Review: Hapless Maureen
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 11, 2013
I thought A Letter for Maureen was much deeper than Jonathan Hill's other book about Maureen(Maureen goes to Venice)  as it tackles some difficult issues relating to illness, ageing and death. That's not to suggest that the book is dark or depressing; it's not. It's very funny in places; it's unusual and original and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it; it just had a bit more substance than the other 'Maureen' stories and benefited from that.The characterisation is really good. The supporting cast are well developed, engaging and interesting. Each character gets a pen portrait that has been written with economy, style and wit. This same economy of style is used for scene setting: just enough details to get you into the right place and then on with the story. Consequently you engage really well with the book and I read it straight through in one sitting. I've read it a second time actually and enjoyed it just as much.