There is no question in my mind that Puberty Blues by Kathy Lette is an important piece of modern Australian literature. And I did laugh out loud when I read Foetal Attraction and Mad Cows. I probably smiled during Dead Sexy and How to Kill Your Husband but I honestly can’t remember. After reading Lette’s latest release, The Boy Who Fell to Earth, I have resolved to leave Lette out of my reading future (re-readings of Puberty Blues excepted). You see, the problem is I’ve heard the jokes before. All of them.

The Boy Who Fell to Earth is about a woman, Lucy, and her bright son, Merlin. Merlin has Aspergers. Shortly after his diagnosis, Merlin’s father hot foots it out of their lives. Hurt and betrayed, Lucy directs all of her love and attention to Merlin. Struggling with the joys and tribulations of raising her eccentrically adorable yet challenging child, Lucy doesn’t have room for any other man in her life – but that changes at the urging of her family and Merlin. We read about a string of dating disasters (where Lette gets to trot out a bunch of stereo-typed characters) before Lucy meets Archie – a rough-as-guts Aussie and seemingly the man least likely. Just when things are going well, Merlin’s father returns, begging for forgiveness and a second chance. But does he have an ulterior motive? No need to guess how it ends.

Basically, Lette’s constant stream of one-liners, scabrous observations and somewhat cliché characters is tiring. It’s almost as if she made a long list of ‘must-be-included’ jokes then set about fashioning the story around them. Continue reading →