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R J Gould

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Mid-life follies: Humorous romance bursting with home truths Kindle Edition

by R J Gould (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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“A tale of self-doubt, adultery and forgiveness shot through with humour and compassion. A most enjoyable read.” David Lister, The Independent

Liz has no idea why she walked out on Hugh. Hugh has no idea why Liz walked out on him. Is she having a midlife crisis? Should he be having one, too? Oh dear - marriage! Just when you think life is sorted ...

When Liz flees their comfortable family home in Cambridge after twenty-three years of contented marriage, a baffled Hugh is left to figure out why his wife has abandoned him.

A succession of twists and turns are preventing a restoration to the normality that the couple increasingly crave as their children, parents and friends discover that immaturity is not solely the preserve of the young.

A satirical novel about the fragility of even the most robust relationships.

“Warm, witty, poignant…characters that stay with you.” June Flath, author of A Secret Affair and Lost and Found

“An insightful and enjoyable novel about relationships and life’s changes. Lovely!” EmmabBooks

“Modern life is captured in a completely recognizable way, the style is accessible, vivid and entertaining. Best bit of fiction I've read on this theme.”

“Laugh out loud funny and completely moving at the same time.”

Print length

297 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

January 15, 2020
File size

1173 KB
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R J Gould
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From the Publisher

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B083XYXBL6
Publisher ‏ : ‎ (January 15, 2020)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 15, 2020
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1173 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 297 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,461,095 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #308 in British Humor & Satire Literature
- #382 in British Contemporary Literature
- #1,234 in British & Irish Humor & Satire

Customer Reviews:
221

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R J Gould

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R J Gould is a rare male member of the UK Romantic Novelists’ Association, writing contemporary fiction about relationships using a mix of wry humour and pathos to describe the tragi-comic life journeys of his protagonists. He has been published by Headline Accent and Lume Books and also self-publishes.

Before becoming a full-time author he worked in the educational and charity sectors. In addition to his addiction to telling stories, he has somewhat milder addictions to playing tennis, watching film noir cinema, completing Wordle and eating dried mango slices.

R J Gould lives in Cambridge, England.

You can connect with him at www.rjgould.info, on twitter and Instagram @rjgould_author, and on Facebook at RJGouldauthor

Customer reviews

4 out of 5

221 global ratings

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G. M. Hudson

charming

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2020

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A lovely and insightful read on relationships and aging, how what is expected can go off into the ditch quite suddenly and take time to right itself.

Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2020

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Enjoyed and was dismayed at all of the miscues and misunderstandings for this pair through this life transition. Sometimes our emotions are so complex we need just pause as they defy description or understanding. Even by ourselves, let alone those closest to us.

Helpful

Mary van Ede

Not too sure how I felt about this book...

Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2020

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I received this book for free and am reviewing it voluntarily.

I am writing this review, to not give away any spoilers.

The tagline on the book states: Humorous romance bursting with home truths

Let's start with the good ...

As a 48 year old, I found that I identified with Liz to a large degree, which gave me a connection to her character. It was interesting to see how she digested all that was in her life, and all the new things that she discovered about herself as she went through what she did in the book. All this made her more human, and was part of the reason why I think I managed to connect so strongly with her.

Kiera on the other hand, made me fearful of what I had in store when my daughter turns 17 or around there, so I suppose I connected to some degree with her too. The shenanigans that she gets up to in the book, and how she related to her parents, had me shaking my head in disgust that it was allowed. Again I think the author did a good job there in getting the reader 'involved'.

I struggled to find the proclaimed humour in the book though, even though I am a huge fan of the dry Brit humour. Granted, there were a few instances where I did laugh out loud, so that is why I am putting this under the good part.

There were times where I was so frustrated with the characters and their lack of communication that I wanted to scream, this is good because I think that is what the author was trying to convey.

The jumping between characters, which usually drives me a bit cray-cray, was actually well done in that it gave the perspective of the same event from different people, which was interesting to see. As from the reader you have a perspective and have seen from both points, and then the characters perspectives paint that event in a totally different light. This also added somewhat to the humour and simultaneous frustration. Even though it seems that this might belong under the bad, it was actually good and worked quite well.

As for the bad ...

I wasn't terribly invested in the book, and finishing became somewhat of a small chore, as the book has a really slow pave, but I really wanted to see if issues were resolved and what happened, so I did persevere - and was glad in a way that I did.

The lack of humour of course needs to come under the bad as well, as I was really expecting more - perhaps it's more down to my unrealistic expectations, then on the author. However, when the tagline specifically mentions humour, I suppose that is creating an expectation? I'll leave you, the reader, to create your own opinion on whether or not their was sufficient humour.

I think my biggest criticism was the lack of humour and I didn't really connect with any of the other characters.

In conclusion, I feel that the book delivered somewhat on the tagline, as there were plenty of home truths and overall, the book was an enjoyable Sunday read, nothing to heavy (compared to what I generally read), and just enough to keep me turning the pages.

If you are someone who is looking for a non-violent, pleasant book with a smidgeon of humour, clean romance ... then this book is definitely worth a read.

If, as a reader, you are looking for a page-turning, thrill a minute roller coaster read ... then this is definitely not going to be worth your time.

5 people found this helpful

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Angie Hardy

Interesting

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2020

Intresting book I was given a free copy for an honest review.

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arthur levene

a book that nearly everyone's life experiences!

Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2020

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The novel is very humorous and engaging- an enjoyable and quick read, I romped through this book and quickly shared it around to friends and family. Looking forward to the next new novel from this author.

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Charlene Martin

Loved the Alternating Narrators!

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2020

⭐⭐⭐.5 / 5

I found this book brilliantly frustrating...in that it imitates life. Main characters Hugh and Liz have been married over twenty years, and they find themselves facing the challenges of middle age: an empty nest, aging bodies and fading appearances, and a sudden fear of what lies ahead. Liz is overcome by the realization that youthful beauty is indeed fleeting just as Hugh is ready to celebrate his first week of retirement. Taking Hugh completely by surprise, Liz decides she needs to take a break indefinitely, and months of heartache, search for identity, miscommunication, and misinterpretations ensue. Just as is common in life, the pair makes decisions based on assumptions and selfish motivations.

One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the alternating perspectives of Hugh and Liz. Obviously, there are ¨follies¨ that are revealed through this method of telling the story. Each character has foolish ways, but they don't see the foolishness from their narrow perspectives. The wry humor comes from their serious telling of the story while failing to recognize their own flaws and blunders. Their misconceptions could be easily resolved if they simply communicated with each other. It is fascinating to hear Hugh's interpretation of events, only to then discover Liz's thoughts. The reader knows things the characters do not, so this creates an enjoyable dramatic irony. It also allows the reader to feel frustrated at times, which clearly mirrors the confusion the characters experience at this stage in life. It left me wondering how much I overthink situations in my own life, assuming I know what another person is thinking.

I love a book that leaves me thinking about life and relationships on a deeper level. As I venture into this stage of life, I was confronted with similar insecurities and uncertainties that middle age seems to invite. I appreciated getting an intimate look into the thoughts of otherwise smart, grounded characters. The only part of this book that I didn’t like involved the characterization of Penny and her interactions with Liz. I felt like this relationship revealed a side of Liz that I just couldn’t buy. Liz was level-headed, and I don’t see her putting up with the irresponsible and flippant behaviors of Liz. There were many things about Liz that I just couldn’t connect with, and it kept me from diving into the bigger picture of why she was experiencing such a crisis. (However, I do think the fact that there isn’t much of a reason is part of the author’s message.) A lot of time was wasted on Liz’s time at Penny’s apartment, experimenting in numerous ways that really didn’t advance her character. For me, the part of the book that resonated most was the mistakes and misunderstandings as revealed through the alternating perspectives. It was certainly worth the read, and I would recommend to friends who enjoy the subject of the mid-life crisis.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Donna B

This was a very good book

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2020

I liked how it kept me glued to the book the entire time

Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2020

The description of a humorous story about midlife was intriguing, since I, a midlife, could use a bit of humor right now. I found the book to be sad though. Hugh gets into a few situations that could feel comedic, but overall he is just bumbling through life. I found Liz to be insufferable - unwilling to communicate her needs and then resentful and angry when they weren’t met. Both made mistakes - Hugh through inaction, and Liz through her choices. His tale was all too reminiscent of real life. The realness of the situation did make this a good read, albeit a bit draggy.

I received a free copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

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Top reviews from other countries

Rowena

It's R J Gould

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2023

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Of course it's brilliant he has such a wonderful way of seeing people and telling their story

Kindle Customer

A very realistic mid-life crisis

Reviewed in Canada on January 25, 2021

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This tales of a long married couple re-assessing their marriage at the point of retirement is well-written. I like the relationship with the young adult children. Their dalliances whilst apart seemed entirely possible and not contrived. The back of forth point of view between husband and wife in alternating chapters was a nice idea.

Safari Plum

A couple of laughs

Reviewed in Australia on July 13, 2021

Verified Purchase

Was a good story about coming to grips with the aging process and our mortality. A couple of small laughs, but I wouldn't label this as humorous. RJ Gould is a good writer and kept me engaged. For some reason it felt longer then it's 253 pages.

Kindle Customer

Good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 15, 2021

Verified Purchase

I gave this book 4* .The reason I didn't give it a 5 was that it ended very suddenly. Story revolves around a couple who suddenly find themselves thinking ' what's next ' and the mayhem that follows .It's an enjoyable , and at times funny read .It's a case of can they sort out their marriage , pick up where they've left out or have things gone too far.
There's a good mixture of love , life , death , family and friendships .This is only the 2nd book I've read by this author but look forward to reading more titles.

One person found this helpful

Bookmarked Reviews

A funny and perceptive tale of marriage

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 6, 2020

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My husband has recently embarked on a project of semi-retirement and is rattling about the house, making himself sound and look indispensable. Trying to understand my semi-retired spouse, I reached for Richard Gould’s Mid-Life Follies. I was intrigued by its premise: Hugh retires from many years in education, ready to sail into the Golden Age of idle pleasures in life. Instead, he finds himself in thralls of mid-life crisis brought about by some unexpected developments. It seems like his wife Liz is having second thoughts about their marriage.
The story takes us through their life together, both from his and her perspective while in the present time, they battle with doubts, temptations and mistakes, and the reader travels with them to see whether their marriage is strong enough to overcome them all. This book reminded me of Us by David Nicholls. Just like Us it dissects relationships at a stage when it is no longer about impulses and more about self- and mutual discovery.
Mid-Life Follies is witty (there were moments where I laughed out loud) as well as insightful and reflective. The characters are real – the sort of people you may have met and would find easy to relate to. They are well-fleshed out and multi-dimensional.
I really enjoyed this story and will read more of Richard Gould. All in all, a funny and perceptive tale. Highly recommended.

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