A Legendary Book?... (My Legendary Girlfriend - Mike Gayle)

Member Name: Foxy-Lady

Product:	My Legendary Girlfriend - Mike Gayle
Date:	29/06/04 (447 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amusing, Easy to read

Disadvantages: Tedious, Predictable

Hands up those of you who have ever been dumped in the past. I?m sure nearly all of you have got your pinkies waving in the air now....almost everybody has been ?finished? by a boyfriend/girlfriend at some point in their lives.

When I was 16, my boyfriend decided he?d had enough of me and got his best mate to ring me up to do his dirty work for him. He didn?t have the nerve to speak to me himself. My experience had a happy outcome though as a few weeks later he was grovelling to go back out with me and we eventually got married!

If you have been dumped, can you honestly say that you were still pining for that person three years later?....

This book revolves around 25 year old Will Kelly, a newly qualified English teacher who has recently moved to London to begin his career.

Living alone in a grotty bedsit, Will starts to feel sorry for himself and becomes even more depressed than he already was. This is mainly due to the fact that he?s been dumped....three years ago!

The problem is that in Will?s eyes Aggi was ?The One? and will certainly always be his ?Legendary Girlfriend?. He has never fully recovered from his loss and still reminisces about their relationship. He makes lists of each birthday present she bought him, dwells on the first words she uttered to him, conversations they had and moments they shared. To make matters worse for himself he fantasises about the perfect reunion where they fall back into each others arms. Could they really get back together or is he just raising his hopes too high?

Basically, the book is set over a weekend in which Will spends most of his time moping around in his flat and talking on the phone. He feels miserable as it?s the weekend of his 26th birthday - which also happens to be the anniversary of the infamous break-up.

Through his tho
ughts and discussions with friends (old and new) we find out exactly what happened to cause the relationship to fail and how the experience with Aggi has shaped his entire existence ever since, resulting in his current emotional state.

As he struggles to get over the past he learns a few home truths and makes some new discoveries. Will he overcome the immense feeling of rejection to move on and take the plunge into the depths of a new relationship?

To be honest, whilst reading this book you end up hoping that the answer to the above question is ?yes?....and that he?d hurry up and get on with it!

Instead of empathising with the main character throughout his insecurities and angst, I just wanted him to get over it and shut up. Continuous moaning, whinging and obsessive behaviour result in Will being annoying to say the least. The sympathetic prose becomes somewhat tedious and irritating, to the point where it?s actually quite depressing to read!

Luckily, there are a few other characters within the book....Alice (Will?s best female friend), Simon (Will?s best male friend), Aggi (of course) and Kate (the previous tenant of Will?s flat)....but none of these really help in bringing the book to life either. When reading a book I like to feel that I?ve really got to know a character but I just felt indifference towards the people in this story. There?s a distinct lack of sparkle to the characterisation.

I must admit that a large element of wit and humour is featured though. The author, Mike Gayle, is an ex agony uncle and magazine columnist. It?s apparent that his laid back writing style lends itself to that background and quite possibly his own personal experiences.

In this, his debut novel, there are indeed some funny incidents in the story which create a certain amount of charm. Gayle?s insightful
writing skills shine through when it comes to the accurate life observations included. There are some parts that almost everyone can relate to and combining this with some rather cringeworthy moments makes this book just about bearable.

During the weekend, numerous topics are discussed. The book deals with a lot of issues that affect modern day twentysomethings....financial worries, love, friendship, work, loneliness, lack of direction and heartbreak, as if we could possibly forget!

The fact that it?s an account from a male point of view is an interesting slant but the concept is poorly delivered. While it is a nice insight into the damaged male ego and a refreshing change to read about a man experiencing the same insecurities as us women, there is a shortage of emotional depth and there?s no sense of belief. And then to top it all off, you reach the fairly predictable twist at the end.

I don?t think being over the course of three days helps matters either. I feel that the story is too rushed, therefore not really believable as a result. I suppose it is a fictional story which has been exaggerated for the sake of the book but to me, it would have much more meaning if it were more of a gradual progression.

Chapters are quite short, breaking the reading up nicely and it?s quite a short book so I was able to finish it fairly quickly. On the other hand my friend (who I borrowed the book from) struggled to get into it but she persevered, refusing to give in. I must admit that after the initial boredom I only kept reading in the hope that something remotely interesting would happen!

Overall, I would say that if you?ve got some time to kill and don?t set your expectations too high then this is pleasant enough reading matter due to the comic element. If that?s not really your cuppa tea and you prefer something that you can really get your teeth into then
I?m afraid you?ll find this book to be unsatisfying fluff....certainly not legendary!




Published by: Flame

Cover price: £6.99 but available on Amazon for £2.39

ISBN: 0340718161

Summary: