On the HahaFiction shelf
Oh Dear Silvia
by Dawn French
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.
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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.
More funny family comedy
Sources & further reading
- Publisher description
Book information
- Kirkus review
Review
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