By Sue Townsend.
The Woman Who Went to Bed For A Year is the first of Sue Townsend’s books I’ve read that wasn’t about Adrian Mole, which I’d read long before I began writing my reviews. Would it be as good as I remember The Secret Diaries Of Adrian Mole?
Eva Beaver, the lady the title refers to, is married to Brian. He is a seemingly clever astronomer but with little common sense. Together they have two children, twins they call Brian Junior and Brianne. The twins are Both as inteligent as their father, both equally lacking in social graces. On the day the twins leave home to begin university Eva takes to her bed … and stays there.
Whilst in her self imposed withdrawal from the world at large, Eva’s already dysfunctional family disintegrates completely. As she continues to refuse to leave her bed, except on her “white path” to the bedroom’s en-suite, she finds herself being feted as a minor celebrity.
Eva becomes something of an agony aunt, some people even seeming to think that she’s a modern day prophetess with special powers. A disparate bunch of fans, and the merely curious come seeking her attention for one thing or another. Some even camp in the street outside her house.
Amongst all this, it will not spoil the story to say that, Eva discovers that her husband has for years been having an affair with a colleague, Titania who he calls Tit. Eva herself develops a surprising, unlikely friendship with white-van-man and budding artist Alexander.
Townsend’s book takes a quirky look at a dysfunctional family. It’s one of those occasional books that made me laugh out loud a couple of times. It should be required reading for anyone, mainly men, who have no idea how their partner goes about organising Christmas.
“Goodness means telling good lies, so people
won’t be hurt by true words.” – Venus Tate.
