The Satsuma Complex

Product Information

Main character Gary, a man with a job that Mortimer used to have, in the same location where Mortimer used to work. He also has the exact same cadence, vocabulary and thought processes as Mortimer, as seen in his long digressions about pies. That said, Gary is described as having a slightly larger nose than Mortimer, so they are definitely different people. Writing style This is a book about a woman who essentially devolves (or evolves, as it would like us all to think) into an animal, which makes it a slightly less high-minded version of Paula Cocozza’s novel How to Be Human. It rips along at a decent clip and, even though O’Porter now lives in Los Angeles, does a very good job of depicting the empty aspirational scuzz of the London creative scene. In fact, this is where it thrives. The chapters about Mia’s awful workplace are much more compelling than the ones where she stops washing and pretends to be a cat. This is a really slow burn, and I found the ending to be terrifically satisfying. So much so that I’d enjoy a Gary Thorn Part II. Or Gary and Emily. Or what Gary did next.

Gary likes to look around and really pay attention to stuff on his work “commute”. He’s definitely a people watcher, and he has no time to have his face in a mobile phone like most others around him. And so begins Gary's quest, through the estates and pie shops of South London, to finally bring some love and excitement into his unremarkable life? I thought if I did the same character, I'll just write the same book,’ the comedian told Kathy Burke on her podcast. ‘So I thought, you know go doing something different.’ Plot Mia has it all: a husband, a stepson, an important job and a cat. However, she increasingly feels as if she is simply holding it all together to present herself the way society wants. If only she could be more like her cat. This is the fifth novel by presenter Dawn O’Porter.Bob drops in goofy stuff in an almost flattish sounding narrative. Sample ".. have never bothered with social media and the like.I don't see the point of it; I've got enough strangers in my life as it is". In serious parts - a cynical remark (like that of Marvin the robot) has you grinning. And yet, it was a plausible story that had it's highs. Also, the self deprecating meta was hilarious and not too overdone where different characters call the book in the novel "The Satsuma Complex" shit and boring. It’s a book written by British comedian and national treasure Bob Mortimer. Of course I wanted to read this. If you don’t know who Bob Mortimer is, go to YouTube. His “Would I Lie to You?” appearances are legendary and absolutely hilarious, no matter how many times you rewatch them. I mean, if you don’t have tears in your eyes from laughing when Bob claims that he does his own dentistry, then you’re doing it wrong.

Nevertheless, marooned like desert islands in an endless ocean of guff, there is a smattering of truly sumptuous passages of writing. Sadly, they’re not arranged in any kind of structure that might approximate a story. (Paul Connolly) When a work acquaintance (whom Gary calls ‘sexier than a cream horn on top of a polished school bell’) suggests a pint, perhaps Gary can add to his tally. Their encounter is cut short - but after being left alone he strikes up a conversation with an out-of-his-league girl with Doc Martens and a ‘clinically straight fringe’. She’s called Emily and Gary’s instantly besotted, only for her to vanish on him too. The writing style I enjoyed as it was very reminiscent of how Bob tells all of his tales anyway: short, sharp sentences that set the scene nicely without any fluffery. It was funny in the right places, but I think could have been injected with a little more (it was also particularly Bob-humour as well, which was well received). The winner was chosen from a shortlist of six very different titles that collectively showed that comedy can come in all shapes and sizes: farce, satire, parody, and a gentler, witty geniality. Who should buy this book? Fans of The Great British Bake Off, especially fans who have just started to notice how wobbly the show has got without her. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

As in his television work, Mortimer conveys an infectious joy in his own oddity, and, as his recent bestselling memoir And Away… showed, there’s a sweetness to his worldview that makes his writing gently poignant. And although I can’t imagine non-fans emerging anything other than baffled, those who are used to his brand of weirdness will find that the book works well as a thriller, too. Like Spike Milligan, the only vintage comic whose fiction is still read, Mortimer has managed to use a novel as a vehicle for his distinctive comedic voice. So many comedians have published novels this year that I have begun to wonder whether writing one is an assignment in a yet-to-be-broadcast episode of Taskmaster. Most of them have confirmed the axiom that comics can’t write memorable fiction: even the novels of master funnymen such as Eric Morecambe and Les Dawson did not burnish their reputations. And so begins Gary’s quest, through the estates and pie shops of South London, to finally bring some love and excitement into his unremarkable life…

Bob Mortimer wins 2023 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction with The Satsuma Complex On he podcast, Mortimer also said that he regretted having never done a solo stand-up show, and said: ‘I wouldn’t mind doing that.’ There are dirty cops, a barista named Wayne who wears tight t-shirts to best show off his biceps and an eccentric neighbour Grace, and her dog Lassoo. Gary works as a solicitor of little talent and has a thing for drinking in the pub and eating Battenburg cake. When necessary, he also seems to be able to glean words of advice and wisdom from the local squirrels who tend to show up in times when a good talking to is required. Cover quote “His grasp of human loneliness and longing is beautiful and comforting” – Marian Keyes (again).

However new title will not feature Gary –the semi-autobiographical character of a disillusioned legal assistant – who was at the centre of the first. Previous works An autobiography (And Away…) and a Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing tie-in gift book.

Main character Technically, the Thursday Murder Club are an ensemble – Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim – but the leader is arguably Elizabeth, an ex-spy and primary carer for her husband, who has dementia. Oh Bob Mortimer, you funny, funny man! This book made me laugh out loud so much. I am a big fan of this silly man. His appearances on Would I Lie to You often making me cry in laughter. He is so funny, no matter what he turns his hand to. If you like British humor, you have to read this book. I was thrilled when I received an early copy from Simon and Schuster Australia in the mail. My husband grabbed it and started to read it straight away. The much loved comic proves adept at noirish fiction in a debut whose surrealist humour sets it apart’ – Observer

Recent News

So, it’s no surprise that I’m a Bob Mortimer fan and have been appreciating his quirky style of humour for years now. So it’s not surprising that, while reading The Satsuma Complex, I could hear his voice every time his lead character, Gary Thorn, opened his mouth. Kingsolver’s novel is more serious and fatalistic than its 170-year-old predecessor – as Demon says, ‘A kid born to the junkie is a junkie’. But in updating it, she makes a great case for popular fiction’s enduring ability to shine a light on the kind of people we are. (BE) All this suggests that novel-writing is a very promising new direction for comedy’s latest national treasure. Main character The story is told from the perspective of all four characters, although the main one is Grace, a woman approaching her 90th birthday with the same energy that most approach their 30th. We meet her on a beach, snapping at a patronising do-gooder, and things progress from there.