What do you think?
Rate this book
Terms & Conditions #2
Unconditional
In Terms & Conditions, an amnesiac lawyer rebuilds his memory by drafting the Contract of his Life. But things unspool as memories pour in and Frank realises the condition of his life is a mess and the terms are rarely in his favour. Appreciating that life is all about the details, Frank plots his spectacular revenge in small print. In this emotional sequel, Unconditional, Frank strives to erase the fine print riddling his mind in the hope of achieving a more spontaneous life. In his quest for purity, Frank falls in love, moves to Thailand, and everyone lives happily ever after.* *Not really.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 14, 2018
3 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Robert Glancy
8 books53 followersI was born in Zambia and raised in Malawi – a country known as the Warm Heart of Africa but made famous as the place where Madonna finds her children.
At 14 I moved from the warm heart of Africa to the cold lungs of Edinburgh, where I discovered the true meaning of the term ‘culture shock’.
After Edinburgh I studied history at Cambridge. Then off to London where, before I had time to find a career, a career in communications found me.
In my search to return to warmer weather, I moved to beautiful New Zealand in 2003, where I have lived ever since with my wife and two children. Except for 2014 where I moved to France and divided my time very unevenly between cat-sitting and writing my second book. The cat just about survived - sorry Molly! - and I finished my second book - Please Do Not Disturb.
I am now back in New Zealand writing book three.
My first book, Terms & Conditions, launched in 2014.
My second book, Please Do Not Disturb, is being published by Bloomsbury in 2016.
As well as writing books, I have also written articles for The Guardian, The Independent, Daily Telegraph, Conde Nast and Esquire.
At 14 I moved from the warm heart of Africa to the cold lungs of Edinburgh, where I discovered the true meaning of the term ‘culture shock’.
After Edinburgh I studied history at Cambridge. Then off to London where, before I had time to find a career, a career in communications found me.
In my search to return to warmer weather, I moved to beautiful New Zealand in 2003, where I have lived ever since with my wife and two children. Except for 2014 where I moved to France and divided my time very unevenly between cat-sitting and writing my second book. The cat just about survived - sorry Molly! - and I finished my second book - Please Do Not Disturb.
I am now back in New Zealand writing book three.
My first book, Terms & Conditions, launched in 2014.
My second book, Please Do Not Disturb, is being published by Bloomsbury in 2016.
As well as writing books, I have also written articles for The Guardian, The Independent, Daily Telegraph, Conde Nast and Esquire.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 11, 2019
“Over and over I kept thinking a thought, which held in its centre some hope: ‘Surely a man as dull as me can’t die in such a sensational manner.’ Being a black belt in denial, I convinced myself of this, and relaxed a little. Right up to the moment a soldier aimed his rifle at my face.”
Unconditional is the third novel by Zambian-born, Malawi-raised New Zealand author, Robert Glancy. It is a sequel to Terms and Conditions. Having abandoned his career as a corporate lawyer, Franklyn Shaw and his girlfriend, Sandra Marlow head off to Thailand. It’s where Frank’s younger, perhaps somewhat dissolute, brother Malcolm lives. Certainly, Malcolm was always a free spirit and maybe a bit of a hippie, having rejected the family law firm early on. Malcolm “was everything I was not: adventurous, spontaneous, hilarious, alive.”
But now, unsure quite what to expect, Frank is surprised by his brother. Soon he and Sandra find themselves teaching classes of Thai children. Malcolm is enthusiastic about helping Frank “to erase the fine print suffocating my life, to stop double-thinking … to be a better human being.” Hot coals, bungee jumping, sensory deprivation… When one of these lands him in hospital, Sandra comments “If finding yourself means killing yourself, you should call off the search.”
Tragedy causes Frank to realise that, for all his living and working in Thailand, getting married and fathering a child, he is still just as ineffectual as he ever was. What will save Frank is when he is not the one who needs saving.
As is fitting for an ex-corporate lawyer, the novel takes on the format of a list of Conditions broken down further with headings, sub-headings and, of course, footnotes. And it is worth the effort to read every one of those footnotes, although readers of Terms and Conditions who are of a certain vintage will be grateful to know that, this time, the font size of footnotes generated by footnotes generated by the body of the text does not successively diminish. Several emails and a letter also add to the narrative, and Frank puts the legal technique of redaction to its best ever use.
Glancy’s characters are easily believable and realistically flawed. Most have some appeal, for all their quirks, and he gives them abundant words of wisdom and insightful observations about human behaviour. “Time is a tug of war between happy people wishing it would slow down and sad people wishing it away” and “… you could do anything you want with life, and one of the best things to do is bring a little beauty, meaning substance to all the random chaos. That’s all you’re expected to do. Life is meaningless, you have to breathe meaning into it” are examples.
So much in this marvellous novel will have the reader chuckling, snickering and laughing out loud, but there is also drama and excitement and a few lump-in-the-throat moments that may induce tears. The text eventually gives meaning to the beautiful cover. While it can be read stand-alone, there are major spoilers for Terms and Conditions, so readers may want to give themselves the guaranteed pleasure of reading that novel first.
Glancy wraps his tale in some wonderful descriptive prose, to which these will attest: “Though physically tiny, Tan was emotionally enormous, a lion who’d slay anyone who threatened her pride” and “… my brain abandoned all reason, rolling like a hubcap flung off its wheel, wobbling into a ditch” and “When we crawled out on our hands and knees we were spent, falling flat on the sand, water lapping our feet like a dog apologising for a game that had got out of hand.” This is an outstanding sequel, full of humour and wit, moving and ultimately uplifting.
Unconditional is the third novel by Zambian-born, Malawi-raised New Zealand author, Robert Glancy. It is a sequel to Terms and Conditions. Having abandoned his career as a corporate lawyer, Franklyn Shaw and his girlfriend, Sandra Marlow head off to Thailand. It’s where Frank’s younger, perhaps somewhat dissolute, brother Malcolm lives. Certainly, Malcolm was always a free spirit and maybe a bit of a hippie, having rejected the family law firm early on. Malcolm “was everything I was not: adventurous, spontaneous, hilarious, alive.”
But now, unsure quite what to expect, Frank is surprised by his brother. Soon he and Sandra find themselves teaching classes of Thai children. Malcolm is enthusiastic about helping Frank “to erase the fine print suffocating my life, to stop double-thinking … to be a better human being.” Hot coals, bungee jumping, sensory deprivation… When one of these lands him in hospital, Sandra comments “If finding yourself means killing yourself, you should call off the search.”
Tragedy causes Frank to realise that, for all his living and working in Thailand, getting married and fathering a child, he is still just as ineffectual as he ever was. What will save Frank is when he is not the one who needs saving.
As is fitting for an ex-corporate lawyer, the novel takes on the format of a list of Conditions broken down further with headings, sub-headings and, of course, footnotes. And it is worth the effort to read every one of those footnotes, although readers of Terms and Conditions who are of a certain vintage will be grateful to know that, this time, the font size of footnotes generated by footnotes generated by the body of the text does not successively diminish. Several emails and a letter also add to the narrative, and Frank puts the legal technique of redaction to its best ever use.
Glancy’s characters are easily believable and realistically flawed. Most have some appeal, for all their quirks, and he gives them abundant words of wisdom and insightful observations about human behaviour. “Time is a tug of war between happy people wishing it would slow down and sad people wishing it away” and “… you could do anything you want with life, and one of the best things to do is bring a little beauty, meaning substance to all the random chaos. That’s all you’re expected to do. Life is meaningless, you have to breathe meaning into it” are examples.
So much in this marvellous novel will have the reader chuckling, snickering and laughing out loud, but there is also drama and excitement and a few lump-in-the-throat moments that may induce tears. The text eventually gives meaning to the beautiful cover. While it can be read stand-alone, there are major spoilers for Terms and Conditions, so readers may want to give themselves the guaranteed pleasure of reading that novel first.
Glancy wraps his tale in some wonderful descriptive prose, to which these will attest: “Though physically tiny, Tan was emotionally enormous, a lion who’d slay anyone who threatened her pride” and “… my brain abandoned all reason, rolling like a hubcap flung off its wheel, wobbling into a ditch” and “When we crawled out on our hands and knees we were spent, falling flat on the sand, water lapping our feet like a dog apologising for a game that had got out of hand.” This is an outstanding sequel, full of humour and wit, moving and ultimately uplifting.
December 29, 2018
I just loved this sequel to Terms and Conditions and I laughed and almost cried in equal measure. It is chock full of wise anecdotes about life, love and relationships. A very welcome addition to my holiday reading and a five star read to top off another great year of books, discussion and all its pleasures.
December 26, 2018
His best yet
I laughed out loud and cried and cried. I am tempted to say it’s his best yet. Absolutely loved it. There is nothing predictable about Glancy’s storylines- the twists and turns make for the best journey. More please!
I laughed out loud and cried and cried. I am tempted to say it’s his best yet. Absolutely loved it. There is nothing predictable about Glancy’s storylines- the twists and turns make for the best journey. More please!
February 12, 2020
Robert Glancy’s debut novel Terms & Conditions was one of my favourite books of 2014. It was ingeniously told, fast-paced, and literally laugh-out-loud funny. In it he introduced us to a group of audacious characters that felt so genuine. I wanted to know more of their life stories, beyond that novel’s conclusion — and none more so than Frank’s free-spirited younger brother Malcolm.
Unconditional‘s steamy Thailand island setting is about as far as you could get from Frank’s past buttoned-up life in London, but nonetheless this reconnection with much-loved characters felt like a homecoming. Alongside Frank and girlfriend Sandra, readers get to know Frank’s brother Malcolm, the many layers of his life and colourful people in it. Contine reading >> https://bookloverbookreviews.com/2020...
Unconditional‘s steamy Thailand island setting is about as far as you could get from Frank’s past buttoned-up life in London, but nonetheless this reconnection with much-loved characters felt like a homecoming. Alongside Frank and girlfriend Sandra, readers get to know Frank’s brother Malcolm, the many layers of his life and colourful people in it. Contine reading >> https://bookloverbookreviews.com/2020...
December 29, 2021
The first book was like a multi-lane highway that eventually wove together to produce one final destination. It was intricate and hilarious from start to finish. On the other hand, this second book started off rough like an unpaved, one-way road. I had a difficult time getting through the beginning because it lacked a bit of what I'd grown accustomed to in the first book, but on page 52, it all finally clicked into place...the dirt road became paved, and the ride was suddenly smooth. It felt like there was purpose to this sequel, and I was excited to see the continuation of the character's journey. Although still a one-way road in comparison to the first book, it fits the story, which was different* in the best of ways and quite beautiful**. The second book is nothing like the first book where pieces come together to create one whole. It was instead a journey from one point in life to another, and I'm happy I got to read it.
*So very different! Reminds of me of the character and how he changed himself.
**SUCH a good story!
*So very different! Reminds of me of the character and how he changed himself.
**SUCH a good story!
March 17, 2025
I loved Robert Glancy's Terms And Conditions, but whereas that novel had a brilliantly simple but effective premise executed with verve, wit and empathy, Unconditional felt rushed, forced and mawkish. The humour didn't quite sing as it did I'm the first novel, although it started off funny enough, that soon disappeared with a series of bold swings and misses, and the dramatic elements felt contrived and even emotionally manipulative at times.
A massive disappointment.
A massive disappointment.
February 26, 2024
Was pleased I kept reading as in the second half the story takes off in depth and content.
November 9, 2022
I really enjoyed this book - it’s characters, it’s content and also it’s format. It was a refreshing and inciteful representation of deep emotions from the male perspective. The females in this novel are extremely important to its plot, but the focus is definitely on both the main and peripheral male characters. I suspect I would’ve enjoyed this book even more if I had read the prequel, Terms and Conditions, first. It would have lined up why and how the protagonist ended up at this stage in his life, but having said that, it is still possible to read and enjoy this as a stand-alone.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews