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The Satsuma Complex

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The Satsuma Complex

By: Bob Mortimer
Narrated by: Sally Phillips, Bob Mortimer
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About this listen

*WINNER OF THE BOLLINGER EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZE FOR COMIC FICTION 2023*

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

‘Funny, clever and sweet’– Sunday Times

‘The much loved comic proves adept at noirish fiction in a debut whose surrealist humour sets it apart’ – Observer

My name is Gary. I’m a thirty-year-old legal assistant with a firm of solicitors in London. To describe me as anonymous would be unfair but to notice me other than in passing would be a rarity. I did make a good connection with a girl, but that blew up in my face and smacked my arse with a fish slice.

Gary Thorn goes for a pint with a work acquaintance called Brendan. When Brendan leaves early, Gary meets a girl in the pub. He doesn’t catch her name, but falls for her anyway. When she suddenly disappears without saying goodbye, all Gary has to remember her by is the book she was reading: The Satsuma Complex. But when Brendan goes missing, Gary needs to track down the girl he now calls Satsuma to get some answers.

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…

A story with a cast of unforgettable characters, The Satsuma Complex is the brilliantly funny smash hit first novel by bestselling author and comedian Bob Mortimer.

©2022 Bob Mortimer (P)2022 Simon & Schuster, UK
Literature & Fiction Romance Romantic Comedy Comedy Funny Witty Feel-Good England

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Critic reviews

"Like Spike Milligan, Mortimer has managed to use a novel for his distinctive comedic voice." (The Telegraph)

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If you love Bob and his sense of humour then you’ll love this. Had to get the audio version so I could hear it in his voice and it didn’t disappoint. Lots of laugh out loud, spit my coffee out moments. Love it.

It’s perfect Bob!!

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I listen as a walk, and it’s not often I have to check my face. There were so many Mortimerisms in this that just made me erupt into laughter, I’d have to turn around and check no one was behind me. I loved Bob’s narration- I felt like he was reading it just for me. This has a real plot- not apparent immediately so stick with it, and there’s a totally plausible ending. His characters, including the animals, are well-rounded and bring a different perspective to the narrative. A slight issue for me is him voicing the female in the phone calls, which jars a bit, because later in the story Sally Phillips fills that role. I’m sure that could be remedied with minimal editing.

Laugh out loud in places

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I must leave a review as this title has received much criticism for the "awkward" and "wooden" narration from Bob. However this is part of this comedic delivery, and is part of what makes it so funny...for those who have a good sense of humour. Charming story too.

Had me in tears of laughter

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I love the way the book is written in a random way, which is what we’d expect from Bob, thoroughly enjoyed it.. not to heavy..

Brilliantly different.

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Bob Mortimer at his very best. Give it a listen, it’s an absolute fluffing hoot!

Brilliant

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