Tony Parsons: Man and boy (HarperCollins Publishers, 1999)

A few weeks ago, as I was tidying up my flat and deciding which books to give away to charity, I found a few treasures that had been sitting on my bookshelf for sometime. One of them is a novel titled ‘Man and boy’ by Tony Parsons.

Ultimately, the book is about a man maturing and growing up. It is about relationships between sons and farthers, boys and girls, men and women... The book is written from the perspective of a young-ish (i.e. 30-year-old, which nowadays tends to be classified as ‘young’) married man who had a 5-year-old son. 

The story line develops into an intriguing narrative and dialogue on the challenges of life in the modern society: how to deal with a marital break down and to start a new relationship when one has a small kid; how to learn to love your own farther when you realise that he is also just a human-being and not a superhero; how to teach your son your values and beliefs when the society around is throwing all kids of nonsense at him. 

Tony Parsons writes in a captivating way, which makes one want to read on in order to know what happens to this young man. Throughout the book, I could fully identify with the issues raised regarding modern life in a big city (the book is set in London so anyone who live or is familiar with London, will enjoy spotting familiar locations in the book). In the end of the book, I felt as though I had made a friend with the main character and was glad to see him have a happy ending.

I fully recommend the book for anyone looking for something relaxing and entertaining to read, yet something that will make one reflect on one’s life in the modern society. 

  

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/man-and-wife-by-tony-parsons-642944.html