Molly-Mae: Behind It All - Part 2
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The Red House Paperback – International Edition, 25 April 2013

by Mark Haddon (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars 1,287 ratings
on any 4 Qualifying items | Terms
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From the author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time comes a novel about families and secrets

Two families. Seven days. One house.

Angela and her brother Richard have spent twenty years avoiding each other. Now, after the death of their mother, they bring their families together for a holiday in a rented house on the Welsh border. Four adults and four children. Seven days of shared meals, log fires, card games and wet walks.

But in the quiet and stillness of the valley, ghosts begin to rise up. The parents Richard thought he had. The parents Angela thought she had. Past and present lovers. Friends, enemies, victims, saviours.

Once again Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and A Spot of Bother, has written a novel that is funny, poignant and deeply insightful about human lives.

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  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Vintage
  4. Publication date
    25 April 2013
  5. Dimensions
    12.9 x 2.1 x 19.8 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    9780099570165
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0099570165
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From the Publisher

Vintage Brand: Read Boldly, Think Differently.

Product description

Review

Every bit as charmingly idiosyncratic as his brilliant The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time -- Henry Sutton ― Daily Mirror

A hugely enjoyable, sympathetic novel...a tremendous pleasure...we have been absorbed, entertained and moved -- Kate Kellaway ― Observer

Mark Haddon is terrifyingly talented... The Red House is thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable entertainment -- Angus Clarke ― The Times

Shockingly well-observed, gut-wrenchingly familiar and even heartbreaking at times ― Stylist

A masterly evocation of two dysfunctional, yet outwardly respectable families -- Jane Clinton ― Sunday Express

With writing as elegant and truthful as this, readers will wish to keep their copies close at hand to savour again -- Michael Arditti ― Daily Mail

There are passages here to die for -- Christopher Bray ― Daily Express

Haddon has a true understanding of the human heart. Whether he is writing about the teenagers...or the adults and their misjudgements, he never puts a foot wrong. The Red House shows that Haddon is much more than a one-hit wonder: he is a real novelist, and he is here to stay -- Sophie Waugh ― Spectator

A bitingly honest tale of modern family life ― In Style

It’s not every writer who can describe everyday domestic trauma with wit and without condescension. It’s a lot of fun to watch these midlife and adolescent crises come to the boil. And what shines is Haddon’s flair for observational comedy -- Anthony Cummins ― Metro

About the Author

Mark Haddon is a writer and artist. His bestselling novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, was published simultaneously by Jonathan Cape and David Fickling in 2003. It won seventeen literary prizes, including the Whitbread Award. In 2012, a stage adaptation by Simon Stephens was produced by the National Theatre and went on to win 7 Olivier Awards in 2013 and the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play. In 2005 his poetry collection, The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea, was published by Picador, and his play, Polar Bears, was produced by the Donmar Warehouse in 2010. The Pier Falls, a collection of short stories, was also published by Cape in 2016. To commemorate the centenary of the Hogarth Press he wrote and illustrated a short story that appeared alongside Virginia Woolf's first story for the press in Two Stories (Hogarth, 2017). His most recent novel, The Porpoise, was published by Chatto & Windus in 2019.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0099570165
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; Standard Edition (25 April 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780099570165
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0099570165
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.9 x 2.1 x 19.8 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    3.5 out of 5 stars 1,287 ratings

About the author

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Mark Haddon

Mark Haddon

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Mark Haddon is an author, illustrator and screenwriter who has written fifteen books for children and won two BAFTAs. His bestselling novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, was published simultaneously by Jonathan Cape and David Fickling in 2003. It won seventeen literary prizes, including the Whitbread Award. His poetry collection, The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea, was published by Picador in 2005, and his last novel, The Red House, was published by Jonathan Cape in 2012. He lives in Oxford.

Customer reviews

3.5 out of 5 stars
1,287 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book thought-provoking and appreciate its ability to explore complex family dynamics. The writing style receives mixed reactions, with some praising its poetic realism while others find it overly long and rambling. The narrative quality and readability are also mixed, with some finding it a compulsively entertaining read while others say it's not as good as the author's previous works. Customers find the book difficult to follow and struggle to empathize with the characters.

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9 customers mention ‘Thought provoking’9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and fascinating, with one customer noting how it explores themes without being preachy.

"...is one of his greatest skills as a writer, his ability to explore and probe without preaching...." Read more

"...However, if you are willing to persevere, it is a voyage of discovery...." Read more

"Interesting and readable but not a patch on 'Spot of Bother ' or 'Curious incident of the dog in the night' ...." Read more

"...I loved The Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and liked A Spot of Bother, but I feel as if the author has really honed and developed his style..." Read more

96 customers mention ‘Readability’65 positive31 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's readability, with some finding it an amazing and compulsively entertaining read, while others say it's not a good read and not as good as the author's previous works.

"...And the hope was what kept me reading. We can all benefit from a bit more of that in our lives." Read more

"Mark Haddon first wrote a superb book with which he has proven he can get inside the head of an autistic child. I cried for that lonely boy...." Read more

"...caused the novel to be somewhat disjointed and I found it a fairly stilted read...." Read more

"...A very good read and I recommend this wholeheartedly." Read more

94 customers mention ‘Narrative quality’43 positive51 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the narrative of the book, with some praising its acute observations and ability to show family life complexities, while others found it difficult to get into and criticized its slow, ponderous pace.

"...it follows one week of a holiday. It is an intense snapshot into family life where characters young and old wrestle with the challenges of living-..." Read more

"...There is no suspense as I cannot warn the characters about their misgivings. Sorry." Read more

"...There are some beautiful similes and the story is written in an extremely evocative and atmospheric way that makes the reader almost feel wet from..." Read more

"...It's not so much the plot, an inconsequential tale of an estranged brother and sister and their respective families (dysfunctional, naturally) going..." Read more

85 customers mention ‘Writing style’53 positive32 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book, with some praising its wonderful prose and brilliant descriptions, while others find it difficult to read and criticize its overly long and rambling sentences.

"...allows you to get into the heads of the characters, all flawed, real individuals...." Read more

"...There is no irony in this book as there are too many characters...." Read more

"...Being honest, I can't say I enjoyed it. It is well written and experimental without being out and out irritating..." Read more

"...There are some beautiful similes and the story is written in an extremely evocative and atmospheric way that makes the reader almost feel wet from..." Read more

37 customers mention ‘Character development’21 positive16 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some finding the characters compelling and appreciating the complex issues among them, while others criticize the omniscient narration that lacks clear character ownership.

"...The omniscient narration flutters between each character, revealing details bit by bit...." Read more

"...There was no main character, and personally I didn't like that...." Read more

"...Each voice is clearly distinguishable and he devotes equal care and detail to bringing all his characters vividly to life...." Read more

"...Benjy's charming innocence and very boyish interests provide much entertainment, and the obvious love his two older siblings have for him is..." Read more

13 customers mention ‘Effectiveness’6 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's effectiveness, with some finding it effective while others note that nothing really happens in the story.

"...There is no 'action', just a study of relationships...." Read more

"...and act the way they do - so, what I am trying to say is - the book does its job...." Read more

"This book was not as good as his other works, although it is interesting the way he explore the different personalities of the characters and how..." Read more

"...are eight simple chapters - one for each day of the stay - and this works well...." Read more

14 customers mention ‘Difficulty to follow’4 positive10 negative

Customers find the book difficult to follow and hard to get into at first.

"...I found it hard to get into at first, and not as punchy as the other two books, but once I got used to the different style, it was a really good read..." Read more

"...I was unsure who was saying what to whom. It made it difficult to follow. Lots of characters with complex issues...." Read more

"...The technique is masterful - and challenging at times. The descriptions of the Welsh Marches (an area I know well) stunningly beautiful...." Read more

"...This made it hard to follow at times and also irritating - it's nice to see where the characters going!" Read more

14 customers mention ‘Empathy’3 positive11 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the book's emotional content, with some finding it uplifting while others report being unable to empathize with any of the characters.

"...There is no concrete ending, no happily ever after-this is not a spoiler, any book which follows just one week will naturally end before the story..." Read more

"...I feel that this is an aspect of the novel that lets it down. Nobody is upbeat and, because Mark Haddon chooses to write in an unusual..." Read more

"hard to feel much empathy for this book...." Read more

"...It's moving, funny and sad. But above all, it's honest...." Read more

not bad!
5 out of 5 stars
not bad!
After reading all the bad reviews, I kept stalling to buy and read this. I loved Haddon's previous 2 books, especially a Spot of Bother, so in the end I decided to give this a go. How bad could it be? I almost gave up, and I had to struggle to get through the start. But once you get used to the style of writing it becomes much easier to follow. The story and the characters are quite interesting. It's simply a family on holiday, but of course this is more about the people than what happens around them. It might not be to everyone's liking, but if you do decide to give this a go, keep reading. This is a good book, just written in a modern way that takes some getting used to.
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Fryguy64
    5.0 out of 5 stars Relatable, Mundane and Incredible
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 August 2015
    Verified Purchase
    After reading through Curious Incident and A Spot of Bother within a few weeks of each other around a decade ago, Mark Haddon has become one of my favourite authors. His mastery over the small details create a sense of place and time unmatched by any other author, and really allows you to get into the heads of the characters, all flawed, real individuals.

    The Red House is basically the story of an extended family going on holiday together to a cottage. Some things happen, then they go home. But during their stay, you are drawn into every character's private world, their history, their mistakes, their self-loathing and torment. You get an insight into why people act the way they do, even if you think that act is repugnant or distressing.

    The drama is internalised, while the setting is mundane. When the drama finally spills out and butts heads with the other family members, you can't help but gasp, well-up or laugh out loud - all things that I don't normally do while reading, but simply can't help when reading Mark Haddon. An expertly crafted novel that I would read again in a heartbeat.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Katey
    3.0 out of 5 stars The Red House
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 May 2014
    Verified Purchase
    When The Red House was selected as the May read for my book group I wasn't sure it'd be my cup of tea. The cover was gloomy and foreboding for starters, and my headspace hasn't been all that fantastic in recent months. I didn't think I was up to coping with a depressing read (a Google search suggests that other editions of the book have a lighter cover- I wonder if owning one of those instead might have changed my perception of the book and therefore what I expected from it?).

    However, The Red House isn't actually a depressing read. Set around the Wales/England border (my old stomping ground!) it follows one week of a holiday. It is an intense snapshot into family life where characters young and old wrestle with the challenges of living- bereavement, marriage, sexuality, faith...Haddon certainly doesn't shy away from issues which other authors might be afraid to tackle for fear of offending. But this is one of his greatest skills as a writer, his ability to explore and probe without preaching.

    There was no main character, and personally I didn't like that. I wanted to be able to get my teeth into them (not literally, I'm not a cannibal) and felt that wasn't possible. Daisy in particular, a teenager discovering Christianity alongside her burgeoning attraction to another female, interested me. In some ways I felt short changed as she would have made a brilliant lead character-I want a follow up with just her story to see what happens to her next!

    In some ways not much happens in The Red House. There is no concrete ending, no happily ever after-this is not a spoiler, any book which follows just one week will naturally end before the story does. Being honest, I can't say I enjoyed it. It is well written and experimental without being out and out irritating (thinking of other experimental writers here who have used techniques that as a reader I found unbearable- Ali Smith's 'start in the middle of a sentence' in The Accidental for one), and I cared enough about a few of the characters to want to read on. I also found it interesting to see how the relationships between the characters developed over the course of the week, and how some days were eventful; others more mundane.

    This book walks the fine line between despair and hope. And the hope was what kept me reading. We can all benefit from a bit more of that in our lives.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • JohnBrassey
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Holiday From Hell
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 May 2012
    Verified Purchase
    It's very true that when people gather at funerals they often say to long lost relatives that they must never leave it so long before meeting up again. It's usually just words and those relatives remain distant until an obscure uncle or aunt passes away. In "The Red House", Mark Haddon's latest novel, early middle aged brother and sister Richard and Angela, buck that trend after their mother's funeral and get back together when Richard arranges a holiday cottage near Hay on Wye on the Welsh Borders and invites Angela and her family for a week's break.

    Richard is a successful physician with a new wife and a teenage step-daughter. Angela is married to Dominic who has been significantly less successful than Richard in his career. They have three kids, eight year old Benjy and his teenager brother and sister Alex and Daisy.

    The book explores the relationships between the eight characters over the week's break. All have problems - some problems are greater than others but, suffice to say, nobody is in the perfect mood to spend time with a bunch of near strangers and the holiday is predictably a time of tension rather than relaxation.

    The bucolic setting reminded me a little of Posy Simmonds' Tamara Drewe comic strip and film but, although there is an opportunity for humour in the situation, it is instead a story of angst. And there is so much angst! Apart from young Benjy, no character has much to smile about and even poor Benjy has his parents to fret over. I feel that this is an aspect of the novel that lets it down. Nobody is upbeat and, because Mark Haddon chooses to write in an unusual (though granted extremely clever) style of hopping from viewpoint to viewpoint to the extent that I frequently found myself turning back a page to see which character was the subject of a particular passage it can at times be a very difficult read. Although the necessity to do this eased as I gradually got into the book and understood the characters I found another technique used by the author ( jumping from the past to the present tense) caused the novel to be somewhat disjointed and I found it a fairly stilted read.

    There are some beautiful similes and the story is written in an extremely evocative and atmospheric way that makes the reader almost feel wet from the interminable Borders' rain but I didn't like the characters enough to empathise with them and, whilst I would give an arm and a leg to be able to write so well, I would rate this as four rather than five stars.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Cristina
    3.0 out of 5 stars Se deja leer
    Reviewed in Spain on 2 April 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Se deja leer, pero no es una de sus mejores obras, aunque me parece que es la más conocida. Bien.
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  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Well written aimlessness?
    Reviewed in the United States on 25 September 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I've read his other books which lead me to read this one. "The curious incident about the dog in the night" was excellent. This story seemed to get really interesting but left me quite flat in the end. So many questions. Why did Karen haunt her mother? And with such evil intent? What happened between Angela and her father. There was no resolution, nothing satisfactory. Still will read this author, the writing is excellent, evocative of my own thinking feeling self.
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  • Manuel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ottimo acquisto
    Reviewed in Italy on 7 September 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Libro accattivante e molto piacevole. Una dei miei figli, che studia al Linguistico, l'ha letto quest'estate e ne è rimasta conquistata. Ovviamente, grande profitto nella lingua.
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  • Ilsekatrin
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Red House
    Reviewed in Germany on 26 March 2020
    Verified Purchase
    prima, danke
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  • Mathilde Groppo
    4.0 out of 5 stars Family reunions...
    Reviewed in France on 27 October 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Everyone will recognise a little bit of themselves in this funny family reunion (with more extreme situations than in every day life). Easy and enjoyable read!
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