Mad Cows by Kathy Lette

Rating: 2 out of 5
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Picador; New edition edition (1996)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0330334034

"Maddy Wolfe's first day out with her newborn takes a Kafkaesque turn when she's arrested in Harrods for shoplifting. If this is a miscarriage of justice, then detaining her in Holloway Prison's Mother and Baby Unit is the D&C. The only person she can turn to is her hot-to-trot ex-lover Alex, who proves himself as useful as a solar-powered vibrator on a rainy day. When will he realise that a paternity suit is not the latest look in men's leisure wear? How do you brief a lawyer with a heat-seaking penis which doesn't report to mission control? And why the hell is Maddy's friend Gillian searching for a sperm happy to get egg all over its face? There's hard knocks and rude shocks in this devastatingly witty follow-up to Foetal Attraction. " - Amazon.co.uk

To be honest I found the blurb to be the most interesting and funny part of this book. The story was unbelievable, and I don't mean that in a good way. It really was just stupid. The series of events which landed Maddy in Jail just seemed ridiculous. Also everything that followed after just left me thinking "oh come on". I know with fiction you have to suspend some beliefs and realities but this was just so silly I couldn't ignore it.

The characters, ALL of them, really annoyed me. Even Maddy was driving me nuts I just felt like slapping her and saying "snap out of it". They were so self centered and borderline insane. Alex was one step up from pond scum, Maddy I think was insane, and Gillian must have a multiple personality disorder as one minute she was likable and and then horrible in the next minute. I found them all frustrating. Maddy in particular really irked me with her constant "oh woe is me, my life sucks, what am I going to do? everybody is out to get me" attitude.

This story is told from both Gillian and Maddy's perspectives. I found this interesting as the first book Foetal Attraction was told only from Maddy's perspective. There is no real reason I could see as to why the story was told from Gillian's point of view other then to pad the story out and make it novel length.

The few parts about mothers in the mothers group was pretty close. Kathy Lette also nailed the competitiveness in these groups and guilt trips associated with being a mother. There is a wonderful scene written where Maddy goes to a nearby mothers group and sits in shock as the mothers talk about little Jane doing this, and little Bobby learning to read, then grilling Maddy on what courses her baby is enrolled into.

Even though I have pretty much bagged out this book, it wasn't all bad otherwise I wouldn't have continued reading it. There were some funny moments but they were few and far between. I was disappointed with the book as Kathy Lette is normally very funny.

It was an ok book. I probably wouldn't recommend it.

Foetal Attraction by Kathy Lette

Rating: 3 out of 5

ISBN-10: 0330335278
ISBN-13: 978-0330335270

Maddy is an Aussie who falls in love with an Englishman, and gives up everything she knows for her happy ending. By the time she realises Alex is not her happy ending she has also discovered that she is pregnant. Will Alex step up to his responsibilities or will he run screaming in the other direction?

There is a strong pregnancy theme to this book which could be off putting to some. The narrative alternates between the birth of Maddy's child and the story of how she got there. It works well and is not difficult to read.

It is a funny book, with a few laugh out loud moments. The birth scenes are well written and extremely funny. If you have been through pregnancy and having a baby you will be able to relate to many of the scenes and characters Maddy encounters. Kathy Lette though can be quite rude and crass which may be a turn off to some readers.

There is a very Australian feel to the narrative. This is probably mostly in part to the main character being Australian and in part the author being Australian. I can see how though this may make it difficult for non-Aussies. It is also very cliched with the Australian sayings and imaging.

The character Gillian was a hoot being self centred, shallow, and obnoxious. I do find it interesting that in books characters like Gillian are considered funny, even likable, however in real life you would probably shove her face into the nearest cake. Other characters in the book who act in a snobby fashion are not treated as kindly or as fondly. I found this interesting that a lot of the British characters are portrayed in an unfavorable fashion and the behaviour is tolerated in some characters but not in others.

The book is set in the 1990's and feels a little dated with its references to celebrities, royalty and pop culture. This does not make the book unbearable to read, in fact it provides an interesting snapshot of the time. This I feel is one problem with Chick Lit as a genre, it is usually written in the present tense set in the time it is written. So ten or twenty years down the track it feels outdated and may even be completely irrelevant in it's views.

I enjoyed the book. Probably more now that I have had a baby then if I had read it before.