A Spot of Bother
by Mark Haddon
A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon holds a mixed reviews rating of 3.46 out of 5, based on 23.7K reader ratings. First published in 2006. The book spans 354 pages.
About A Spot of Bother
George Hall is an unobtrusive man. A little distant, perhaps, a little cautious, not at quite at ease with the emotional demands of fatherhood, or manly bonhomie. He does not understand the modern obsession with talking about everything. “The secret of contentment, George felt, lay in ignoring many things completely.” Some things in life, however, cannot be ignored.At 61, George is settling down to a comfortable retirement, building a shed in his garden, reading historical novels and listening to a bit of light jazz. Then his tempestuous daughter, Katie, announces that she is getting re-married, to the deeply inappropriate Ray. Her family is not pleased – as her brother Jamie observes, Ray has “strangler’s hands.” Katie can’t decide if she loves Ray, or loves the wonderful way he has with her son Jacob, and her mother Jean is a bit put out by all the planning and arguing the wedding has occasioned, which get in the way of her quite fulfilling late-life affair with one of her husband’s ex-colleagues. And the tidy and pleasant life Jamie has created crumbles when he fails to invite his lover, Tony, to the dreaded nuptials. Unnoticed in the uproar, George discovers a sinister lesion on his hip, and quietly begins to lose his mind. The way these damaged people fall apart – and come together – as a family is the true subject of Haddon’s disturbing yet amusing portrait of a dignified man trying to go insane politely.A SPOT OF BOTHER is Mark Haddon’s unforgettable follow-up to the internationally beloved bestseller THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME. Here the madness – literally – of family life proves rich comic fodder for Haddon’s crackling prose and bittersweet insights into misdirected love.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | Mark Haddon |
| Published | 2006 |
| Pages | 354 |
| Genres | Fiction, Fiction |
| Average Rating | 3.46 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 23,676 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is A Spot of Bother?
A Spot of Bother is categorized as Fiction, Fiction. Its primary genre classification is Fiction.
Is A Spot of Bother worth reading?
Based on 23.7K reader ratings, A Spot of Bother has an average score of 3.46 out of 5.00, which is considered "Mixed Reviews."
How many pages is A Spot of Bother?
A Spot of Bother has 354 pages.
Who wrote A Spot of Bother?
A Spot of Bother was written by Mark Haddon. It was first published in 2006.
What is the ISBN for A Spot of Bother?
The ISBN-13 for A Spot of Bother is 9780385520520.0.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 23, 2026
