This Book Will Save Your Life

Having read the book, I wondered what listening to it would give, but this is a well chosen narrator whose reading does the book definite justice.

This is well worth a listen, and a read. A book that gives you faith and hope to start over again.

One of my favourite ever Audible books is May We Be Forgiven also by A M Holmes. That book is so good, I was really hesitant to buy this one, in case it just didn't measure up. In fact, though there are some trade-mark parallels, This Book Will Save Your Life is not that similar and so comparisons are not helpful or relevant - except that both books are really about a second or third (or more) chance at life, happiness and finding your own way.

This book is dry, dark in places, (not as dark as May We Be Forgiven), often with wry humour. A host of clearly drawn characters swarm in and out of the book and the narrator does a very good job of making them live and helps to guide you with different 'voices'. His female characters OK, and he is great at all the male characters. I liked his voice, it suits the material. No character is so incidental that they don't get a fully rounded characterisation - even the Doctor's receptionist. Holmes does this with an economy and deftness that is very clever.

The story is incredibly simple - and also very convoluted, with slap-stick moments of surreal incidents at times. The coincidence of 'things' that start happening to Richard, the main character, is almost magical so don't bother trying to think along the lines of 'well THAT just wouldn't happen!' as I did at first - just go with it. It's a modern, Los Angeles fairy story really but with donuts and film stars and a hundred extras!

I didn't love it in the way I loved May We Be Forgiven but I knew that would be hard to do. However, I did really enjoy it and I recommend it.