I must MOST EARNESTLY recommend Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe. It's the most piss-funny thing I've read all year. I can't remember a book since Adrian Mole that so brilliantly, drily nailed day-to-day life in BRILLIANT, faux-naive prose."— Caitlin Moran, author of How to Build a Girl I can't remember a book that made me laugh more . . . At times [it] reminded me of Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle. Man at the Helm is a winner - It even trumps Love, Nina ( Observer) Lizzie's mother tried to break the news to her three children that mummy and daddy have decided to split up and get a divorce.

Helmsman - Wikipedia Helmsman - Wikipedia

Some of the most perceptive writing I've read about relationships in a while...this book is very, very funny. Stibbe has a fine eye for absurdity, and her writing has an unforced charm." - The Independent (UK) This book is very, very funny. Stibbe has a fine eye for absurdity, and her writing has an unforced charm. [And] there is real darkness here, which makes the humour shimmer all the more ( Independent on Sunday) Some of the most perceptive writing I've read about relationships in a while....this book is very, very funny. Stibbe has a fine eye for absurdity, and her writing has an unforced charm."— The Independent Man at the Helm, the debut novel from Nina Stibbe - the much-loved author of Love, Nina - is a wildly comic, brilliantly sharp-eyed novel about the horrors of being an attractive divorcée in an English village in the 1970s, and a family's fall from grace . . .Man at the Helm is very dry—so maybe that’s just not my thing. I’ve seen it described as ‘hilarious’ and ‘laugh out loud funny’ but I didn’t get that from it at all. Sure there were some scenes that were humorous, but I didn’t laugh out loud at any point. A] joyous read, full of wit and charm . . . I am already longing for Nina Stibbe's next book."— The Observer Charming and bittersweet, with a very English flavor, this social comedy is distinguished by Stibbe's light touch and bright eye." - Kirkus It just doesn't have anything spectacular going on, it's paced quite slow and that does not alter at all and after a while it's a bit like the same story on repeat. It's certainly not as funny as indicated it might be, which is a shame as I was looking forward to that. Overall it was a very average and "okay" read in my opinion. It has some moments that are great but the majority is as bland as watered down custard. Love this one, or dislike this one, that's up to you now. It did not float my boat or ring my bell. I think I could have skipped to the end chapter and missing NOTHING in the middle.

BBC Sounds - Man at the Helm - Available Episodes BBC Sounds - Man at the Helm - Available Episodes

A] joyous read, full of wit and charm . . . I am already longing for Nina Stibbe's next book' Observer This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Land-based ship simulators may feature a full-scale replica of a steering stand with a ship's wheel. Such simulators incorporate magnetic and gyro compasses (or repeaters) for steering. Moreover, a rudder angle indicator that responds appropriately to the helm is part of the configuration.These letters are winning from the start...we simply like being in Ms. Stibbe's company."— Dwight Garner, The New York Times

MAN AT THE HELM | Kirkus Reviews MAN AT THE HELM | Kirkus Reviews

I adore this book. Apparently I'm drawn to stories of hapless, overwhelmed mothers. I don't want to examine why!

A brilliant find...It is full, free, outlandish. And I can't remember a book that made me laugh more. [Stibbe] doesn't take anything seriously. Or rather, she does, and yet her eye and ear for the absurd never desert her - they are part of who she is." - The Guardian (UK) Breezy, sophisticated, hilarious, rude, and aching with sweetness: Love, Nina might be the most charming book I've ever read."— Maria Semple, author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette Starred Review. This is an impressive first novel, a combination of P. G. Wodehouse pacing and the eccentricity of Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals (1956). An extraordinarily well-written, deeply satisfying read about an unusual, highly entertaining group of people." - Booklist I love it's observations of relationships. Whether it's the big vs little sister dynamic, or the brutal disappointment of love gone wrong, Stibble does a great job of writing honestly and with a lot of humor. I struggled with Lizzie 's mom and her status as helpless victim -- but there's a payoff that probably wouldn't have worked any other way. On the job training [ edit ] Underway replenishment during which an oil tanker refuels ships at sea demands that the helmsman steer an extremely precise course.