Tony Parsons hit publishing gold in 2002 with \Man and Boy,"" a novel based on his divorce and the ensuing years of being a single parent. In his much-anticipated second novel, ""Man and Wife,"" due to be released Feb. 28, Parsons picks up the story a few years later. His main character, Harry, has remarried Cyd, a woman with her own daughter, and his former wife has custody of his son.
In this book, we suffer alongside Harry as his new wife expects him to be a father to her daughter, yet openly admits she does not love his son as much. Harry's own mother, who had a perfect marriage, faces breast cancer, and while Harry is worrying about losing her, his ex-wife remarries and moves to America, taking his son with her. Harry suspects his wife of infidelity (while at the same time bearing a grudge against her because she won't bear him another baby)??and he begins to fight with his new stepdaughter.
Tragedy and difficulties seem to face Harry at every turn. And this is where the reader begins to suffer. Like a character in a low-budget horror film, Harry consistently makes bad choices. Harry begs to be yelled at: ""DO something! Do something besides whine!"" Harry hurts, but he never tries to stop the hurting.
To give Parsons credit, this book provides interesting insight into the life of a quasi-famous person, and how they may deal with child-rearing and issues of marital infidelity. But sadly, ""Man and Wife"" lacks the energy expected of the sequel to its much beloved predecessor.
