Having been a fan of Bob Mortimer’s comedy for many years, I approached The Satsuma Complex with certain expectations. This book met none of them, yet quickly pulled me into a story I became genuinely invested in.
It is a warm and quietly funny book. The characters feel real and easy to care about. Written in a simple, unpretentious style, the story opens with the line: “My name is Gary. I’m a thirty-year-old legal assistant with a firm of solicitors in London.” At that point my expectations were modest. Yet Mortimer slowly draws you into Gary’s world through small mysteries, gentle humour and conversations with the local squirrel.
If you enjoy Mortimer’s humour or his gentle absurdity, this book will likely resonate. It is slightly strange, disarmingly warm and quietly charming. I finished it feeling it was the perfect antidote to a slightly mad world.