Turning Thirty by Mike Gayle

Turning Thirty

Mike Gayle

Side-achingly funny yet sincere, this will ring very loud bells if you are turning thirty yourself. Matt Beckford, a software designer between jobs and girlfriends, has returned to England to live with his parents. He is counting the days until the dreaded 'thirtieth' birthday. He reunites with all his old school chums, recapturing his youth.

Extract
'Getting older's nothing to be ashamed of.' I said comfortingly. 'Who cares if the last time you went to a night-club you had to shove cotton wool in your ears because it was too loud and then had to be taken to the local Accident and Emergency Department to have it surgically removed because you'd shoved it in too far?'
'You're kidding right?' said Gershwin, in amazement.
'I wish I was' I sighed. 'Five hours I had to wait, just for some Doctor barely out of short trousers to give me a disparaging look and yank it out with a pair of tweezers.'
Parallels
  • Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
  • Semi-Detached by Paul Heathorn