Tuesday 16 September 2014

Read in 2014 - 33: The Only Way Is Up

Reading the title „The Only Way is Up“ of course instantly put the tune of that late 1980s (or was it early 90s?) pop song into my head – I wonder if it will be the same for you now reading this review!


So far, I had not come across the author, Carole Matthews, although she has published 22 “hugely successful” (according to her website, www.carolematthews.com) novels in 16 years. They are, as you’ve probably guessed from a glimpse at the cover picture, what generally is known as Chick Lit. My mother-in-law, Mary, gave this one to me during my stay in Ripon back in June. It is the kind of book she likes; nothing too terrible, a plot easy enough to follow, a bit of simple humour, and some kitchen-table wisdom thrown in for good measure. This type of reading does have its allure, I don’t deny it – it is good to wind down with after a long, demanding day at the office, and I did want to know what’ll happen next.

But what does actually happen? In brief: Rich family loses everything and discovers life isn’t all about money, and money can’t buy happiness.

Lily, Laurence and their two children return from a very expensive holiday to find their posh home has been repossessed by the bank – they can’t even get in to fetch some personal belongings. All they have left is what little cash they happened to be carrying and the holiday clothes in their suitcases. There is no way they can turn to any of their former “friends” – who prove not to have been true friends at all – but end up in a council housing estate of the worst kind. Everything there is very different from what life had been like for them until now: the rubbish tip that doubles for a terraced house and “garden”, the state school for the children (as opposed to the posh boarding schools they attended before), the shabby little shop offering low quality food for high prices, the run-down pub, the neighbours…
With surprising swiftness, the family settle into their new surroundings. Nearly all of their neighbours turn out very different from what they expected them to be at first glance; the children like their new school much better than the old one, and although it takes some time before Laurence finds a job, Lily surprises everyone by getting work nearly as soon as she starts looking.
But every time something good happens to the family, something else occurs that threatens to throw them back to Square One. Even Lily’s job, although well paid and not strenuous, begins to create more problems instead of solving them.

Of course, it wouldn’t be this kind of book if things weren’t going to end with happy smiles all around. But to get there is not a straight, easy line, and (although predictable more often than not) the twists and turns kept me wanting to read on. The idea of what happens if you have to start over from scratch, and how different people react under the same (extreme) circumstances, is fascinating. I’ve had my own share of life-changing events (although so far the bank has not attempted to evict me from my flat – and hopefully never will!), so I can sympathize to an extent.

One thing I have remarked upon in what I’ll broadly class as “contemporary British novels” several times here in my reviews is the amount of booze consumed by the characters, and “The Only Way is Up” is no exception.
Everything that happens – good or bad – is an excuse for drinking. Lily finds a job? Get the cheap white wine out! The neighbour has a problem with a credit shark? Fetch the brandy! Laurence discovers the joy in working on an allotment? Hand him a beer or four! And of course, as is the habit of this type of book, it is always very, very funny (not in my eyes) the way people behave when they are drunk. I am actually a little surprised that Mary, who enjoyed the book enough to have given it to me, wasn’t bothered by all that drinking. She never drinks any alcohol and has had unpleasant experiences with alcoholism in her own family more than once. Please don’t get me wrong; I do drink alcohol, heck – I even throw cocktail parties for my birthdays and other occasions – and certainly like a few glasses of sparkling wine, but I simply don’t see the point in drinking all the time, or getting so plastered that the day after you either can’t remember what was going on or you remember only too well and are ashamed about what you did (and who with). If you’ve ever been out with me, you’ll know I am certainly not a spoilsports. I just can’t see why people (= characters in books) can’t have fun without copious amounts of booze.

OK, that was my rant for today. I did like the book well enough but I’m afraid I would never spend any money on Carole Matthews works.

14 comments:

  1. Sadly, I think you are right about the British drinking. Some of my husband's relatives measure the success of the parties they give by the number of empty bottles in the rubbish bin the next morning. Since neither my husband nor I drink very much -- like you, a glass of wine with dinner is usually enough -- it's made for some rather long, and dreary evenings watching the rest of the clan get blotto. And some of the fights my niece's mother-in-law and her husband get into have to be seen to be believed! I can't believe they haven't all died of cirrhosis of the liver long since.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When I am in Yorkshire visiting family, I never see them drinking much more than a pint or two at the pub, or a glass of wine with a meal. And when they talk about parties or gatherings with colleagues and friends, they don't mention large amounts of alcohol, either. But I have seen enough young people in the streets at night - in Ripon and in Scarborough and elsewhere - to know that a lot of them really drink heavily. They'd probably consider me a total bore!

      Delete
  2. Well......I think I may give this one a pass, even though I do prefer happy endings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now that you've read my review, there is not much you're missing out on by not reading the book, Kristi!

      Delete
  3. I find the same tendency (with drinking) in TV series and I'd probably react the same way as you with this book, so not really tempted to read it. I grew up in a family where no one used alcohol and most of my friends over the years haven't either (so never any reason for me to take to it either) - we managed to have fun on just tea (or coffee)... And remembering it afterwards! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I probably watch different series from you (not many apart from Midsomer Murders anyway), because I haven't noticed it there that much. Like you, I can have plenty of fun without booze - even on just plain water :-)
      But I do like a nice cocktail every now and then, or a glass of sparkling wine when the occasion presents itself - just not to mark each and every moment of my life!

      Delete
  4. BTW, I ordered a pair of socks from your mother's website...I wonder if she saw it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She did, Kristi, and I put the envelope in the mailbox on Sunday :-)
      Thank you!

      Delete
  5. Doesn't sound like my kind of book either. I too puzzle about the love of drinking - I ought to know by now, of course, having lived here for so long. But I don't ....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad I am not the only one who finds this puzzling (and somewhat irritating)!

      Delete
  6. The whole subject of alcohol consumption is one which will have to be addressed at some stage simply because the countries' health services will soon be overrun by illness induced by two things obesity and alcohol (and, of course, there is a link between the two as well). I was brought up in a house with virtually no alcohol but I do drink alcohol. I got very drunk once: about 52 years ago and that was once too many. Whilst I may enjoy more than some of your commenters at a dinner party with friends, oddly I usually drink very little if at all at larger gatherings and social occasions like parties.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are right, Graham, the issue is much bigger with more widespread consequences than just the occasional hangover for those who have been a bit too merry the night before.
      Trouble is, nobody wants the "nanny state" - but then people should stop behaving dafter than kids who do need a nanny.

      Delete
  7. I've noticed the alcohol in English books, and television shows. It just seems to be part of the culture, and no one in these (fictional) stories seems very bothered about it. I've read that there is a real problem with younger people and alcohol. Of course it is over here as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I suppose it is in every country - at least in what we call the "Western" world - that drinking is a big problem, especially with young people. How much of it could be influenced in a positive manner if books and TV shows weren't so casual about the topic is hard to say.

      Delete