Otherhood
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Book Overview
In this witty novel--originally published as Whatever Makes You Happy--that inspired Netflix's major motion picture Otherhood, three mothers try to save their grown sons from themselves.
Gillian, Helen, and Carol are three suburban mothers who have known each other since their respective sons were babies, and have met in a regular coffee group for years. These days, their sons are a bunch of thirty-four-year-old slackers: they have no wives and no children, never call, and seem unlikely to outgrow their post-adolescent lifestyles anytime soon. After yet another fruitless Mother's Day, Carol has an outlandish but irresistible idea: each woman will go drop in on her son for an unexpected weeklong visit and find out what's really keeping him from responsible adult life. Together, and with mixed success, the mothers set out to whip their sons into shape. Laugh-out-loud funny and remarkably insightful about family life, Otherhood will appeal to parents who yearn for a closer relationship with their adult children, and for the younger generation who seem to want the opposite, but will never quite relinquish the hope that their parents will swoop in and make everything better.Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:1635573858
ISBN13:9781635573855
Release Date:July 2019
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing
Length:304 Pages
Weight:0.73 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 5.5" x 8.2"
Customer Reviews
3 ratings
Three Mothers, Three Sons
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
Sutcliffe, William. "Whatever Makes You Happy". Bloomsbury Publishing, 2009. Three Mothers, Three Sons Amos Lassen "Whatever Makes You Laugh" is a wonderful look at the relationships between mothers and sons. It's all about miscommunication between the sexes and the generations. Three British women--Gillian, Helen and Carol all have lives that fulfill them but each once a deeper relationship with her son. All of the sons are the same age, 34 and the mothers are true meddlers and really seem to know how to deconstruct their sons. The book mixes comedy and romance and is both very funny and very sad. Sutcliffe writes with a wonderful wit as he paints portraits of families that are truly messed up. Matt, Daniel and Paul have been friends since childhood and all three now in their thirties have lost contact with their mothers. Their mothers on the other hand plan surprise visits to their dons and all three turn up at their sons' on the same day. They want to renew the mother-son bond and plan to do so by moving in with their sons for a week. You can imagine what ensues but Sutcliffe tells it to us in a way that is sublimely funny and sad. We feel his sense of humanity and this is what makes this book so important.
This was a great find.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
I found this book by pure chance, but I am very glad I did. I recommend it highly. It wasn't the book I expected it to be, and that was a good surprise.
Made me cringe but laugh at the same time...
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
Being the mom of a 36 year-old son myself, I was naturally drawn to the story of these three women wanting to get to know their sons better. I'm glad mine is happily married though, so I wouldn't have to make the bold move they did here. At times I wanted to yell "NOOOO!" at their antics, but I have to say that overall it was well-written, amusing, touching and not-so-Hollywood-perfect like I was dreading by the conclusion. Carol and Matt, Helen and Paul, and Gillian and Daniel will stay with you after you'be finished the book. Great, quick read.
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