The News Where You Are by Catherine O’Flynn is a story taken place in modern age Birmingham, England about a news anchor named Frank Allcroft who deals with the mysterious death of his friend and fellow anchor Phil. Along with the discovering the mysterious past of his friend, he must face the dilemmas of any other man. His mother lives in an elder’s home and hates it, the legacy that his father hoped to leave behind is disappearing in front of his eyes and he must balance his career with family life. Frank must discover what he values most his life and what he wishes to make a difference in his world.
I read this book based entirely on what the cover of the book said. The critics on the cover claimed great things about this novel, how funny it was along with stating that it was such a great read. I naturally fell for it and picked up the book, it was not anything that I hoped it would be. The book was confusing due to the fact there were too many subplots going on in the book, that didn’t have anything to do with the actual main plot. It lacked something that I cannot quite put my finger on, could it be the lack of emotional depth and transformation that most characters go through in a novel. Or it could have been the genuine unrealization of the relationships between the characters. There were parts of the book that I did like, the relationship between Frank and his daughter Mo, but as an overall work of fiction I was very disappointed. I didn’t find the book funny, it could possibility be my lack of knowledge when it comes to British humor. Being an American I naturally do not understand all aspects of British humor and this book is a fine example. I understand the majority of it, especially when it comes to sarcasm and their dry wit but this book is something else that flies over my head. I really wanted to like this novel because it showed such promise but in the end, I felt it was a waste of time. I didn’t feel for the characters, have a connection with them, or at least feel part of the story but more of an outsider looking into a novel that was all over the place. There certainly were chapters that didn’t need to be there and didn’t give any insight to the novel.
I would not recommend this novel to someone who does not understand British humor on every level. I will not be keeping this book and will probably be selling it on e-bay in the near future.
Has anyone else read this novel? Did you like it or not?
A Comfy Chair in the Corner 