I didn't really know what I was getting myself into when I began reading Fleishman was in Trouble but quickly realised that I was in for a bit of a ride. It is the story of recently divorced Toby Fleishman who wakes up one morning to find that his ex-wife has sneaked the children into his apartment and has disappeared. What happens next is a funny series of events and watching as Toby struggles to find his pace as a single father.

Fleishman is in Trouble is very much a character driven novel as not much actually happens throughout the story however we do delve into our main characters life, his way of thinking and the ennui he feels about being an adult.

It was an interesting story but it was often hard to empathise with Toby and there were times when I questioned his decisions. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner is available now.

For more information regarding Taffy Brodesser-Akner (@taffyakner) please visit www.taffyakner.com.

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Brilliant read. Very relatable. Loved Fleischman and his ex wife annoyed me which was the point. Would highly recommend!

This is a domestic drama

I didn’t like the structure of the book. No chapters at all.
This book had potential but it didn’t achieve what I hoped it would

Loved this! One of the great literary novels of recent times. Thought provoking, sentimental, and amazing characterisation.

Hmmm, I wanted to like this book, but I couldn't relate to any of the characters. I found the tone of the narrator off-putting and I didn't find it funny when I think it wanted to be. Heard so many great things about it but it just wasn't for me.

I had heard a lot about this book and was super excited to read it . However it didn’t live up to the mark for me and at times I struggled through it. There were parts of the story which I loved but other parts I skimmed through.

Fleishman Is In Trouble was absolutely brilliant. Brodesser-Anker stole two days of my weekend as I read and absorbed the story of a marriage of a man, who felt he never quite measured up, never had enough ambition for a wife who only seemed intent on pursing wealth, to keep up with the rich persons who would advance her career and her place in New York society

Their impending divorce and her disappearance ultimately led to Toby’s indepth analysis of his life of his feeling that he somehow deserved better. And indeed you did feel sorry for him as he catalogued the failings of his wife to see him for who he was and to notice and love their children as much as she loved her job.

It could very easily have come across as self indulgent, but such was the quality of Brodesser-Anker’s narrative it was addictive and immersive. She took us back to Toby’s upbringing. his short height that in some sense acted as his crutch until he met Rachel. Rachel was the woman who appeared to offer him love, didn’t think about his height, their marriage seemed happy, his position as a doctor secure, and then gradually you could see the chinks, the chasm that grew between them.

We got Toby’s perspective on the what went wrong, wholly one sided, as he seemed to wallow in self pity, but also enjoyed his sexual freedom, used dating sites, and sexual encounters with abandon. It all felt like a phase he had to go through before home truths kicked in, a stall in his career made him stop and take stock.

Brodessar-Anker injected some perspective, Libby, Toby’s age old friend, the outsider, objective yet troubled by her own restlessness, life as a house wife not enough. Did she want to go back to her career, did she love her husband or was the grass greener in the outside world, the city, the working world.

Her relationship with Toby came under close scrutiny, they acted as each other’s sounding board as slowly they worked through their issues, as perspective crawled in and finally you felt decisions and acceptance could be near.

It’s hardly surprising that Fleishman Is In trouble appeared on the Women’s Prize Longlist. I don’t think there is another novel out there that has scrutinised marriage and relationships as brilliantly as Brodesser-Anker. I felt it was a commentary on modern day society, of our high expectations, of wanting so much yet left disappointed and lacking when life doesn’t match upto what we want.

It is a very rare thing for me to reach the end of a book and mark its ending with a "Wow!". This, ladies and gentlemen, is one of those books. It is quite simply brilliant.

This is a book that takes on the great American novel and does a number on it, because this incredible debut has all the hallmarks of those big hitters of the American literary world while having the delicious audacity to be written by a woman... and a mighty talented one, at that! Hallelujah!

Here we have your all-American, Jewish doctor and wronged husband, Toby Fleishman, all at sea because his marriage has failed - the marriage he tried so hard to make work, by bending over backwards to be, and do, everything he could to be a good husband, while obviously remaining true to himself. He feels out of step with a world that seems to hold his values worthless, convinced that his wife did nothing but manoeuvre him into a life he did not want, surrounded by the trappings of a lifestyle he holds in contempt.

Toby embarks on a voyage of sexual gluttony, on finding that he is now the flavour of the month among New York's population of single women on on-line dating sites. No longer does he have to worry that his diminutive height, and lack of high-powered credentials may hold him back in his search for love - if anything, it is all a little too much.

But this is not just his chance for a fresh start, he is now also free to reconnect with the close friends of his youth, reflect upon how their lives have (or have not) changed, and wonder what happened to all their youthful expectations. Where did it all go wrong?

Just as Toby is starting to get into the swing of things, Rachel goes AWOL, and he begins to feel put-upon and resentful that he is now carrying the sole responsibility for the care of their two children, while trying to give the required attention to his job and love life, after everything he has already been through. How much more can Toby take?

However, we now come to where this novel shows its credentials, and the author Taffy Brodesser-Akner blows the piece wide open, because refreshingly (and oh so originally), we see Toby's life not just through his eyes, but also through those of his very old friend, Libby - who is going through somewhat of a mid-life crisis herself and questioning her own marriage and life choices.

The two narratives are entwined, and it does take a little while to establish that their are in fact two voices here - one male and one female - but as the novel progresses you find it easier to distinguish who is speaking at any one time. Through this device, the edge of the male experience (albeit not the one we traditionally read about) is tempered, and it gives a way for some interesting and enlightening questions to be asked of it by the female one. This works beautifully and allows the reader to compare and contrast the experiences of the two separate characters, and lay bare many of their misconceptions. It also gives a way in for one of the smartest about-turns in a novel I have ever read - one which absolutely spins the whole piece on its head and makes you look at what you thought you knew in a completely different way.

This book is astonishingly good. It explores a whole smorgasboard of issues to perfection - family dynamics and how marriages change over time; sexual politics; power plays and misunderstandings in relationships, and within the world of work; traditional roles, and the fall-out that comes when partners deviate from these; the nature of male and female ambition; how the word views working mothers; being true to yourself; the desire to make a better life for your children; the yearning for connection; the weight of expectation; and the longing for the perceived freedom of youth...and more, much more. It also has some very interesting things to say about the role of social media and mobile technology today.

I know this novel is going to give me the most terrible book hangover, because, inevitably, it is going to be a very hard act to follow. Take a tip from me and get yourself a copy of Fleishman Is In Trouble now, because this is most definitely one of the must read novels of our time.

This was a well written character study that didn't have a lot of plot.

I enjoyed this but also felt a bit ground down by it. It felt longer than it was. I'm not really sure that it would have been so well received as well were the genders flipped which I feel is part of the author's point and also not something that she can control. But, if we followed a woman for the summer after her separation this most likely, wouldn't have received the same attention or a literary designation.

I'd be keen to read more from this author.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Having the read the blurb above Fleishman Is in Trouble really appealed to me for lots of reasons and I couldn't wait to get started.

41 year old, Dr Toby Fleishman is finally free of his awful wife and miserable marriage having spent the last fifteen years being belittled (not difficult as Toby is only 5ft 5" tall) by his successful, workaholic and controlling wife Rachel.  He's a dedicated and commited hepatologist and would rather be treating patients than climbing the career ladder, which was a bone of contention throughout his marriage.  He's was home every night to feed and look after the kids whist Rachel, the main breadwinner, ran her empire earning enough money for them to live a very privileged life in Manhattan.

One morning Toby wakes in his new apartment to find Rachel has dropped off their children, 11 year old Hannah and 9 year old Solly, a day early and has disappeared completely.  Not responding to texts, calls or messages Toby has to juggle his children, job and newly discovered sex life whilst trying to find his ex-wife.

The story is narrated by Toby's college friend Libby and takes the reader on a long journey from Toby's early life to the present and looks deeply at the events that led to the breakdown of their marriage.

Toby is a small man who spent his childhood extremely overweight in a typically religious Jewish household riddled with insecurities, self doubt and self loathing.  With little or no understanding of the female race, he meets and marries Rachel because she appears to be "normal", however as the story unfolds it's clear she is anything but normal.

This is a story which covers in depth the themes of marriage, divorce, online dating, midlife crises and whilst it is amusing and observational it could have been shorter in places as I felt it did drag along also whilst reading this book I couldn't help but imagine Toby as Peter Jacobson from House M.D.

Overall I found this book an interesting and thought provoking read which could have been several pages shorter, but was an interesting look at gender roles and living in a world of online dating apps.

This is a novel that I got from NetGalley and I had a couple of false starts with it before deciding to borrow the audio book from the library and I have to admit that it did work better for me on audio. The novel opens with Toby Fleishman – a recently separated 41 year old who is suddenly having to cope with his two children on his own as his wife Rachel has seemingly had enough. What follows is a self-obsessed, arrogant man who spends pages and pages telling us all about the women he’s slept with or is flirting with online. In between that he’s constantly bad-mouthing Rachel. He never lets up! I had heard that this novel has a big twist partway through that makes it so worth the first half but to be honest I guessed what would happen. Ultimately, I just felt very sorry for the two children caught up in this, and to a lesser extent for Rachel. I did enjoy the latter stage of the book more than the first part but ultimately it wasn’t a novel for me.

One of the most curious and delightful books I have read this year, "Fleishman Is In Trouble" is unpredictable and rather unprecedented. Gloriously unique, you find yourself sucked into a world of mystery, curiosity, and the apparently excited life of a bachelor. I laughed regularly and also found myself stunned at points too, lost for words and considering the enormity of what was written, the combination of which is a fabulous book, bound to captivate and enthrall audiences of all demographics.

Toby Fleishman should have it all, two lovely children, a job as a doctor and beautiful, successful wife. However, he is living apart from his wife, he is obsessed by online dating apps and work isn't all it could be. When his wife leaves their children with him and then disappears all Toby's resentment comes to the surface and he reflects on his life compared to that of his friends and peers. His wife, Rachel, on the other hand, is actually suffering far more than him.
This is a novel that has had stellar reviews and usually when that happens I find the book underwhelming, not so here. This is a story that drags the reader in, a story that rings so true with its tales of consumerism and fast sex versus common family values. Whilst the majority of the book focuses on Toby and lulls the reader into a sympathetic state, the final section which throws Rachel and the narrator Elizabeth to the fore is actually what makes the book more than average.

This book was a complex look at marriage &relationships. There were very compelling parts, and some boring parts as well.

But, overall I think it was an accomplished book with characterization and its plot.

Thanks a lot to the publisher and NG for this copy.

What can I say about this book that hasn't been said before? Simply breathtaking, one of the best books I have read in years, perfectly encapsulates the pressures of working mothers and modern marriages and the dialogue is just incredible - there were some words that could literally have fallen out of my mouth or those of my friends. The way Toby interacts with Rachel, especially towards the end, was perfect - as a working mother, I totally, 100 per cent understood where Rachel was coming from. The way that the story unfolded really is like a Trojan horse and I could never have guessed the ending from the way the book started at first. Just amazing. I can't recommend this book enough - If I could have given this book 10 out of five, I would have. Read this book!

Sharp, witty and with biting observations, Fleishman is in Trouble ticks all the boxes for the Great American Novel. Toby Fleishman is a surgeon who puts his patient’s care over ambition and furthering his own career. He’s a father of two and wrestling with the fact he’s also not a very good husband. In the throes of a divorce from his wife, Rachel, Toby suddenly finds himself the sole carer of his children as it slowly dawns on him that his wife has quietly gone missing and Toby may not be the saint he feels himself to be. This is a great contemporary novel, I’ve seen it described as a Trojan horse of a book and it’s fair to say without knowing this I may well have abandoned it 50 pages in. Toby is distinctly unlikeable character to read to start with but this book is definitely worth preserving with as the story unfolds. None of the characters are particularly likeable and are grating at points, but I guess that’s part of the fun. To be read with a nudge and a wink as you convince yourself you aren’t as awful as these people.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

As someone of the same generation as the protagonists in this novel I found the midlife crises element a bit predictable. The exploration exploration of the female breadwinner in the family on the other hand really Interesting and how her story is told via a third person.

I could see what this book was trying to do in satirising the midlife crisis, but because such a large part of the novel focused on Toby, I don't think it ended up being satirical. I was at first intrigued by who was narrating the story, and then once it clicked I was just confused as to why Elizabeth was able to narrate so omnisciently? It brought me out of the comedy of Toby's life, and I found it to be jarring. Overall, an okay read, but not for me!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read Fleishman is in Trouble ahead of the paperback publication in July. As a huge fan of Taffy Brodesser-Akner's journalism, particularly her interviews with Gwyneth Paltrow, Bradley Cooper and Jonathan Franzen, I was delighted to read her first fiction novel. Happily, it's a sharp and clever addition to the pantheon of great American novels, bringing something new to what I think of as the 'rich New Yorkers have marriage problems' genre!

The story follows Toby Fleishman through his divorce with his wife, Rachel Fleishman, and the impact on their small family. Tonally, the novel can feel a little cynical and pithy (shoutout for Solly, their young son, who is the most heartbreakingly adorable child-of-divorce character in recent fiction, and brings some lovely softer moments!), but Brodesser-Akner's gender observations could be cut with a razor. Toby is the one who has sacrificed his ambition, if he ever had any, to raise their kids and be a good father, while Rachel is the career-driven woman, running her own agency, with little time for their children (or her husband) and with great aspirations of wealth. This is where Fleishman is in Trouble has something I think can be lacking in novels written by men; neither character is one thing nor the other. They are not likeable, but they are not cutouts, either; the ambitious woman is both derided and admired, the 'good dad' lauded and criticised.

The narrative structure is interesting — Brodesser-Akner employs the Nick Carraway device in The Great Gatsby, having the story narrated by an old friend of Toby's, on the fringes of his life, as their friendship has waned. Insertions by the narrator Libby can feel surprising ("Toby called me") and other readers' mileage on this, as ever, may vary. I liked it and found it curious — not least when Libby, a journalist at a men's magazine (in real life, the author previously worked at GQ), comes to an important realisation, and arguably the theme of the book: 'That was what I knew for sure, that this was the only way to get someone to listen to a woman — to tell her story through a man.' It's perhaps too easy to say that the narrator is a cipher for the author, and yet . . .

I would put this on my shelf next to Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff, and Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny. But it also sits alongside the novels of Franzen and Roth as a fresher, newer take on the genre.

I can't stop thinking about this book; it's at once relatable and alienating. I didn't like any of the characters, which is not to say I disliked the book - I raced through it. It's almost a cautionary tale! The final third was mind-blowing and I'd love to re-read this book knowing the different sides of the story and the final outcome.