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Beautifully written, thought-provoking and completely charming . . . reminds us that the everyday things we take for granted without realising how precious they are, can be snatched away in an instant with catastrophic consequences’ Ruth Hogan Bob Mortimer wins 2023 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction with The Satsuma Complex Although they don't realise it at first both Danny and James really need each other in their lives, and they both think they are helping the other. It is not the most likely of fledgling friendships how it begins, especially once you know both mens startin circumstances, What I am delighted to be able to say was that I was gripped and moved by the story, I just wanted more and more of these two remarkable young men and their stories. The book alternates viewpoints between James and Danny and I loved getting to know both of them on many levels. Danny Allen and James DeWitt meet up again at a later stage in their lives having simultaneously attended a prestigious boarding school that each left with high marks and great expectations, and one of them with an award.
A very special book. A moving, thought-provoking storyline told with humour and insight. I loved the distinctive voices of James and Danny and really missed them when I finished it! (Tracy Rees) This is the stunning novel from bestselling author Mike Gayle, for fans of The Keeper of Lost Things and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. A powerful and bittersweet story of an unexpected male friendship and an unlikely love story, a thought provoking storyline told with Mike’s distinctive wit and insight, touching on issues which affect us all. This uplifting tale reminds us of the simple courage at the heart of every human being.
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The two begin a friendship where they look out for eachother and where Danny is James's carer. The book is so powerfully written and I got through it in a matter of hours. Mike Gayle represents the world of disability with great accuracy. I do not know people with ABI, but do know many people with different disabilities. I was born with neurological disabilities myself and so know all too well the discrimination that James faced, as I experienced, and experience it, first-hand. To anyone who is sceptical of employing someone they know as a caregiver, I know from personal experience that it works.
The past catches up with the present when James, is sure he recognises Danny at the respite home. Danny is not that welcoming at the start, but when James is put into a situation where he just wants independence from his parents, Danny seems the perfect choice as a carer.... MIKE GAYLE was born and raised in,Birmingham. After graduating from Salford University with a degree in Sociology, he moved to London to pursue a career in journalism and worked as a features editor and agony uncle. He has written for a variety of publications including The Sunday Times, the Guardian and Cosmopolitan. This is the stunning new novel from bestselling author Mike Gayle, for fans of The Keeper of Lost Things and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. A powerful and bittersweet story of an unexpected male friendship and an unlikely love story, a thought provoking storyline told with Mike’s distinctive wit and insight, touching on issues which affect us all. This uplifting tale reminds us of the simple courage at the heart of every human being. Ever since The Incident, James DeWitt has stayed on the safe side. He likes to know what happens next. Danny Allen is not on the safe side. He is more past the point of no return. The past is about to catch up with both of them in a way that which will change their lives forever, unexpectedly. But redemption can come in the most unlikely ways. The Man I Think I Know by Mike Gayle – eBook Details That rarest of things; a moving, beautifully written novel about male friendship...I absolutely loved it' Lisa Jewell That rarest of things; a moving, beautifully written novel about male friendship . . . I absolutely loved it’ Lisa JewellJames, oh how my heart broke for him and his family. His sister, mother and father treats him like a small boy and whilst you can completely understand that they want to wrap him in cotton wool and protect him from the world having nearly lost him, reading from James' point of view, you can see why he is utterly frustrated. He is a grown man with adult thoughts and cannot always express how he feels articulately. It is food for thought thinking of those living with acquired brain injury (ABI) and those supporting them. Príbeh o dvoch spolužiakov, ktorí mali našliapnuté na závratnú kariéru, no ich život nie je taký, aký si naplánovali. James sa po úraze a poškodení mozgu musel učiť všetko odznovu, Danny ako dlhoročný abstinent trpiaci depresiou sa tiež so svojím životom nepohol ďalej. Keď sa stretnú v ústave - jeden ako dočasný pacient a druhý ako ošetrovateľ, zistia, že si môžu byť navzájom veľmi nápomocní. Zachraňujú sa navzájom. V Jamesovom prípade ide o zvládanie každodenných maličkostí, ako je osamostatnenie sa od rodičov, varenie a nakupovanie, ale aj o vyrovnanie sa s minulosťou. So zodpovednosťou za svoj život a vzťahy sa musí vyrovnať aj Danny, miestami je to ešte bolestnejšie, ide o jeho dlhoročne zanedbávané rodinné vzťahy. Z celého príbehu je však neuveriteľne cítiť úžasnú rodinnú podporu a lásku, je to veľmi pekné, aj taký ten kvočkovský a ochranársky syndróm zo strany Jamesových rodičov a sestry, aj priateľstvo oboch mužov. Dannyho rodine sa dostane priestor až v závere knihy, aj to je veľmi dojímavé a milé. Mike is always wise and wonderful, but this is a whole new departure for him – read it!’ Jenny Colgan
Beautifully written, thought-provoking and completely charming...reminds us that the everyday things we take for granted without realising how precious they are, can be snatched away in an instant with catastrophic consequences' Ruth Hogan However, the dialogue was the most frustrating part for me. It was unbelievably unrealistic and it felt stilted and forced. Normal conversations were turned into arguments in a matter of seconds with no build up, and there were too many clichés in this book to count, including the typical argument conclusion "it's not fair!" from a grown woman, and the classic "my heart feels like it has just broken into a million tiny pieces." I have no comment. James DeWitt should also be in a high flying job, having previously been elected as an MP, but things took a drastic change when he was involved in an incident that left him with a brain injury.
LoveReading Says
Beautifully written, thought-provoking and completely charming . . . reminds us that the everyday things we take for granted without realising how precious they are, can be snatched away in an instant with catastrophic consequences' Ruth Hogan My first paid writing gig was for a listings magazine in Birmingham — (Actually my first unpaid writing gig was an interview with Kitchens of Distinction for Salford Student Magazine. I can’t begin to tell you how terrible it was.) The Man I Think I Know by Mike Gayle is amazing! Really uplifting and a jolly good read to boot -- Katie Fforde
Secrets and procrastination are a part of everyone's lives whereas inspiration and confessions are less common - here we see all four and they make for a good story. This appeared to be a gentle story about male friendship which is rarely the main topic of novels so I started it positively. Something about this book gripped me. It was cheesy in parts, so cheesy that I’d usually be rolling my eyes, some parts were ridiculously predictable, but for some reason, I liked it.“The Man I Think I Know” definitely has similarities to Gayle’s “ Wish You Were Here“. Both books are light-hearted, both focus on male friendship and both are uplifting but if you made me choose, I’d have to say this was the better of the two. For that reason, I could immediately identify with James and his fight to be accepted by everyone around him. I admire both him and Danny after having listened to the book.
Summary
The thing that really stood out for me, though, was that James fought for what HE wanted for HIS life, and was not dictated to by his parents. Saya "dirasuk syaitan" apabila berada di kedai buku. Tetap juga gatal tangan mahu membeli, walhal yang masih elok berbalut belum dibaca di rumah sudah bertingkat-tingkat. This book felt very different to the majority of the others I've read by Mike Gayle and if this is the new direction he is taking his writing, then I can only applaud him. The Man I Think I Know is a remarkable book that I wish could have continued for longer. It’s a bit weird,” says Danny to James and indeed it is. Here are two thirty-six year old single young men who were once rival star scholars at an elite public boarding school now damaged. Danny was the scholarship student from a council estate, James an upper-class lad from wealthy parents. Both have sunk into a pit. How they got there and are desperately trying to climb out makes for a sensitive and highly compulsive read. Danny suffered loss and has been unable to get over the trauma, James had an “incident” which has left him brain damaged, he is now looked after by his restrictive parents. James is inadvertently responsible for Danny quitting his job and so hits upon the idea of being able to get away from his parents by having Danny look after him. A bit weird indeed. I truly loved this book, unusual for Mike Gayle and very special indeed.
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