have very relatable content and gives you that emotional connection with the characters, a skill that this author seems to do with ease. Definitely one of my favourite authors and look forward to continuing through his back catalogue of books.
Read
November 13, 2019What utter trash, shit garbage rubbish. Gahhh!!!! This is the kind of book I would live to burn... yes shock horror. This is filled with all the garbage you can think of in rom coms. The characters feel like Victorian melodrama in a modern setting. I just didn’t give a hoot about any of them all of them were selfish and Uber egos. I would have preferred if there was a murder or two would have made it mor interesting. Who is this guy the author apparently he’s A bestselling author.... NEVER heard of him. Thank god now I know why
November 4, 2022
I love Mike Gayle books normally. There’s an intensity to the characters that makes me live alongside them for as long as I’m reading his words but I didn’t enjoy this book. Too many characters, far too many parties - no-one has that amount of parties, surely? - and not enough characterisation. They all seemed very shallow. What kept bringing Melissa and Paul together? I’ve no idea because I didn’t know either of them. I struggled through to end but feel like I have should now reread one of his other amazing books to re-Mike myself!
September 20, 2024
I've read quite a few Mike Gayle books recently and in the past and this one was written quite a while ago. That said this is the one I like the least.
The book is set around a year in the life group of 6 friends and how they really meet up at parties
Having read the book there was probably too many characters and I found there wasn't anything that likable about most of the characters. One of the characters dies in a car crash and I thought there was 4 empty spaces in the car for some of the other characters.
There are better Mike Gayle books about out there
The book is set around a year in the life group of 6 friends and how they really meet up at parties
Having read the book there was probably too many characters and I found there wasn't anything that likable about most of the characters. One of the characters dies in a car crash and I thought there was 4 empty spaces in the car for some of the other characters.
There are better Mike Gayle books about out there
March 9, 2019
This book tracks 18 months in the lives of a group of mid-30s who have been friends since school, using various parties as markers. It charts the ups and downs of a group resisting the plunge into middle age. Told in the voices of the various characters it records a traumatic time in all their lives as they try to make sense of love, life and everything else. Even though it's a considerable time since I was in my mid-30s it is easy to empathise with the characters. Poignant and amusing.
November 27, 2023
How many parties do these people have?! This book was fine, so easy to read I got through it very quickly. There are so many different characters and it jumps between them so often that it was sometimes hard to really get to know them. Gayle covers such big topics but it felt like a bit of a whistle-stop tour of them. I almost wanted a bit more from each of the characters.
There was a few spelling mistakes in the book too.
There was a few spelling mistakes in the book too.
February 16, 2024
It’s very rare that I read a book in which I love every character, but this was definitely one of them. I found that there was so much depth to each character and I loved that we got to hear the story from each of their perspectives. I really enjoyed this book and how it was told through events. I thought it was a really unique way of story telling. I was rooting for Mellisa so much and was so happy with the ending, it felt like such a big, warm hug!!
December 1, 2017
Another good read from Mike Gayle, this one was a little unusual that it followed more characters but I liked the way that all of their lives were entwined. The chance of view point was a good way to introduce a different bit of information to the reader and it made the story more exciting and varied.
November 19, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed
I loved this book. It took a while to get into but I've a new baby so reading isn't a prority at the minute. Melissa was by far my favourite character, she was normal with flaws and that's what is important. I wished she could have continued with Billy but I guess something aren't meant to be.
I loved this book. It took a while to get into but I've a new baby so reading isn't a prority at the minute. Melissa was by far my favourite character, she was normal with flaws and that's what is important. I wished she could have continued with Billy but I guess something aren't meant to be.
September 13, 2025
This book is a calm, chill, kinda cozy vibe. Lauren randomly picked it out for me at a small bookstore we stumbled across and I’m not mad at it! At first I thought it was going to be bad while i was reading the beginning but quickly plots unfolded and characters gained depth and it was pretty good! I give it a 7/10, nothing blew my mind about it, but it was a nice read.
September 5, 2018
Good read
I read this after reading another by this author, I did enjoy it but the jumping from character to character took a little getting used to. Likeable characters with real life stories and issues.
I read this after reading another by this author, I did enjoy it but the jumping from character to character took a little getting used to. Likeable characters with real life stories and issues.
September 29, 2019
This book is not bad. It's not great but it's not bad. It's a fairly light and easy read. A bit predictable with characters that are ever so slightly flat but overall there's nothing major I can put my finger on to say it was good or bad. A nice change to all the crime and thriller novels.
December 6, 2019
I loved the concept of this book on how life can change so drastically in a year.
I was however, disappointed by the ending as the story appeared to be setting up for a wow moment at the end.
An okay read.
I was however, disappointed by the ending as the story appeared to be setting up for a wow moment at the end.
An okay read.
May 6, 2024
Easy reading contemporary fiction. It took me a bit of concentration to begin with to remember all the different characters but soon got into it as I enjoyed how the way it went back and forth between the different parties as a way of telling the drama unfolding between the couples.
January 7, 2025
I enjoyed this book although I sometimes got cross with the characters behaving stupidly! Some of the characters were made more rounded than others making the book a bit uneven for me. One I could pick up and put down rather than race through.
May 9, 2018
This has to go in to my top five even though I don’t want to bump any of my top five out... but it deserves to be there! I loved it.
December 21, 2019
Too many characters too soon, no depth to it. Gave it 3 stars because it kept me reading to the end, but probably it’s a 2.5. Disappointing.
March 25, 2020
2.5stars. An easy read and not a bad book. Tackles some big issues but doesn’t have the depth of characters in my opinion.
September 30, 2020
Really lovely story of a group of friends and the various thimgs they all go through together. A few twists and turns included. All in all a lovely story
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews