A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon - Book Review

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon is the author's second novel, following The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. In A Spot of Bother, George Hall is convinced that the eczema on his thigh is cancer and is unable to deal with his daughter's wedding, his wife's affair, and his son's homosexuality. Funny and perceptive, if not uplifting, Haddon's biggest accomplishment is writing something completely different from Curious Incident, and writing it well.

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon is dark, but is written so that it does not require too much concentration, as some literary novels do. With short chapters and a third person viewpoint that moves between all the characters in the Hall family, Haddon keeps the pages turning as readers are drawn deeper into the family's problems.

At times I laughed out loud. At times I put the novel down because it was making my mood too sour. A Spot of Bother is existential and absurd, with characters who you want to root for even when you do not like them. Perhaps that is Haddon's way of drawing readers into the Hall family. After all, can anyone bring out love and loathing in an individual as well as family does? Haddon tries.

Readers looking for The Curious Incident II may be disappointed. A Spot of Bother is its own novel with a very different thrust. Those who enjoyed Haddon's writing and voice in The Curious Incident but are open to a very different tone and story, will realize what an accomplishment A Spot of Bother is. While I liked The Curious Incident better, A Spot of Bother shows that Mark Haddon is more than an artist with a one hit wonder; he is a literary force who is here to stay.