In these enlightened days of equality and non-stereotyping, there’s no such thing as a ‘man’s book’ or a ‘woman’s book.’ So there should be nothing odd about my buying a hardback copy of this, the latest in the ‘Why Mummy …’ series by Gill Sims.

That said – it is a ‘woman’s book.’

So why did I buy it? Well, as a author myself (not in Gill’s league, I hasten to add) I wanted to see what styles other writers adopted for their humorous books. I read the book’s blurb, and it instantly conjured the image of a distinctly harassed, middle-class mummy – the type of character you’d expect to see in a television sitcom.

I was right.

This is a lovely book – pretty much about nothing at all! I won’t say anything here as there’s not much to give away regards the plot and story-line. But it’s absolutely fine. That may seem an odd thing to say, but the three hundred and eleven pages turned quickly. It was a light read, as easily read in little one or two-page snippets as it was to ‘binge’ on several chapters at a time.

Initially, I found the use of hyper-long sentences very annoying. My own book editing tool would have blown a circuit had it been asked to comment on these. However, as I got deeper into the tale, I could see it was part of the author’s deliberate style, and was in fact particularly relevant to the main character’s (erm … ) character.

I’ve seen a review where mention is made of the swearing that crops up from time to time. The reviewer felt it was not necessary. I disagree. I think it perfectly highlights the woman’s frustrations and anger. And it’s ‘polite’ potty-mouth. Sort of prim and proper swearing. It comes across as being totally incongruous to the general surroundings and situation, and since it’s used sparingly, it accentuates the comedic effect.

Similarly, the references to sex come almost out of the blue and I really did find myself bursting out in spontaneous laughter from time to time.

Yeah – overall, I’d say this was a very enjoyable read. Would I shell out to read any of the other six books in the series? You know … I just might.

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