Watussi Woman by Irma Stern. Her paintings play a part in the plot of Sweet Sweet Revenge Ltd
April saw the Tyneside Book Club return to an author who it has read before. But would Jonas Jonasson's Sweet Sweet Revenge Ltd match up to his most celebrated novel The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared? The answer from members was, largely, yes.
Members found that they did encounter the same brand of dry, offbeat humour and eccentric characters. For most this was a comfortable familiarity they enjoyed, although some did wonder whether the formula was wearing a little thinner than in the earlier book. But for the majority, Jonasson did deliver an enjoyable plot, some likeable (and unlikeable) characters, and most importantly, lots of good laughs.
Members agreed that the character they enjoyed the most was Ole Mbatian, the Massai medicine man, as he provided much of the comic impetus in the novel. Victor was also a suitably malevolent villain, while Kevin and Jenny were a couple the reader could root for. The characters were a little cartoon-like, perhaps intentionally, although, outside Ole and Victor, some members did find them a little bland. Most members quite liked the inclusion of real artist Irma Stern in the plot - mirroring the collisions between fantasy and history in Jonasson's first novel.
Some did find the book overlong and felt it could have benefited from an edit to avoid a slight sag in the middle sections. Some found the denouement rather rushed and curtailed thoug, and felt that section could have been extended. It was though a book that you could consume quickly, and one that seemed a perfect holiday read.
There were some members who did struggle a little more though, feeling that its humour never really gelled with them, wanting a little more depth and grit to go alongside the farce. For some though the book did certainly have something to say about the contemporary world, particularly in its final chapter, even if its politics and viewpoint were not particularly subtle.
There were a number of members who said they would be seeking out Jonasson's other work, even if for a minority his formula felt like it was not for them.
Members found that they did encounter the same brand of dry, offbeat humour and eccentric characters. For most this was a comfortable familiarity they enjoyed, although some did wonder whether the formula was wearing a little thinner than in the earlier book. But for the majority, Jonasson did deliver an enjoyable plot, some likeable (and unlikeable) characters, and most importantly, lots of good laughs.
Members agreed that the character they enjoyed the most was Ole Mbatian, the Massai medicine man, as he provided much of the comic impetus in the novel. Victor was also a suitably malevolent villain, while Kevin and Jenny were a couple the reader could root for. The characters were a little cartoon-like, perhaps intentionally, although, outside Ole and Victor, some members did find them a little bland. Most members quite liked the inclusion of real artist Irma Stern in the plot - mirroring the collisions between fantasy and history in Jonasson's first novel.
Some did find the book overlong and felt it could have benefited from an edit to avoid a slight sag in the middle sections. Some found the denouement rather rushed and curtailed thoug, and felt that section could have been extended. It was though a book that you could consume quickly, and one that seemed a perfect holiday read.
There were some members who did struggle a little more though, feeling that its humour never really gelled with them, wanting a little more depth and grit to go alongside the farce. For some though the book did certainly have something to say about the contemporary world, particularly in its final chapter, even if its politics and viewpoint were not particularly subtle.
There were a number of members who said they would be seeking out Jonasson's other work, even if for a minority his formula felt like it was not for them.
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