I think the BBC television shows of Reggie are the funniest TV shows ever, so when I learned that the show was adapted from a book I had to read it. Sometimes a movie is better than the book or vice versa; in this case, I think that both book and TV show are wonderful, each playing to their particular medium's strengths. After my many years working in business, I find Reggie's life to be hauntingly familiar. The humor can be very subtle at times and some people may not get it. I didn't get where I am today without knowing that this is one of the funniest books I've ever read.

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is the funniest book I have read in a long time. After getting used to the British slang and unusual mood of the book, I was hooked. It takes a while to realize what is going on, and when you do - that is when the situations are funny. The humor is slight and you have to pay attention to get the jokes; especially the insults he gives to his family and co-workers. The ending is hard to accept, untill you realize it is the perfect mix-up to this mans mid-life crisis.

This is a northern English comedy/fantasy by Peter Tinniswood (who died recently). The Brandon family live in a bleak industrial city somewhere in northern England in the 1960s. Les and Annie Brandon's house becomes home to a seemingly endless flow of their relations, unfortunate and lost souls all. Tensions surface pretty quickly, especially when the acerbic Uncle Mort gets Auntie Lil pregnant.

Tinniswood's writing is very much an acquired taste, and it helps if you've got an ear for the northern accent, but he does do a good job of evoking the sheer dreary monotony of working class life in industrial England, where the highlight of the year was the firm's outing to some bleak seaside resort, where battenburg cake was considered a delicacy and where ladies' hairdressers went by the name of "Maison Enid". The men retreat frequently to their local pubs as sanctuary from their female counterparts, who they depend upon to organise their lives.

For those with a feel for life in towns with heavy industry, "A Touch of Daniel" will touch a funny bone as well as stir memories. It might be lost on others.

G Rodgers

A very enjoyable book with a wonderfull cast of characters. A bazzare family full of those odd uncles and cousins that most people try to hide away from the world. Amaricans beware - tougher going if you can't "hear" the british accents.