The Mid-life Crisis: Social Sterotypes from the "Telegraph" Magazine

by Victoria Mather

Serendipity is horribly aware that she's entering the environs of the elasticated waistband. And these days it seems to be the arrival of her rose and bulb catalogues that inspires a thrill of near-erotic pleasure. As for her husband Stanton, at the first signs of receding hair he compensated by buying a new Harley-Davidson complete with helmet. But, much like Stanton's hairline, their blithe mantra that there's no such thing as middle age might just be beginning to wear a little thin. Victoria Mather and Sue Macartney-Snape are back with another achingly funny cocktail of Social Stereotypes. There is the ever-enthusiastic Antonia who works for Dimwit PR, speaks in exclamation marks and is just too, too blonde; Rachel, the new Tory, who puts other mums to shame with her 'I-got-a-first-and-I-also-have-a-cleavage' self-assurance; and the competitive grannies who fight tooth-and-nail for sole influence over their darling little grandson, Joshua. From the Long Lunchers to the Intimidating Shop Assistant, every foible is delicately detailed and every character strikes a chord. You'll no doubt have already run across a couple of them today.

96 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jule]

I love British wit & expected this little book - and its companion volumes - to have that wonderful sharp, sarcastic & yet self-deprecating humour the Brits excel at. At first it seemed that each stereotpe just missed that & stopped short, but once I caught the rythmn of these essays the realism of these characters and understatment & whimsicality were perfect. It leaves you wanting more, compulsively turning to the next page. Her stereotypes are near perfect.
That is half of it. The illustrations are so hilarious & wonderfully in step with the writing that each would be so much less without the other. Read this book, and all their other works and then wait with anticipation for the next.

[russell barnes]

Visited friends from college this weekend, and this was handily placed in their bathroom - just right for a three-day visit.

My mum has loads of these books, so it's doubly worrying I also find something my mother and The Telegraph find amusing.