Still clearing the backlog of Amazon Vine reviews, here is what I thought about Obstacles to Young Love by the legendary David Nobbs.

I have to start by laying my cards on the table and saying that I have been a fan of David Nobbs since I was a teenager, and read the first Reggie Perrin book. I have ten of his novels on my shelves so I had high hopes when I picked this book up to read it, and was not disappointed; this is one of his best.

There is a crossover between Nobbs’ novels and his TV writing with some books adapted for TV, and other being novelisations of TV shows or at least written in parallel, and his writing style does lend itself to the small screen, making him extremely accessible.

But accessible does not mean bland or shallow. Behind the effortless humour there are some big topics and serious points.  For example, in this book the subject of religious faith is a major thread of the plot.

All of Nobbs’ usual stylistic flourishes are present and correct, including the subtle repetition of otherwise trivial details to make them funny, and the reiteration of particular events of circumstances with slight changes to highlight changes over time.

Many of Nobbs’ books lend themselves to sequels, which duly appear, but this is very much a self-contained story, taking place over an extended period.  It is about two young lovers who run away for a few nights in London, are forced apart by family and circumstances, and spend the subsequent decades trying to re-connect. Along the way themes like religion, alcoholism and bereavement are all encountered and treated very sensitively  without diminishing the overall good humour of the book.

Given the author’s history and reputation in TV sit-coms, an interesting strand of the book is the acting career of one of the main characters, who finds herself involved in increasingly dire comedies after starting with shakespearian ambitions. I did find myself wondering if the passages concerning the TV shows were satire, documentary or just a bit of fun at the expense of the television industry.

The key lesson learned from this book: taxidermists do not stuff.