Pilcher (An Ocean Apart; Starting Over) crafts another engaging, happy-ending tale in the tradition of his mother, beloved British novelist Rosamunde Pilcher. Dan Porter was a successful London investment banker until the dot-com bubble burst. Now his portfolio's crashed, he's lost his job, and his beautiful wife, Jackie, the managing director of a design firm, is giving him the cold shoulder. His son, Josh, has dropped out of college, and his daughters Millie and Nina are miserable in the public school that dwindling assets force them to attend. A fortuitous inquiry into the sale of a trendy trousers factory in bleak Fort Williams, Scotland (sparked by an article about owner Katie Trenchard, which Dan reads in Woman's Weekly), leads to interim employment at Seascape, the prosperous prawn sales business belonging to Katie's disabled husband, Patrick. As Dan's getting drenched in Scotland, Jackie starts spending more time with Stephen, the design firm's young financial director. Pilcher relies heavily on coincidence, but readers will probably forgive strains on narrative credibility in their eagerness to root for Dan. Dan, Katie and Patrick all get along beautifully (barring one desire-driven slip between the first two, which only proves them human); Josh, who went north with his father, swiftly discards his slacker past for industriousness and affection for a young Latina co-worker, and Dan's stereotypical teenage daughters show emerging admirable traits. Jackie, on the other hand, sins and isn't sorry, so contented readers don't care what happens to her. They will care about Dan, though, and his children and friends, and will approve of Dan's belief that risks are worth taking, and that life can be a great game. (Feb.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
A Risk Worth Taking
Narrated by John Lee
Robin PilcherUnabridged — 9 hours, 9 minutes
A Risk Worth Taking
Narrated by John Lee
Robin PilcherUnabridged — 9 hours, 9 minutes
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Overview
The New York Times bestselling author of Starting Over and An Ocean Apart returns with his strongest work to date-a heartwarming story of love, compassion, and redemption
After the dot-com bubble burst, Dan Porter is laid off from his job and must decide what is truly important. His wife of 20 years, Jackie, a beautiful and successful managing director for a clothing designer, no longer connects with him. His teenagers Josh, Nina and Millie are distant and confusing. Jackie is tempted by the attentions of a younger man at her office, and thanks to an opportunity suggested by a magazine article, Dan finds himself contemplating a drastic change in his life.A Risk Worth Taking is an engrossing, thought-provoking novel of a man who has to discover what he really values in his work, marriage, and life. Robin Pilcher writes fluidly, and is endlessly interested in the details of his characters' lives. He has written a poignant and moving story about the real choices adults face when they start taking stock of their lives.
Editorial Reviews
Without a job, is Dan a man? His put-upon wife Jackie doesn't think so. He's been playing solitaire until all hours and oversleeping, just because his London dot-com company went belly-up . . . and, speaking of bellies, Dan doesn't look so good in that tattered old T-shirt he oversleeps in. Yet Dan Porter was once a big success: a financial market maker in the City who moved into the tech sector only months before the boom went bust. And then came 9/11. At least he's not the only guy out of work. His friend Nick Jessop has turned into a glorified kangaroo, carrying his baby with him wherever he goes and hoping to make a million reinventing a baby car-seat. Dan's investments have plummeted, and Jackie's the breadwinner now, feeling the strain of keeping two daughters in expensive schools, though their son, Josh, has dropped out of Manchester University to sleep all day, too, then frequent headbanger clubs at night. Gosh, muses Dan. Is everything his fault? Jackie thinks so. Unbeknownst to Dan, she's being seduced by a suave accountant. Will Jackie leave Dan for Steve? Back to that in about six months as Dan heads to Scotland to meet plucky Kate, CEO of a prawn-fishing enterprise. Even though Kate's husband has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, she soldiers on, supplying tons of prawns to the UK and Europe. And she's handy with a needle, too: the comfy playclothes she whipped up for her children has morphed into a successful fashion line that, however, isn't widely distributed. Will Dan agree to market the line? Yup! Bitchy Jackie accuses him of infidelity: Is he the father of yet another woman's baby, an American? No-but he's supporting her and her child because she wasn't married tohis friend, who died in the World Trade Center, and so isn't eligible for 9/11 compensation. Jackie leaves him anyway. Contrived, unfocused, self-indulgent. The son of Rosamund has brought us two other tedious contemporary soapers (Starting Over, 2002, etc.). Agent: Felicity Bryan
Pilcher writes with an easy accessibility to his characters’ depths, and has an excellent sense of the pace of his story. It’s easy to feel you know these people and to grasp the complexities of their relationships. All told, it's a worthy novel." —Houston Chronicle on Starting Over
“With his Scottish sensibility and captivating wordplay, Pilcher crafts a fine and fulfilling novel.”—Booklist on An Ocean Apart
"Pilcher offers a charming story about life in the new millennium and one man's pursuit of happiness, a tale that will appeal to both men and women."
"A short novel that is one evening's reading delight…. Robin Pilcher is good with the details of people's lives and his skill at dialogue makes for fast reading."
"The good news? Her [Rosamunde Pilcher's] son and fellow author, Robin Pilcher, will release A Risk Worth Taking this month."
"This is an engaging character study of a person who once was riding the crest, but since has lost his self esteem…The cast is a delightful ensemble…Robin Pilcher provides a deep look at what really counts as Dan reassess his values and how he has lived."
"Robin Pilcher not only writes with his mother's style and fluency but also writes about the same type of ordinary people… Engrossing… a perfect novel for a wintry day."
This is an engaging character study of a person who once was riding the crest, but since has lost his self esteem…The cast is a delightful ensemble…Robin Pilcher provides a deep look at what really counts as Dan reassess his values and how he has lived.
— Harriet Klausner
Robin Pilcher is a solid storyteller with a good ear for dialogue. Throw in some telling detail, and you have a pleasant listening experience. The story focuses on Dan Porter, a securities trader laid off in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He is becoming estranged from his wife and family. After reading an article about a potential business venture, he travels to Scotland and secures a temporary position managing a prawn processing plant. The owner suffers from multiple sclerosis, and Dan becomes involved in his family. Through that, he learns how to relate to his own family. The character change in Dan is not clearly drawn, but this is Pilcher, not Conrad. And the audio abridgment has a few jumps that leave the listener wondering how the characters moved from Point A to Point B. But overall, this is enjoyable. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940172067341 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Macmillan Audio |
| Publication date: | 02/11/2004 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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