I love a good blurb, and as of now, I’ve written three. However, none of them are quite as arresting as what I read on the back of Sophie Neville’s 1991 book, “Funnily Enough.”
“Based on a diary of convalescence written by the author in 1991, it is the true and inspirational story of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, working in television, rural family life and a pair of tame otters.”
It was the otters that drew me in.
Sophie was a successful, busy woman, working for the BBC, travelling and ploughing her own furrow when she was suddenly struck down by CFS. Sent to convalesce at her parents’ home in Gloucestershire, she’s reduced to lying in bed staring at the ceiling, unbearable for someone so used to being busy and independent. There are two strands within the book which I love. Sophie’s eccentric family and friends who wander in and out of the narrative, quite often making startling statements or acting in a way reminiscent of some of the characters in, “My Family and Other Animals” and her application of her Christian faith to the predicament in which she finds herself.
Sophie’s mother seems always to be auditioning for parts in films or TV, is a JP and goes for long walks with a spotty hanky tied round her head with her two otters sitting on her shoulders. Her long-suffering father spends much of his time boating and toiling. The house appears to be falling down, but slowly. A live electric wire is found running underneath the bath as rats have gnawed off the insulation. There is an unfortunate incident with some trousers and a runaway rotavator. If you thought your family was a bit unusual (and let me say, I’ve set the bar fairly high with mine), Sophie’s anecdotes will make you realise that this is not the case.
A book detailing the symptoms and challenges of CFS could be very dull indeed. This is absolutely not the case here. Reading it is like wandering through a stately home with rooms closed off and chandeliers wrapped in bags and then suddenly bursting into a drawing room full of people clinking champagne glasses and having fun. You never know what’s coming next, which I love. I particularly enjoyed the juxtaposition of laugh-out loud humour and anecdotes and serious content. For example. On page 256 we read this.
“Good news. Diana’s sister Amanda is to be married, or so it has been announced in The Times, to a Mr James Radclyffe Brewster. I was able to make it to their engagement party in Twickenham. Amanda was wearing an amusing, black, elasticated, raffia mini skirt. ‘It’s a size 8,’ she said triumphantly, ‘and it fits perfectly. I’m normally a size 14.’ (She is nearly six foot tall). The shop girls explained why – it’s meant to be a dress.”
Two pages later, Sophie makes it to church and hears a talk including these words.
“’Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. It’s a willingness to let God work out His purpose in our lives. Trust; let Him do the impossible.’ In that case, one could say that faith is taking on what God says and hanging on in there, despite the odds.”
These words really hit me – great advice for any situation.
If a book makes you chortle out loud while reading it, it’s generally a good sign. I may have to invent a device called the Snort-0-Meter – “Funnily Enough” scores highly. It would take huge amounts of self-control not to guffaw noisily at this entry for 7th January:
“I arrived home to find the house on fire. Princess Michael of Kent was putting it out with salt. She was roaring with laughter and much enjoying the whole thing. ‘No need to call the fire brigade,’ she said. ‘They make so much mess. Prince Michael will help.’ And he did. He started taking burning logs from the sitting room in a metal bucket and dumping them in the river.
This sounds like another bizarre dream, but the strangest thing was that it was true. And the Belgian Ambassador was there too.”
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the author returns to their ancestral home to discover members of the Royal Family beating out flames. In fact, I’m going out on a limb and saying I know I haven’t. What’s more, I’m pretty sure I never will again.
Funny, touching, wise and honest, this is a wonderful read, whether you dip into it or power through the whole thing in one sitting. It’s illustrated by Sophie’s own watercolours and is most heartily recommended.
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You can find out more about Sophie here: