I wasn't sure if I'd like Rachel Johnson's debut novel, Notting Hell. I wasn't overly keen on her first book The Mummy Diaries, finding it a bit smug (you can't moan about 'having' to go on holiday, can you?)
But the author's description of this book (something about the "haves and have-yachts") made me laugh and full of nostalgia for that film (as the residents of this book call Notting Hill), I gave it a go.
It follows a year in the lives of two women, Mimi and Clare, both of whom live on a street with access to a private communal garden - a luxury in London. Mimi has three kids and a part-time journalism career whilst Clare is a garden designer and feng shui obsessive. Whilst Clare are her husband Gideon are super-rich, Mimi and her hubby... are not.
The book's all about the inhabitants of the square from the alternating viewpoints of Mimi and Clare, which allows us to see things that each character does not. But Mimi is the only really sympathetic adult character here, and she has some big flaws... We learn about life on an exclusive communal London garden and the petty rules, silly jealousies and extra-marital affairs that occur. (I'm dying to know how much is based on true events - and if any of it's based on anyone I might have heard of, tee hee!)
It suffers from the same slight smug problem as her earlier book, and I couldn't help feeling books like this are so unconnected from the real world as to be a bit frustrating. But Mimi is a great character and I enjoyed the pace of the book, most of the time - there are occasional interludes when things are getting exciting and the narrator takes us back in time to give us the background story - grr, get on with it!
Still it's a good read (a nice one for summer, with some good moments of humour) if not a great one.
Although if you'll get second home envy or private school bile at the thought of reading about the super-privileged, it might best to steer clear... I find it rather fascinating, though.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Like this? Try The Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy by Fiona Neill
