William Boyd - A Good Man In Africa

[MrsMuddle]

I'm a big fan of William Boyd, and I've just finished A Good Man In Africa, although it's an old book. I loved it and didn't want it to end. I'm not a fan of books that reviewers have found "funny" (I prefer a good tragedy), but this book was the exception. Has anyone else read it, and what did you think of it?

mmm. I hated it, actually. I found the humour too close to the bone and cruel - it didn't make me laugh at all. That said, of people I've talked to about it almost all of them have enjoyed it. I've read lots of William Boyd and in a way I'm not sure why - Brazzville Beach is the only one that I've really liked. Along with some short stories.

Yes, it was quite close to the bone. I also like Brazzaville Beach, and also a quite recent one - Any Human Heart. It's definitely worth a read, but you'd maybe have to enjoy his writing to enjoy the book. I heard him speak at a book festival once, and he came across as a really nice man. I think actually seeing an author can really influence your opinion of him/her - for better or worse.

Any human heart - oh dear, i get muddled by them all. Pretty sure I've read that - it's a kind of autobiography of an invented person, isn't it? I found it a bit similar to the New Confessions. The other one that touched me was An Icecream War.
The thing is, I do enjoy his writing very much - even in A Good Man in Africa I admired his ability to catch me and make me feel I was reading about something that was really true. What bothered me was the fact that it was intended to be funny, and I found it agonising instead. Make any sense?

Yes, that's the one. I've not read Ice Cream War - I'll have a look and see if it's in the library later. We can reserve library books online now. It's such a great service. I can completely see how you found it agonising. It was very buttock-clenchingly cringey in places.

I read it when it came out - I can't remember much about it now. The first William Boyd I came across was An Ice Cream War, which was funny and which I enjoyed more than anything else he has written.