Book Review – That Boy Of Yours Wants Looking At by Simon Smalley

By pbinney on August 31, 2024

Book Review - That Boy Of Yours Wants Looking At by Simon Smalley

First published, 2021

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What a treat. That Boy Of Yours Wants Looking At is a memoir from Nottingham-born author, Simon Smalley. The youngest of six children, the author grew up fabulous in a tough, working-class area where his penchant for fashion, art and glamour could have rendered him a figure of confusion were it not for the love and support of his remarkable parents.

Simon Smalley has an incredible eye for detail. His descriptions are rich and vivid, with tonnes of imagery and crisp dialogue. There's no question, he didn't have the easiest time growing up─illness, bullies or bereavement are hard to go through, but all three are devastating─however, this important, charming book is ultimately filled with hope. And there are some seriously funny moments, too.

"I jumped when the doctor pulled back the blanket covering my hot legs. He began to knead my thigh with the same vigour that Dad used when he prepared a leg of pork for Sunday dinner. I half expected him to rub a coating of sea salt onto my flesh to produce a nice, crisp crackling. He plucked a black marker pen from his pocket, and its broad tip tickled my blanched skin as he drew two thick arrows pointing to my left hip. His hand jiggled rapidly as he wrote something which I couldn't see from my restricted position. My visitors looked down at his calligraphy with mild concern. I asked what my new fibre-tipped tattoos were. Dr Walton slapped my leg and left a glowing, rosy imprint of his fingers.

"'This is to show them which leg to operate on.'

"His joviality was wasted on Dad, who harrumphed again. I looked up at the handsome doctor and admired his even, white teeth.

"'But it's not that leg. It's the other one... my right leg.'

"He didn't flinch when I informed him of his error but casually accepted the information as if I'd told him that the bus he was waiting for was going to be five minutes late.

"'Oh...really? I say... oh, I'll have to change that, then. We don't want them slicing the wrong leg, do we?'

"He rifled through my notes, flipping the pages noisily. 'You know─you're right.'

"He guffawed as if this was an everyday occurrence and not a potentially dangerous mistake. After rummaging in another pocket, he withdrew a second marker pen. He drew angry red arrows pointing to my right hip and scrawled 'THIS LEG' several times. His artistic attention returned to my left leg, where he scribbled over the black arrows and added the remarkable instructions 'Not this leg' and 'Other leg' in even larger letters."

p 189-190, Chapter Twenty-Three, Don't Leave Me This Way, That Boy Of Yours Wants Looking At by Simon Smalley

Go, read.

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