Man and Boy - Tony Parsons Reviews

'Man and Boy' is a novel written by Tony Parsons, that was first published in 1999. It was a commercial success, and in 2001 the book was awarded the 'British Book of the Year', by the UK publishing industry trade journal: 'Publishing News'. The protagonist in the book 'Harry Silver' is living a life that most people would be ...  Read the complete review

Tony Parson's book Man and Boy was published in 1999 so I am somewhat late in discovering both the book and it's author in 2009. I picked up the book in a charity shop one day when I had nothing on me to read, drawn to it by the fact that it had won British Book of the Year and the Irish Times review on the cover saying that it ...  Read the complete review

‘Unashamedly touching…….. funny and well-written’ said The Daily Telegraph, ‘Extremely average, and actually quite dull at times’ says Tripley. Oh dear, when people started to talk of a book being ‘better than Hornby’ I instantly decided that they were talking trash – its rare that I’m ...  Read the complete review

What an emotional rolercoaster this book is. Harry silver has a gorgeous wife called gina who had given her career up for him, together they have a beatiful son called pat. harry manages to negotiate a tricky move from the local radio station to there own tv show managing a great tv personality. A new woman starts working for ...  Read the complete review

Man and Boy. An excellent book says the cover, and various critics. But can a book really live up to such expectations? Well, when I purchased it I hope so, and thankfully it does. Not since Harry Potter and The Beach, have I found a book that I couldn't put down. Although the chapters are realitively short, (there are 30+), I managed ...  Read the complete review

Harry Silver - the silly sod - has a one night stand and stuffs his life up ! Or does he ? Married with the best looking child in England (or so it seems, but then we all think that don't we?)we are introduced to Harry's World of perfection, beautiful wife, good job and then he blows it. Harry is introduced to us a ...  Read the complete review

A cautionary tale about knowing how to look after the things which should be precious but are too often taken for granted. Harry is well set up - he is married to a beautiful woman who gave up her career for him. Together they have a gorgeous child, Pat. He is going places, having succesfully negotiated the tricky move from radio to TV ...  Read the complete review

The British Book Awards made ‘Man and Boy’ book of the year. Is this a case of finding any old obscure award nominator to give a prize, so it can be quoted on the book’s front cover? THE STORY Harry is married to Gina and they have a son, Pat. One day, Harry throws away everything with a one night stand. His ...  Read the complete review

Tony Parsons is well known as a newspaper columnist for the Mirror. He has written for many other publications over the years, including The Daily Mail, Elle, Marie Claire, Sunday Times and GQ to name but a few. I was however interested to see how he faired when it came to writing longer pieces such as a novel, so I decided to try his first novel ...  Read the complete review

Isn't that the truth. The title I mean. Life isn't what you see in films is it? Real life is hard, cruel, bitter and twisted. Life can also be joyous, ecstatic, meaningful and full of love. Love. Love that lasts. Can love really last for eternity? Well this is what Harry Silver is about to find out just as he hits his thirtieth birthday. ...  Read the complete review

As Man and Boy opens, Harry Silver is about to turn 30. I just turned 30 myself. It was never something that bothered me until its imminent arrival ….. and then it happened. Suddenly, I feel too old to be young when viewed by the 17 year old office junior but not nearly wise enough to be perceived as anything more than a young ...  Read the complete review

I have just finished this book with great disappointment at having to put it down. Man and Boy is not one of those airy-fairy, everything turns out well in the end fantasies, Man and Boy is about relationships; failed ones and strong ones, things you want but can't have, disappointment, heartache and giving up things that you don't ...  Read the complete review

There's a tune running through my head at the moment and it's driving me mad. I know I've heard it before, but where and what it is, I just can't recall. It all started a couple of days ago when I bought "man and boy" (sic) by Tony Parsons. I sat down to start reading and within minutes, the notes of the elusive ...  Read the complete review

I’ve just discovered Tony Parsons. Don’t snigger, you who’ve known him for ages, in case you’re old enough, from the seventies, first as a music journalist who has become a cult figure on the grounds of his interviews with The Clash, Sex Pistols, Blondie, Talking Heads, later, in the eighties for his journalistic ...  Read the complete review

I shake my head in amazement. How can a book get to me so much. I?ll tell you how ? because it was so bloody wonderfully written. It is a superb account of the relationship between a 4 year old son and his father. A father that loves the smell of his son when he wakes up ? his hair a mess, and eyes half asleep. I suppose that having a ...  Read the complete review

Having heard rave reviews about this book, and Amazon having an irresistible 3 for £10 offer on, I decided to order it. My friend told me he cried reading this book and we have pretty similar tastes in books so I was looking forward to reading it. Out of my 3 books that Amazon sent, I chose to read ‘Man and Boy’ first. ...  Read the complete review

Another of those "men" books - man goes through midlife crisis - probably including an affair but gets it all together at the end. You know the sort. This book looks like one of these, but it isn't. It's much more. This is a very easy book to read - you really do get to understand what the subject of the book is ...  Read the complete review

If someone had told me a week ago that Tony Parsons would make me cry - and not with irritation - I would have directed them to the nearest loony bin. You may know Tony Parsons. Not personally I mean, but he does tend to put himself about a bit. He's that really annoying mouthy columnist from the Mirror who gets hired by everyone from Question ...  Read the complete review

My beautiful boy. These words touched my heart everytime Harry thinks them when looking at his son. I found myself having to really hold back the tears. This book is beautifully written; there is humour, very witty humour abd there is sadness, you really feel for all the characters involved. Tony Parsons makes me, as a woman, ...  Read the complete review

Now if you were appalled at the use of four letter words in the popular film Four Weddings and a Funeral, or if you have a fear of death due to your smoking habit, then this book is probably not for you. However, if you can forgive the modern use of the F-word in dialogue - and lets face it a lot of the dialogue you hear around the place includes ...  Read the complete review