3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Tom is a New Zealander expat living in Oxford – which is why he has only his friends and the Internet to rely on when he breaks up with his girlfriend, Janice, and gets kicked out of the home they had been sharing. After camping out in his car for a night or two, Tom finds an ad looking for a housemate. The landlady is abroad and leaves everything to Tom’s new housemate, John, an Australian freelance IT genius. Thankfully, Tom knows John, but spending a few hours in a pub together is much different than living together. John’s not an ideal housemate in any way, but as Tom gets swept up into his new lifestyle he finds himself letting go of past relationships so he can get out into the world and search for new ones.
Like a Shag on a Rock is a like a coming-of-age novel for middle-aged men. Tom is a bit of bland narrator, going through the same kinds of problems that many people his age have likely gone through as well. He is the perfect foil for John, who would never be caught dead in a boring office job, and who allows his peculiarities in food and hygiene to dominate him. Despite the fact that Tom is obviously the more desirable man -- if we’re talking about cleanliness, at least – it is through living with John that he is able to gain more self-confidence and enjoy life to the fullest.
This novel is obviously meant more for male readers, and as a female reader I was a bit disgusted by the characters’ actions. The constant drinking, farting, and laziness frustrated me, personally. I would never be able to live in a house with these people. However, the women in the novel were not much better. The author loved to point out faults in each character, making the love interests either psychotically over-bearing, slutty and proud, or just as bad with hygiene as the boys.
On the other hand, I know people exactly like the characters in real life. The novel kept very close to reality, down to the details for each character and the reality of living as bachelors. There was actually quite a wide cast: multiple potential love interests for both Tom and John, as well as a third roommate who comes later in the story.
Overall, I would give this novel 3 out of 4 stars. The writing can be a little redundant, as the author often goes off on little side-notes and then swings backs around to get back to the main plot. It also needs a little bit of finishing work as I encountered a few typos, but nothing that detracted from the enjoyment of the novel. I would recommend this novel to male readers of all ages as well as expats from all countries, as homesickness was quite a big part of the novel. I would not recommend it to readers who prefer action over romance and self-realization, or to those who don’t like to read about men drinking themselves silly and struggling to overcome life’s problems.
******
Like a Shag on a Rock
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like katiesquilts's review? Post a comment saying so!
