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August 8, 2008 9:02 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Instructions for Living Someone Else's Life by Mil Millington

Mil Millington's Things My Girlfriend And I Have Argued About is one of the three funniest books I've ever read (the other two being Frank Skinner's autobiography and The Best a Man Can Get by John O'Farrell). Even though I was a bit disappointed with Millington's last two books, I still leapt on this one eagerly when I saw it on the shelf at Waterstone's.

But would you believe it's yet another time-travel(ish) book? You know, like Jenny Colgan's Do You Remember the First Time in which a 30-year-old woman wakes up one day to find herself transported back to age 16. Or Catriona McCloud's almost-brilliant Growing Up Again, in which the main character also goes back in time to age 15. Or, you know, the movie 13 Going on 30. In Instructions For Living Someone Else's Life, Chris Mortimer goes to bed aged 25 in 1988 and wakes up aged 43 in 2006.

The back cover blurb says the book is “for anyone who has ever felt like a 25-year-old stuck in a middle-aged body” and, boy, do I identify with that (even though I'm still “only” 37) so I thought I'd enjoy this book and I really did. I found Millington's style quite difficult to get into – his digressions have digressions and sometimes I found myself thinking, “Get to the point!” - but I haven't found another author who can make me laugh to the point of hysteria. You know when you're laughing so hard you're almost sobbing? Things My Girlfriend And I ... had that effect on me and so did Instructions For Living...

Like Things..., this book also contains a fair amount of wise commentary on the nature of friendship and, particularly, male/female relationships. Millington is equally disparaging about both men and women, but with an undercurrent of fondness and understanding that men and women are, you know, different. And that's okay.

Aside from being funny and wise, it's also inspiring in a 'it's never too late to be what you might have been' kind of a way, but realistically. Even though it has an arguably paranormal premise, it's far more down to earth than, say, Holly Would Dream.

Highly recommended.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Staying Alive by Matt Beaumont

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Posted by Keris on August 8, 2008 in British Authors, New Releases, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink

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