HUMOUR

The Good, The Bad and the Little Bit Stupid By Marina Lewycka, Penguin Random House, $37 .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

I’m not at all sure what to make of this. Comedy? Drama? Bonkers?

Pretty much all of the above. This is a rather implausible story about family, bank fraud and Brexit Britain, from the author who wrote A Short History of Tractors In the Ukraine

— a title that just makes you want to jump right in.

George has just walked out on his wife Rosie on Brexit referendum night to move in with Brenda next door. Somehow he’s also won squillions on a Kosovan lottery he doesn’t really remember buying a ticket for.

But then that perennial problem — what’s the password to get at the dosh? From there he gets mixed up with organised crime, heroin smuggling, illegal organ trading and a whole lot of other nonsense.

Silly characters, unlikely situations and pretty strange all round, rather like its title.

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