Is There Anything You Want?

by Margaret Forster

What do Mrs H, Rachel, Edwina, Ida, Sarah, Dot, Chrissie have in common? They're all women, but beyond that they're fat, thin, old, young, professional, incompetent - and appear to be as diverse as human nature can be. But they are all survivors.

This compelling novel follows the ripples that go out into ordinary lives, women's lives in particular, which have been scarred and changed by a shared experience, all connected by the same hospital clinic in a small Northern town. This is a novel about what it means to live in the shadow of disease and with its scars, whether mental and physical, looking back over one's shoulder while trying to go forward. You can trip up or, if you're careful, you might make it . . .

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Margaret Forster was educated at the Carlisle and County High School for Girls. From here she won an Open Scholarship to Somerville College, Oxford where in 1960 she was awarded an honours degree in History.

From 1963 Margaret Forster worked as a novelist, biographer and freelance literary critic, contributing regularly to book programmes on television, to Radio 4 and various newpapers and magazines.

Forster was married to the writer, journalist and broadcaster Hunter Davies. They lived in London. and in the Lake District. They had three children, Caitlin, Jake and Flora.

Reviews

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very typical Margaret Forster territory -- not as harrowing as Have the Men Had Enough?, but still very real. I read another review that said reading her books is a little like overhearing conversations on a bus, snatches of other people's lives, with no definitive conclusions. Just as on the bus, some of those people are more interesting than others. Here all of them are contending with disease or helplessness, not always in obvious ways. The reactions of the cancer patients and their families in particular rang very true -- but despite the setting, cancer is not the only challenge that is addressed here.

For me the character that touched me the most was Mrs Hibbert, so much in need of help and friendship herself, but so blind to it. As always in Margaret Forster's novels, you recognise parts of yourself in her characters, and not always parts you are proud of. This book prompts you to examine your own motivations and unacknowledged needs, and wonder how well you really understand the people around you.

[Kate Stjohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rambling and conversational in style and despite the subject matter was easy to read and not at all depressing... well drawn characters that are in every community ...delightful book...

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my normal sort of book, which are usually adventure novels of some sort, which tend to be action packed, scientific or about real people rather than concentrating on characters.

When I began the book I was worried about how I would cope with it, as some of the subjects are closer to home than I am totally comfortable with dealing with. As several other reviewers have mentioned it is a little like overhearing conversations on a bus. Where you hear snatches of other people's lives, with no definitive start or conclusions. Just as on the bus, some of those people are more interesting than others, some that you wish would say more and others less. It is also a book where you can recognise parts of yourself in the characters, and not always parts that you are proud of. In some places the book prompts you to examine your own motivations and unacknowledged needs, and wonder how well you really understand and interact with the people around you.

The book is rambling and conversational in style and despite the subject matter it was a lot easier to read than expected and not at all depressing. The characters are all well drawn, with well textured characters, that who have flaws that drive you up the wall, as well as sound attributes that make them human.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a choice for one of my book group members, i hadnt before heard of this author. I admit to feeling a bit apprehensive starting this book, as I felt it wouldnt appeal to me, being very slow paced, very descriptive , and covering a short period of time in the lives of the characters. However, once I had started to read it and became used to the simplistic writing and slow pace of the book, I too began to "slow down" and be absorbed in the characters . It is almost an everyday story of a few folk, going about their business, yet all caught within one serious area, the cancer clinic of a hospital, and thus the reader learns about the individuals and how they are coping, or not. I did tend to get a bit torn between being sympathetic and frustrated with some of the characters but then I felt this was normal, as with real life we all can experience those emotions with people we come into contact with .

Although I did enjoy the book I cannot really rate it higher than three stars.

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comforting read (surprising as it deals with disease and the shadow of death). Book passed on from a friend after a dinner party at her house. Forster’s books present textured characters who have flaws as well as sound attributes. Interesting device used in this book which links several women from their connection to a breast cancer clinic. The book can’t help but encourage self reflection on ones interactions with lovers, family, friends, co-workers, the youth of today, the aged, the newly retired...
No big picture stuff addressed directly. I think Forster sees the big picture as the trillions of ordinary interactions that occur for us all. Rather self satisfied last chapter which ends, as it started, with Mrs Hibbert.

[Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margaret Forster is a great writer, who I enjoy a lot. Her biographies are an interesting read and her fiction is easy to read but fascinating.
Having said that I found this book just a little light on content. The characters are all women except the new vicar and an abusive (?) husband and a couple more. Each is well presented and it's always interesting to wonder how Forster could get inside so many different people's heads and describe people I've known!
Fun to read but not her greatest.

[Clare Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quite haunting book at times about a series of women who are linked to a clinic in a hospital in England that treats breast cancer. Each person's story is told and has a link to several others. It is not sentimental but very moving and I want to find out what happens after the book finished.

[Bethan Scriven · Rating 4 out of 5]

À

[Jackie Worboys · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kept hoping this would pick up. I struggled finding it all a bit too sad and depressing.

[Jan White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not her best but I always enjoy her style of writing

[Lauren Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the jumping around among so many characters sometimes got confusing (I kept going back to the beginning to try to remember who was who), I liked the way that Forster connects their lives, sometimes in very subtle ways. The center of the story is a cancer clinic but I didn't see the book as being about cancer. The story is about how different people deal with pain and trauma--some by needing care from others, some by needing to offer care (whether wanted or not!) and some by trying to ignore their pain altogether. Forster reminds us that sometimes those who offer care need it themselves though they sometimes are unwilling or unable to ask for it.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've had this on my shelf for ages - a summer read picked up several years ago. I think I've started it before but not finished it. Took it to read on a train journey this time - doubt I'd have finished it otherwise! Slow to get into - felt more like a collection of short stories about different characters than a novel. Some connection, but not enough to tie the book together. Would have been good to know more about how things ended for the characters.

[Dora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am quite a Margaret Forster fan but this book rambled a bit and I wasn’t sure I would enjoy it.

I would prefer it if MF used shorter paragraphs and also the typeface is very small, which I have noticed and dislike in several of her books.

MF’s descriptions of people are so thorough that you feel you know them and you feel like you are peering down on them from above.

I can’t say I really enjoyed this book but it was full of characters who each had something that drew you to them.

[Kirsty Darbyshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catching up with a big backlog of read books, hence very short writeups.

A book that rambles through the lives of a group of loosely connected women. They are all linked in some way to a hospital clinic and in a twist of fate I ended up reading it in hospital myself. Enjoyable, but not my favourite Forster by a long way.

[Sarah]

I didn't like this book. I was my second Margaret Forster book, and I'm glad it wasn't my first as I doubt I would have picked up another. I did like the linkages between the charaters, but there were a few where I couldn't remember who they were by the time they were mentiond again. The book was not thought provoking, and I'm glad I didn't have to spend time discussing it with people!

[Ange · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Margaret Forster but I left this one on the shelf for while before I tried it. I just thought it was going to be overly mushy and sentimental. I should have known better. That is not Margaret Forster's style. This is nicely written, sensitive and thoughtful. I enjoyed it though I don't think it is one of her best. Still, I'm surprised it has so few reviews on Goodreads.

[Philip S Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a library book group, even though it wouldn't have been my choice of title. It's an excellent example of character development, but there wasn't enough of a plot for me. There were also a confusing number of narrators/viewpoint characters, of whom I could identify most with the Vicar. So an interesting read, but not the most enjoyable.

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

on Monday, June 30, 2008 I wrote about this book:

Wow another book that took me long to read.
maybe how I read it wasn't the best way. Every time a little bit while reading other books.
I did find it an interesting thing. I always love to read books about various women.

[Caroline Hedges · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a disappointing read. The story started well and I enjoyed the progression of each persons story but then it rushed at the end and nothing was tied up. There was too much inner monologue of each character and not enough dialogue so I found myself skipping over much of their musings.

[93bcn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review here

[Bronwen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was pretty bad, nothing seemed to get finalised. Would not recommend it.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed it very much but wanted more.

[Gail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written, but not very interesting.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started as a 1, became a 2, and ended up a 3.

A novel of character studies, of sorts.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last line resonated with me "What fools people were to think they could manage on their own"

[Jan Laney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Characters and style quite old-fashioned. Depressing subject matter.

[Mary Barnard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margaret Forster doing what she does best - getting inside the minds of her characters.

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absorbing study of how several women survive or endure the traumas in their lives.

[Catherine Bilton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not quite as dull as dishwater but not far off. There were too many characters and I had to keep flicking back to check who was who. There was no real story either and I didn't like the writing style. Sentences seemed to ramble on and I was never quite sure who was talking. My first Margaret Forster book and probably the last. I won it at a fundraiser so am glad I didn't part with any money. Not my cup of tea.