Review: A witty and warm tale
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 5, 2014
George’s life is highly organized, right down to his meticulous financial arrangements for his retirement. Everything is thrown into disarray when he loses his job as an accountant, and his search for gainful employment leads to humiliation and self-doubt. Will he find his true calling as a telephone psychic?I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know George, a persnickety, materialistic, highly rational middle-aged man. Some readers might find the initial set-up a little slow, but stick with it, because rewards will follow. The disastrous job interviews are wonderfully absurd and they really make you feel for poor George as he becomes increasingly desperate. One of my favorite comic episodes in the whole book is the “avant-garde” interview for the telephone psychic job. The subsequent fish-out-of-water scenes where down-to-earth George gets to know his free-thinking colleagues and gets to grips with his unusual job are a delight.The humor and the pathos of his personal transformation keep you turning the pages, as he travels along a bumpy road to understanding himself and his place in the world. The cast of supporting characters are an amusing bunch, aiding and abetting him on his journey. I particularly like the development of his awkward relationships with his parents and his son, and the role Mimi plays in his discovery of love.A witty and warm tale.