In my previous incarnation as a local newspaper reporter, I used to get sent books to review. I didn't generally get the big new titles, obviously - what would they want with the column inches offered up by a community rag whose readership was probably eclipsed three times over by the author's Twitter followers? Usually it was stuff that wasn't quite on the Sunday Times' radar or which had some sort of local connection, thus standing a good chance of a mention.
I can't remember which one this was, as I think it slumped onto my desk more than a year ago. Often, those books aren't particularly great, if we're honest with ourselves here. It wasn't unusual for them to be dispatched by the marketing arm of some vanity publishing house, who would happily describe any old shit as the 'next JK Rowling / Stephen King / Henning Mankell' (delete in accordance with genre) as long as the author had selected the Premium Package when they signed away their self-esteem.
Everything Happens in August actually stood out quite early on, to be fair. When clearing my desk on departure from said position, I left a lot of unread crap behind and was relieved to do so, but when a quick scan of the first page of this one actually raised an impromptu chuckle, it went into my cardboard box. And I finally got around to reading it, several months later.
You know what, it's good. It's really very good indeed. I can't see John Budden on the Man Booker Prize shortlist just yet, but the potential is there. Light, funny and rather addictive (the very short structure of the chapters really helps to lead readers on), this is a very entertaining read that adds just enough weight of genuine interest to the humorous fluff. The punctuation is a bit questionable throughout, which was slightly irritating, but I got through it very quickly and would recommend it to anyone in need of a light-hearted distraction.
The premise is a bit of an unpromising one, if I'm honest, which is probably why the back cover blurb alone didn't have me reaching for the bookmark. It's a bit of an ensemble piece, but the action is led by Jefferson Tweedy, a recently redundant accountant who is inexplicably offered a high-powered job by his pompous father-in-law to be.
Jefferson is to be made chief executive of StanEd, an innovative new examinations board that will replace all the existing examining bodies, thus assessing all schools with exactly the same papers. This is surprising because not only does Jefferson have no expertise whatsoever in the field of education, he's also a bit of a div. But he's happy to accept a show of nepotism and is completely untroubled when, from day one, it becomes clear that he will be earning a healthy salary for doing precisely bugger all.
Even several months into the job, when Jefferson is still whiling away his days reading the paper on the lav and has no idea what he is supposed to be doing, his colleagues and father-in-law are still assuring him that he is doing an excellent job, despite no one seeming to know what that job actually is. But eventually, a shifty trip to the toilet leads to Jefferson overhearing something that sounds a bit fishy...
Meanwhile, a dynamic young headmistress tries to bully a failing comprehensive into submission, while over the road, the arrogant head of a feted public school revels in the indisputable privilege and comfort of his position. Add to the mix a disenchanted journalist who longs for a story with meaning, and you have the ingredients for bit of a showdown.
It's true that most of the characters in this book are pretty unlikeable, but I don't think that matters really. In comedy, it's the truths of Life that are much funnier than the romantic fictions we would love to impress on it. And the book itself has great appeal and charm, which makes up for all their failings.
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