# Oh Dear Silvia

By Dawn French

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/oh-dear-sylvia-197cad16/

Silvia Shute lies in a coma after falling from a balcony. The friends and relatives who visit her bedside tell incompatible versions of her life, gradually exposing a secret Silvia cannot explain for herself.

## What makes it funny?

Silvia’s sister Jo brings increasingly unlikely cures to the hospital, including a male stripper. Silvia remains silent while visitors make the bedside an outlet for their own grievances and preoccupations.

### The comedy at work

French builds the book from alternating voices, giving each visitor a different claim on the unconscious woman. Profane speech and exaggerated personalities interrupt the darker family story.

### Try this if…

This suits readers interested in a British family drama told through comic character performances and a gradually uncovered mystery.

### Good to know

The setup involves a serious fall, unconsciousness and estrangement. Kirkus disliked the broad voices and repetitive visits, finding the comic effects strained; the publisher presents a warmer account of the humor.

## What to expect

- Genre: Contemporary & literary
- On the shelf: Family comedy
- Kind of humor: Dark comedy
- Format: Novel

## Sources & further reading

- Book information: [Publisher description](https://books.apple.com/us/book/oh-dear-silvia/id6472882107)
- Review: [Kirkus review](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/dawn-french/oh-dear-silvia)