I have just stopped reading The Other Hand, by Chris Cleave

[FfreckleFface]

Warning: spoiler.

Bloke bought me this last week, and I am intrigued by the premise, BUT have just had to stop reading in tears because I was so troubled by the image of a four year old boy jumping into his father's grave shouting, 'I want mine Daddy!'.

Now I am not given to this sort of sappy emotional reaction, and this is the first time I have ever given up a book because it upset me. The last time I cried like that while reading was Marley & Me, and I saw it through to the end.

My question is, has anyone read the entire novel? I want to continue, but is it worth my persevering, and does it get worse? I can cope with most horror, but this touched me, probably because of the 'mine Daddy' bit.

[BitOfFun]

It is well worth it, but it's not for when you are feeling fragile, tis true.

[yappybluedog]

well, that's not the most emotional part of the book, not for me anyway so I would stop now

[FfreckleFface]

Hmm. I'm ok if it's 'grown up' trauma, if you know what I mean. It gets worse than little boys leaping into graves? Jesus.

I'm going to bite the bullet and take it to bed now. Will report back when I'm done.

[tiredemma]

I loved that book, yes there are some pretty hideous parts in it, but mostly relating to LittleBee.

[MummyDragon]

I've read it - actually I'm sorry I ploughed through to the end because I didn't think it lived up to the blurb on the cover! However, I am just recovering from posting a long, bitter rant in AIBU so I may well have mud-tinted glasses on at the moment, and others on here think you should continue, so ... good luck! (The grave bit is the most gut-wrenching, but some of the Nigerian stuff is very brutal).

[violethill]

I found it gripping and read it very quickly. It definitely gets a lot worse than the graveyard scene, and wasn't easy to read, but I did feel it lived up to the blurb.

Ultimately a life affirming book.

[elvislives]

I hated this book and wouldn't have read it had I known what it was about. The characters were 2 dimensional a bit of a caricature and I found that child's speech so irritating.

There have been other threads on it. so I know I'm in a minority

[violethill]

Oh I entirely agree about the characters and the speech. I thought it was an intentional device though, because the author wanted to contrast this with the narrative.

[DuchessOfAvon]

Oh Elvis - I hated it too. I thought it was poorly written, sensationalist and above all, cynical. A dreadful book.

[HowlingCow]

Haven't read this and not sure I want to now as I love Cleave's column in the Guardian-it's hilarious!!

[stubbyfingers]

I have just ditched it too, again because of the characters. It did have me in tears a couple of times, so there is something there that I found real and very moving. But too many times I found myself thinking, "She just wouldn't do that", or "He just wouldn't say that".