The Penultimate Chance Saloon
By Simon Brett Thorndike Large Print, (2006)
ISBN: 0-7862-8854-X
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by Laura Hortz Stanton - October 13, 2006
In his novel The Penultimate Chance Saloon, Simon Brett takes a lighthearted look at the post-divorce life of his main character, Bill Stratton.
As the novel opens, the reader is introduced to Bill Stratton, a mildly successful television news broadcaster nearing his sixties. Bill prides himself on his light, easygoing personality and is content in his marriage to his wife of forty years, Andrea. However, Bill's perspective on life quickly takes a 180 when Andrea announces that she wants a divorce and that she has been miserable for the entire marriage.
Suddenly finding himself single after such a long marriage, Bill begins to explore his "second adolescence," as he calls it. Having only been with one woman prior to Andrea, he begins to rediscover women, a process that is intriguing and frightening for a man nearing retirement age.
As the novel progresses the reader is introduced, however briefly, to the new women that stroll through Bill's life. The reader also follows the main character as he makes various revelations about dating, women, relationships, and himself. This is truly a twist on the traditional coming of age story as Bill makes his journey of self-discovery as a mature man.
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