On the HahaFiction shelf
The Amateurs
Gary would like children and a better golf handicap. His wife Pauline is planning a different future with a carpet millionaire, while his brother Lee has dangerous obligations to local gangsters. A golf ball to the head gives Gary an extraordinary swing, and the family’s problems converge on the Open Championship.
From the publisher’s blurb
“Only two things would improve his life”Read the full description at Penguin’s description
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What makes it funny?
Niven puts an improbable sporting success inside a criminal mess. David Quantick’s review finds farcical trouble among the gangsters and golf, with sympathy for Gary surviving the violence. Book-group readers enjoy the swearing and tangled caper; some say they laughed despite having no interest in golf.
The comedy at work
Gary’s sudden skill offers him a way forward while the people around him pursue affairs, money and criminal schemes. The different viewpoints let those plans collide with his sporting ambitions.
Try this if…
Golf knowledge is optional according to readers in book groups. A taste for foul-mouthed Scottish crime comedy, sympathetic failures and farce matters more.
Good to know
Expect extensive swearing and severe violence. The novel also uses Gary’s acquired Tourette’s after the accident as part of its comedy, which may affect whether the humor suits you.
More funny contemporary & literary
Sources & further reading
- Reader discussion
Reader discussion
- Publisher: ebook and synopsis
Publisher
- Caught by the River: David Quantick’s review
Review
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