A Risk Worth Taking

Dan Porter lives in suburban London with his wife and three children. As a two-income family, Dan and his wife Rebecca were basically living in the dream world they expected to create for themselves. But Dan lost his job months ago and now the initial welcome felt by a wife and children in having a stay-at-home husband and father while he looked for work has worn off. As Dan begins to sort through his own feelings of guilt in not finding employment he also begins to question what type of work he really wants to pursue. Rebeccas feelings change as her resentment builds as the responsibility of being the sole breadwinner begins to overpower any other emotions. As the children have changes in their lives, Dans encouragement to them is over-shadowed by the change they see in his confidence and they begin to see his part in their lives as intrusion. This story is not an action-packed, suspenseful thriller. But it is a page-turning novel as an intimate portrayal of the changes in a family as the dynamics of a two-income family that has always had a level of financial security changes to multiple unknowns. The initial setting of London could be any major city around the world. However, as the job opportunity for Dan changes there could only be one location that could be so lovingly portrayed and so unique to the outcome of the story as in the corner of the world in Scotland portrayed by Robin Pilcher. It is a story about a family in crisis that is thoughtfully written with care to express all of the human emotions of family dynamics (i.e. husband/wife, wife/husband, parent/child, mother/children, father/children, husband/son, husband/mother, wife/mother-in-law). The story also portrays how easily a man and a woman in the same relationship and having the same daily experiences can and sometimes do view things so very differently. It is a story of parental love, the nurturing love between parent and child and from child to parent. It is also a story of resilience and the daily choices that each individual faces on their life journey.

I read the book, but was disappointed. The characters were not well developed and the movement was choppy. It would probably make a great TV movie, though. So far none of Robins books I have read are as good as his mothers. But Ill keep on reading and hoping.

Like many of Robin Pilchers readers, I tried a second book by him (the first was Starting Over) in a vain attempt to find something similar to the books written by the authors far more talented mother, Rosamunde Pilcher, who, sadly, has stopped writing. Again -- a complete disappointment. Robin Pilcher has learned some of his mothers narrative skills but has never managed to make any of his characters into someone most of us actually want to read about: Dan Porter is another obtuse, unlikeable man, whose wife I wholeheartedly symphathize with -- Id leave him too. Pilchers characters are shallow and uninteresting, with ridiculous motivations (for example, why would Dan Porter decide to stay home for his family, turning down all job offers and knowingly causing chaos in the process; but neglect to tell his family about his reasons for doing so?). I have trudged through two Robin Pilcher novels and I wont try another one. For those who think they might like to read this book, I strongly urge them to start with the Rosamunde Pilcher novels instead.

very fine

I enjoyed the audio book [full-text]. The writing was clear and interesting, and most of the characters likable and their motives believable. The outcome was satisfying, with a hint of something even better. Did Dan take the risk referred to or did Patrick? My answer may not be yours.

I didnt think that I would enjoy this book when I picked it up. And while reading it, I was amazed at how much I was getting into the story. I say this because it really lacks a driving plot. Maybe because I have read way to many mysteries and thrillers where its almost impossible to break the mold of tradition where you start in point x and end in point y that it was very enjoyable to be swept up in a story where you truly do not know what was going to happen next. The author, Pilcher also does a great job of second hand story telling. By this I mean he will have a character sit down say in a pub and tell an engrossing tale to another character which allows for the reader to be swept off on a tangent. I found that Pilcher really knows what he is doing when it comes to moving a story along and it was hard to put down this title because of that. Lastly, the only fault that I found here was that besides the main character Dan the Man, the supporting cast was not fleshed out very well. I liked Dan and found him to be very human as he was undergoing a life transforming change. But the others in the book (his children, mother, wife, and acquaintances) were not pushed as far as they could have been. They change, but the change is too simple. I would highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this book of second chances. First the father got reinvigorated by a change of scene, then the son and finally the daughters got to see that things other than material things mattered. And maybe Im mistaken, but I seem to recall reading the story of the young couple who bought the clothing business. Id appreciate any help locating it.

Well, I struggled through this one, putting it down several times for a week or more at a time. The biggest problem with this book? The characters engage in pages-long soliloquies in order to fill in the story. I know it worked for Shakespeare, but it just isnt working here. If I ever engaged in a conversation where the other person was giving me five-minute speeches like this I would go to sleep, or go hang myself. The next biggest problem? Very sterotypical & flat characters. The wife is your stereotypical angry witch-wife. The protagonist is your stereotypical good-guy-trying-to-deal-with-angry-witch-wife. No story or relationship is that simple. It would have been much more interesting to read if these main characters had been realistic, or had realistic interactions. Neither one of the main characters inspires your pity or your interest. What is interesting about reading about a dysfunctional family & crumbling marriage -- all of which is failing because of two completely selfish & self-serving people? They cant even be bothered to take proper care of their children. This sort of family tragedy is all too common & isnt appealing when it is glorified as just a life choice & portrayed so unrealistically in its affects on the people involved. I was also appalled that the character was so moved by the events of 9/11 that he felt inspired to abandon his marriage & family, and that this is portrayed as perfectly reasonable & good behavior--all while remaining extremely critical of his wife for doing the same thing. This book was hard to read because of its long, unrealistic character speeches, its unrealistic characters acting like stereotypes. And the ending is just disappointing & makes me feel a bit pessimistic about the whole human condition.