Cooking with Fernet Branca - James Hamilton-Paterson

The two characters who head alternate chapters of James Hamilton-Paterson's book, Gerald and Marta, seem to be complete caricatures. Gerald is a snobbish, self-important feeble writer, and Marta an Eastern European composer, not too attractive, with gangster connections.

I do believe this is supposed to be a comic novel. I certainly hope so, because otherwise it would be even worse than it seems. It is boring and contrived and long before the end I had ceased to care what happened to either character.

If you are feeling low this book will lift your spirits. A delightful soufflé. With the very different Charles and Wada who have come to this northern Italian hillside to follow their separate muses in complete isolation only to discover they are neighbours. Will they get together or not?

Chortle Chortle very very funny, a must read!