by David Baddiel
"Whatever Love Means" is a hilarious tragicomedy of a novel. Exploring the concept of shame, and explicitly the relationship between sex and death, Baddiel's novel is intelligently written and engaging to the end.
The story is set against the backdrop of a recent time in history: the death of Princess Diana. Baddiel writes refreshingly about this time, without being sentimental or lachrymose. Instead his observational and ironic style examines how tragedy and catastrophe can be exploited, romanticised and obfuscated.
The characters are masterfully drawn: real, interesting, and engaging. Vic in particular is a modern tragic hero whose fatal flaw drives the plot to its conclusion, which is as sad as it is shocking.
Finally, it is a book to be recommended to people everywhere. Its final social message is crucial, and comes so unexpectedly that I've never known it to be made more effectively.
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