Dinner with the Schnabels, by Toni Jordan

Melbourne architect Simon Larsen has lost his business, his self-respect and his family’s home during the pandemic. Despite clearly suffering from depression he refuses to seek help. He drinks too much and it is left to his long-suffering wife, Tansy, to keep body and soul together in their tiny rental flat. Tansy’s overbearing mother, Gloria, has decreed a belated memorial service for her estranged ex-husband and Simon has been coerced into landscaping the friend’s garden where it will be held. In Simon’s view, Tansy is excessively close to her siblings so when her half-sister lands on them for the service, his breaking point may be near. This is a hot mess of a book that tries very hard to be quirky and funny, with an underlying serious message. It turns itself inside out with unlikely plot elements and unbelievable characters in an attempt to achieve a satisfying outcome. But Simon is such an oblivious, self-centred sad sack that it’s difficult to stick with him. The love of a good woman and a supportive family are all very well, but there is something distasteful about the infantilisation of man seemingly unable to help himself to any degree.