Press about The Pile of Stuff
Reviews
The Daily Mail, 25 March 2011 : ‘It’s fantastically well-written, searingly truthful, occasionally very moving’. Link to full review.
Red Magazine, April edition: ’A great comic novel on marriage and motherhood… very funny.’ Four stars.
Marie Claire, April edition: ‘It’s flippant and sharply funny, but at the heart of this novel there is a terrible poignancy, a familiar story that charts the effect of procreation on a loving relationship.’
Grazia, 22 February: ‘Ignore the chores and read this… A funny, thought-provoking take on what happens to a relationship when children come along.’
The Bookseller: ‘An enjoyable and engaging read - I loved it – but amid the fun there’s some sharp-eyed comment about the way that having children can skewer a previously equal relationship. Really does merit comparison with the mega-selling I Don’t Know How She Does It and I think this one could be huge.’
Cosmopolitan Australia, April edition, Book of the Month: ‘This is a so-real-it’s-scary, look at marriage, motherhood and the war on the domestic front – and what can happen to love when the mundane chores of life get in the way.’
Herald Sun: An extract ran in the Sunday edition of Australia’s most popular newspaper, which is apparently unusual for a work of fiction.
And here’s a couple from the US
Romantic Times Magazine: ‘A hilarious, charming story about one woman who is sick and tired of her husband not helping around the house… Hopkinson uses just the right amount of humor to get her point across without being over the top. There are some sex scenes that may be too sizzling for some readers, but this should not prevent them from enjoying the book.’
Publishers Weekly: ‘This sharp look at the craziness of modern life… Hopkinson nails a marriage cracking into a million pieces, and manages to make you believe that there’s always a way to patch things up.’
Some other stuff written about The Pile…
I love this piece by Jenny McCartney, Sunday Telegraph, 6 March 2011. She’s made the point I’m trying to make in the book so more articulately and succinctly. I have huge intellectual crush on her.
Sandra Parsons is the Daily Mail’s big-name Wednesday columnist. She asks whether women give up on marriage too easily here.
Very funny piece by Sam Leith retaliating against The Pile in the Times here. Lots of very true things that some women do that annoy men. I plead extra-specially guilty to the one about bad driving directions. Unfortunately it’s behind a paywall, but if you’re desperate to read it, contact me and I’ll send you a pdf of it.
Some stuff by me
Daily Mail, 5 March 2011. Piece in which Giles Coren and I take opposing sides in listing all that annoys us about our partners (in general, my husband is of course guilty of none of these sins).
20 February 2010 – piece on getting sucked into obsessing over home decor in the Sunday Times Style magazine with photograph of me looking uncharacteristically groomed. Here’s a link, though you won’t be able to read it unless you’re a Times subscriber.
Also did a piece in Grazia about what you hate most about the one you love. Very flattering photo thanks to their wonderful photographer, stylist and make-up people. The dress is Lanvin and I was very tempted to do a Lindsay Lohan and nick it. Will try to put a PDF of it up here.
And here’s some links to pieces that I’ve written for the national press over the years. It’s only a small sample since many publications (such as Grazia and Red) don’t put their features onto the net.
For the Times:
For the Daily Telegraph:
- My son’s bumpy first few weeks
- Investigating high-end buggies
- How to beat first-term burnout
- No nappies – and no potty training
- An interview with TV presenter Quentin Wilson about treatment of his son’s behavioural issues
- Interview with Olympic canoeist Anna Hemmings about her recovery from ME
- How long should paternity leave be?
For the Guardian: