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The Weeping Women Hotel
The novel raises interesting questions about how stupid beliefs can sometimes get big results - Scientology comes to mind, or the Third Way. It also reads like a fairytale of Sayle's own literary career. Like Harriet, he just seems to keep getting better - more supple, more confident and more violent. This is a funny, frightening book which is also refreshingly bonkers. In terms of technique it's a big step forward from his last novel, Overtaken. It's meticulously plotted and persuasive and even has a nice line in nature description. But every now and then old Alexei stops the action, puts on his boots and stamps all over someone. He is not shy about naming names. There's a pair of hateful children called the Yentob twins. There's a fraudulent South American guru-novelist called Paulho Puoncho. Sometimes it's hard to know what the target is. I couldn't, for instance, figure out what Warbird - a charity that rescues talking birds from war zones - was supposed to be. But somehow the more disproportionate and undeserved the anger is, the funnier it is; the gratuitous rants give the book an unpredictable, hectic pace.
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First published January 1, 2006
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About the author
Alexei Sayle
33Ìýbooks67ÌýfollowersAlexei Sayle is an English stand-up comedian, actor, author and former recording artist, and was a central figure in the British alternative comedy movement in the 1980s.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
January 1, 2017
Plenty of this novel - based around a woman called Harriet who loses weight and gains confidence following her getting involved with an obscure martial art taught by her personal trainer - was perfectly readable, and rather enjoyable too. I appreciated numerous points of reference which were cleverly observed, and the cast of characters was certainly interesting.
It was, however, a somewhat silly premise, written in a sense that involved quite a lot of over the top daftness and unbelievable events. Though I was able to not take all this too seriously and become put off as a consequence, it prevented me from ever really seeing the book as more than just a bit of a laugh. Sayle does write quite a lot of witty stuff here, but there is also plenty which missed the mark for me.
It was, however, a somewhat silly premise, written in a sense that involved quite a lot of over the top daftness and unbelievable events. Though I was able to not take all this too seriously and become put off as a consequence, it prevented me from ever really seeing the book as more than just a bit of a laugh. Sayle does write quite a lot of witty stuff here, but there is also plenty which missed the mark for me.
February 24, 2024
This book had me laughing out loud, with its array of ridiculous but relatable characters. Toby in particular is very funny, a ridiculous middle aged man trapped in an unhappy marriage with some bizarre catch phrases. He is ludicrous but at the same time totally believable. The book captures the dystopian mundanity of city living perfectly and successfully satirises hipsters and the London upper middle class. It blends reality with absurdity really well, with strange, surreal Murakami-like moments occurring throughout. An enjoyable read.
December 23, 2008
I have had a sneaking regard for Alexei since I saw him doing stand-up in the Spa Cente in Leamington 25 years ago.
I'm afraid I found Weeping Women rather disapointing.
Harriet, a north London theatrical seamstress, is heavily overweight and signs up for the local gym. She devlops an abusive relationship with one of the instructors, Fake martial arts and the Namibian mafia both feature prominently in what is ultimately a rather depressing novel, albeit in a comic vein.
I'm afraid I found Weeping Women rather disapointing.
Harriet, a north London theatrical seamstress, is heavily overweight and signs up for the local gym. She devlops an abusive relationship with one of the instructors, Fake martial arts and the Namibian mafia both feature prominently in what is ultimately a rather depressing novel, albeit in a comic vein.
August 20, 2016
I was very curious to know where this was heading. Nowhere, as it turned out, but it was an entertaining ride.
August 23, 2008
Maybe not the very worst book I have ever read, ...but close. On one level, it was readable, in that I didn't struggle to finish it and there were some genuinely funny bits, particularly the Paul Coelho jibes. Other running jokes, notably the whole tiresome 'soup, swoop, loop-de-loop' thing, were just plain silly and repeated ad nauseam.
I felt the book was populated by caricatures, rather than characters with real motivations, and so didn't care a hoot about them. There was also no discernible plot, more a series of vignettes. 'Harriet meets martial arts fanatic, loses weight, ends up getting beaten up and running away' is not a plot, inasmuch as she doesn't appear to learn anything from her experience, and there is no real climax or resolution. And so much else remained unresolved - for instance, there's much hinting that things are going downhill for Helen, the abominable sister, with her sudden bout of gluttony and half-developed relationship with Julio, then the book ends with no conclusion about her whatsoever. Ditto the ridiculous Toby.
Ultimately I could see no justification for hailing Sayle as 'our finest modern satirist', as the backcover blurb pretentiously claims. There is a huge difference between satire and piss-taking. Satire has something significant to say about society and human nature, about what interests and motivates people; piss-taking does not. What, ultimately, does this novel tell us, other than some charities tend to support obscure causes and squander money (and I don't even think that's particularly true) and martial arts aren't always based on sound philosophy? For some really fine modern satire, read Will Self's "The Book of Dave" instead.
I felt the book was populated by caricatures, rather than characters with real motivations, and so didn't care a hoot about them. There was also no discernible plot, more a series of vignettes. 'Harriet meets martial arts fanatic, loses weight, ends up getting beaten up and running away' is not a plot, inasmuch as she doesn't appear to learn anything from her experience, and there is no real climax or resolution. And so much else remained unresolved - for instance, there's much hinting that things are going downhill for Helen, the abominable sister, with her sudden bout of gluttony and half-developed relationship with Julio, then the book ends with no conclusion about her whatsoever. Ditto the ridiculous Toby.
Ultimately I could see no justification for hailing Sayle as 'our finest modern satirist', as the backcover blurb pretentiously claims. There is a huge difference between satire and piss-taking. Satire has something significant to say about society and human nature, about what interests and motivates people; piss-taking does not. What, ultimately, does this novel tell us, other than some charities tend to support obscure causes and squander money (and I don't even think that's particularly true) and martial arts aren't always based on sound philosophy? For some really fine modern satire, read Will Self's "The Book of Dave" instead.
July 11, 2013
As a fan of Alexei Sayle in general, and having enjoyed Barcelona Plates and The Dog Catcher, I was looking forward to reading The Weeping Women Hotel.
On the plus side, it’s a lively, funny (sometimes hilarious) read. Sayle is superb at mocking the lifestyles and attitudes of modern middle-class Londoners, and this is one of the book’s great strengths.
Then again, the plot is a little thin and contrived, and the sheer bombardment of wackiness and extreme behaviour can be a bit wearying at times � perhaps it could have benefitted from a few semi-serious, more believable passages.
Also, the characterisation of the leading figure’s friends, Rose and Lulu, is sketchy to say the least � we’re not told what they look like, and they seem more-or-less identical in their behaviour and dialogue. In the end, it was a bit of a relief to finish it, although it had made for an entertaining diversion.
On the plus side, it’s a lively, funny (sometimes hilarious) read. Sayle is superb at mocking the lifestyles and attitudes of modern middle-class Londoners, and this is one of the book’s great strengths.
Then again, the plot is a little thin and contrived, and the sheer bombardment of wackiness and extreme behaviour can be a bit wearying at times � perhaps it could have benefitted from a few semi-serious, more believable passages.
Also, the characterisation of the leading figure’s friends, Rose and Lulu, is sketchy to say the least � we’re not told what they look like, and they seem more-or-less identical in their behaviour and dialogue. In the end, it was a bit of a relief to finish it, although it had made for an entertaining diversion.
January 10, 2018
i got up to about p.100 but there were just too many lame gags for me to persist. i wish that Sayle's tough brand of humor had persisted into his writing career but, despite some superb passages and an attractive mix of high brow / low brow, intellectual / irreverent (cultural Marxism, perhaps) the gentle (thus ineffective) mainstream humor of the likes of Ruth Jones, Robert Webb and Dave Gorman infected this work, rendering it bloodless. this is unlike Sayle's standup and sketch show work, which was excellent and is symptomatic of a crisis in mainstream British comedy where self-deprecation and easy targets are largely the order of the day. let's hope Sayle gets back to his best soon. here, he is writing to the converted - liberal humanists, Guardian readers, Oxfam customers etc who in many ways occupy the position in society formerly occupied by the likes of Mary Whitehouse
May 19, 2024
Thoroughly odd which I expected, yet I find I wasn’t laughing at all the places where I could hear the tinned laughter in my head. Don’t get me wrong, the book is still very humorous, which perhaps is unique for one detailing abusive relationships. The writing was good, the plot unique, the bizarre world conjured up was relatable, and yet for some reason I just didn’t like it. Perhaps because the conclusion just takes you back to the beginning, I wanted more of a revolution I suppose.
July 26, 2008
I found this amusing in places but nothing special. It also just seemed to end without a real sense of conclusion as though Sayle had run out steam.
It was a book club selection so may wait to see what others have to say about it.
June 5, 2022
Almost a 5 star book....
I won't give any spoilers or analyse this too much. I'll simply say that I was blown away by this book.
For the first two thirds I was engrossed and fascinated because I cared about the characters, found them utterly believable, and frankly had no idea where it was going!
That's kind of the problem....it doesn't really go anywhere. It felt as though the characters were on a journey of self discovery and that the plot points would all converge, which they kind of did but it just felt a bit underwhelming.
Overall, a very interesting book and I'd go as far as to say one of the most interesting and original novels I've read in a long time but it's "just" very good, and could have been excellent.
I won't give any spoilers or analyse this too much. I'll simply say that I was blown away by this book.
For the first two thirds I was engrossed and fascinated because I cared about the characters, found them utterly believable, and frankly had no idea where it was going!
That's kind of the problem....it doesn't really go anywhere. It felt as though the characters were on a journey of self discovery and that the plot points would all converge, which they kind of did but it just felt a bit underwhelming.
Overall, a very interesting book and I'd go as far as to say one of the most interesting and original novels I've read in a long time but it's "just" very good, and could have been excellent.
September 6, 2024
I enjoyed it but not perfect. With the parts where it went outside realism, they were mildly amusing at first but then annoying when it stopped me from believing in part of the story's resolution. The main character was ok - I could relate to some aspects of her but not all, and she did have character development. But it did come through that the female characters were written by a man. For example there was a lot of emphasis on physical beauty. There are a couple of political remarks which have either dated or are easy for most people to agree with. I'm not very familiar with Sayle, but remember watching his standup many years ago and it being quite an experience. So was hoping his book would be more stand-out too.
December 15, 2020
Soup, swoop, loop de loop
Sayle's collection of short stories Barcelona Plates knocked me out a few years back and left me anxious for more, so I was over the moon when I found this last week.
The Weeping Women Hotel - a deranged London tale of friends, family and intense self-improvement - proved anothern absurdist satirical delight, that had me guffawing every couple of pages and hooked, even when I occasionally felt my grip on the proceedings slipping amidst the profusion of ideas, twists and connections.
A pioneering stand-up and TV comedian, Alexei Sayle has, since the 80s, put a spotlight on the insanity - and inanity - of modern day life and, in a way, how I came to own this book is an example of the bizarre, unexplainable world in which we live:
The Weeping Women Hotel originally retailed at £12.99 (around $17.50). It was bought from a discount store for £2/$2.70 (I peeled the tag off myself) before it was shipped to Poland and sold to me for the equivalent of £1.50 ($2). Presumably everyone in the process made a profit ...how does that make any sense?
While it may not be as blindingly brilliant as Barcelona Plates, The Weeping Women Hotel sits comfortably alongside Jonathan Coe's depressingly funny What a Carve Up!
A seriously undervalued writer, I'd love to know what Sayle would make of our current state of affairs.
Sayle's collection of short stories Barcelona Plates knocked me out a few years back and left me anxious for more, so I was over the moon when I found this last week.
The Weeping Women Hotel - a deranged London tale of friends, family and intense self-improvement - proved anothern absurdist satirical delight, that had me guffawing every couple of pages and hooked, even when I occasionally felt my grip on the proceedings slipping amidst the profusion of ideas, twists and connections.
A pioneering stand-up and TV comedian, Alexei Sayle has, since the 80s, put a spotlight on the insanity - and inanity - of modern day life and, in a way, how I came to own this book is an example of the bizarre, unexplainable world in which we live:
The Weeping Women Hotel originally retailed at £12.99 (around $17.50). It was bought from a discount store for £2/$2.70 (I peeled the tag off myself) before it was shipped to Poland and sold to me for the equivalent of £1.50 ($2). Presumably everyone in the process made a profit ...how does that make any sense?
While it may not be as blindingly brilliant as Barcelona Plates, The Weeping Women Hotel sits comfortably alongside Jonathan Coe's depressingly funny What a Carve Up!
A seriously undervalued writer, I'd love to know what Sayle would make of our current state of affairs.
January 25, 2025
I gave up on this one at 40%. I’m a big fan of Alexei Sayle’s work, but I found this to be bit of a slog to be honest.
I don’t know, maybe the main character just isn’t that interesting.
There are also a few jokes repeated from his stand-up and radio shows (or maybe they appeared here first and were repeated after), so I found that distracting.
I don’t know, maybe the main character just isn’t that interesting.
There are also a few jokes repeated from his stand-up and radio shows (or maybe they appeared here first and were repeated after), so I found that distracting.
December 16, 2017
I have no idea what this book was - a comedy or drama? If a comedy then it was silly and pointless, if a drama, then the story was poorly developed and lacking structure. Unfortunate, because in a perfect world it could have been quite good.
January 3, 2018
Very entertaining and quite funny in parts. Not as funny as I expected from A.S
August 21, 2018
I enjoyed the story, and found it funny - but thought there could have been more explanation as to the hotel part of this story?!
May 16, 2020
Readable. It's Ok. Not really recommended though
March 28, 2021
Disappointing all told. Some funny, some insight, some sharpness.... All fizzled out.
January 20, 2022
a clever bloke who might have misdirected his energies - or at least failed to capitalise on them; could be deeper (and more meaningful); a bit on the shallow side; holiday reading for the listless
March 17, 2023
Kinda odd sometimes?
July 12, 2023
Read this a long time ago and often think back to the character who can mend garments invisibly.
January 19, 2025
Wouldn't say it matched what I thought it would be on the blurb but I actually rather enjoyed it.
Not my usual read & a bit odd but surprised me in a positive way.
Not my usual read & a bit odd but surprised me in a positive way.
May 21, 2025
No idea why I finished this. It’s not only drivel with 2 dimensional characters, it’s a pathetic attempt at satire which involves far too much punching down to be even remotely funny.
November 23, 2009
This is the first book I’ve read by Alexei (whose comedy I love). I heard him being interviewed saying that his goal was for readers not to hear his voice when they were reading � for me he achieved this. This book had all the very funny and clever detail you would expect from him but the plot was much more female focused than you would expect him to deliver. It was an easy read with some unexpected twists and turns. At times it reminded me of a better written Brigit Jones� Diary.
It focuses on the life of Harriet who lives alone in London � some of the plot surrounds modern day events but it also has some serial and bizarre threads running through it.
I would definitely read more by Alexei.
It focuses on the life of Harriet who lives alone in London � some of the plot surrounds modern day events but it also has some serial and bizarre threads running through it.
I would definitely read more by Alexei.
October 19, 2014
This is the second book by Alexei Sayle I have read and both have been very good, funny and also make some cutting points through his excellent use of satire.
Harriet is very overweight and very much second best to her friends and 'perfect' sister....until she meets Patrick, oriental martial arts expert who (very amusingly) turns her into a lean fighting machine and also a slim beauty. Harriet is now confident and is able to confront those she was formerly afraid of but something is still lacking...
It's a great satire and will be appreciated by British folk in particular I imagine.
Harriet is very overweight and very much second best to her friends and 'perfect' sister....until she meets Patrick, oriental martial arts expert who (very amusingly) turns her into a lean fighting machine and also a slim beauty. Harriet is now confident and is able to confront those she was formerly afraid of but something is still lacking...
It's a great satire and will be appreciated by British folk in particular I imagine.
April 9, 2009
Amusing seeming-satire of chick-lit, the tale of a woman discovering herself and losing her fear through taking up an obscure martial art, and becoming involved with the eccentrics living in her community.
However, although there was an element of tension and danger throughout, I nevertheless found the (almost) ending quite upsetting, with a definite shift in tone to what had gone before and which marred my enjoyment somewhat.
However, although there was an element of tension and danger throughout, I nevertheless found the (almost) ending quite upsetting, with a definite shift in tone to what had gone before and which marred my enjoyment somewhat.
August 6, 2011
not as good as 'Overtaken' (in my opinion), but a good read in its own right. once again a few unexpected twists, some great character development, and a couple of laugh out loud moments (Tin Can Man especially)
April 22, 2012
Take a new look at inner London. See what's really going on behind closed doors. Another wonderfuly, dark comedieby the master of dark humour. You can't fail to enjoy this.
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January 17, 2013
surprising theme the author explores how violence can be used to boost self esteem and defeat victimhood.the energy of the prose conveys the maelstrom in which the characters are trapped and the path to redemption and sanctuary.
April 25, 2007
I love Alexei, but this was not his best. That said, I loved the Yentob twins - two kids who discuss optioning a puppet show.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
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