A Spot of Bother

Infobox Book
name = A Spot of Bother
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Book cover, paperback ed.
author = Mark Haddon
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = flag|England
language = English
series =
subject =
genre = Mortality Psychology
publisher = Doubleday
pub_date = August 31, 2006
english_pub_date =
media_type = Fiction
pages = 354
isbn = ISBN 0385520514 ISBN 9780385520515
oclc = 69124422
preceded_by = The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
followed_by =

"A Spot of Bother" is the second adult novel by the author Mark Haddon, who is best known as the writer of his prize-winning first novel "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time".

This is Haddon's second novel to deal with mental health issues from the point-of-view of the patient, the first being "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time".

An early excerpt of "A Spot of Bother" (at that point titled "Blood and Scissors") was published in the book "New Beginnings", the proceeds from which benefited the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

About the author

Haddon was born in 1962 in Northampton, England. Haddon studied for a bachelor of arts in English language at Merton College, Oxford, and eventually graduated in 1981.cite web|url=http://www.jubileebooks.co.uk/jubilee/magazine/authors/mark_haddon/haddon_profile.asp|title=Mark Haddon|accessdate=2008-08-04|publisher=Julie Books.com]

Plot

The novel follows George Hall, a 58-year-old hypochondriac, and his family through life following George's recent retirement from his work in manufacturing playground equipment. George suffers a deteriorating mental state. He spots a skin lesion on his hip and believes is a fatal cancer, despite reassurance from his doctor that it is only eczema. In an attempt to remove the leison with a pair of scissors, George nearly bleeds to death. Despite this, George decides not to tell his wife Jean about his cancer fears. Meanwhile, George and Jean's daughter, Katie a single mother, has announced her plans to marry Ray, a person disapproved of by George, Jean, and Katie's brother Jamie. Despite his dependability, Ray is deemed too discomfitingly working-class for George, Jean, and Jamie's liking.

George is coming to terms with Jamie's recently disclosed gay identity. Jaime is invited to Katie's wedding, along with his partner Tony. Jamie and Tony are having trouble in their relationship, which increasingly depresses George. Jamie neglects to invite Tony to his Katie's wedding, believing that Tony will be uncomfortable and Tony walks out on Jaime. Ray grows increasingly worried that Katie is only with him for his house and his ability to be a good father figure for her son. George begins to suffer from extreme panic attacks which worsen after George discovers his wife Jean is having an affair with David, George's former colleague. To avoid this terrible new insight George deliberately occupies himself with other pursuits as his slow decline into dementia continues.

Reception

The book received mixed reviews from critics. In his review of the book, Michael Dirda of "The Washington Post" called the book "superbly entertaining", adding "...half the time while reading A Spot of Bother you won't be sure whether to laugh or cry. Which is, I suppose, precisely the point."cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/14/AR2006091401390.html|title=Michael Dirda|accessdate=2008-07-20|first=Michael|last=Dirda|date=September 17, 2006|publisher="The Washington Post"] Mindy Laube of Australian newspaper "The Sydney Morning Herald" was critical of the book, writing "while the characterisation can't be faulted, A Spot of Bother fails to fulfil its early promise. What initially shapes up as a disquietingly soft stab in the human heart turns obvious and formulaic. Haddon's examination of the contours of love is forensic in its insight but a sentimental undertow proves too alluring to resist."cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/book-reviews/a-spot-of-bother/2006/10/13/1160246316343.html|title=A Spot of Bother|accessdate=2008-07-20|first=Mindy|last=Laube|date=October 14, 2006|publisher="The Sydney Morning Herald"]

References