The Last Family In England
(Matt Haig)
The Last Family In England is a mildly funny story about a mid class British family, struggling to hold it together amidst the temptations of modern day life.
One by one the challenges unfold, betraying cracks hidden beneath the commonly depicted superficially ?normal? family life. Bereavement and past mistakes emerge to unsettle what are already shaky foundations. Meanwhile family members are led astray by their own weaknesses, too engrossed in their individual needs to notice any negative impact on the family unit. Apparently the only one wise enough to notice and hold the family together is the pet Labrador telling the story, who has a central view of how the family unit operates, and is of course insusceptible to the misguidance to which his masters fall prey.
The family Labrador secretly guides and controls the family and sits firmly by his own morals and the teachings of his mentor when tempted by the delinquent Springer Spaniel from the next block! The Labrador rides the roller coaster to guide his family along the path of righteousness, struggling to keep up with them: teenage daughter attempting suicide, son taking drugs, theft and illicit affairs. Finally the roller coaster makes a loop at the end, leading the Labrador to make a difficult choice between the two things to which he is most devoted: his morals and his family, with disastrous consequences. The Labrador begins to question his own beliefs and learns that no matter how hard he tries he can?t control human behaviour.
You can be forgiven for thinking that this is a child?s book when the story is told through the eyes of the pet Labrador. Needless to say it is an odd read, having an innocent childlike feel on one page, and Lear, the snarling cursing Rotweiller on the next! In fact the story takes you through a spectrum of emotions; it?s comical and serious, uplifting and sad, innocent and rude. Most of all it?s bizarre, and definitely not for children!
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- Marley And Me: Life With The World's Worst Dog.
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