The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock by Jane Riley

Buzzy new publishing buzzwords are something I prefer to view with some scepticism. That “new-adult” craze really irritated me. So when I heard the term “uplit” used as a genre, I thought, “Here we go again.” However, after reading the lovely story The Flatshare to start off 2020 and now this fantastic book The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock, I have become a convert. If ever there was a time for fiction that celebrates life, it is right now.

Normally, I find it difficult to connect with overly meek protagonists, but I truly warmed up to Oliver, the primary character expertly portrayed by Jane Riley. Yes, he can be shy and obedient to the disadvantage of himself, but his life experiences and sincere desire to avoid upsetting others have moulded this behaviour.

Evocative And Nuanced Characterisation

You see, if you reduced it to a deglazing metaphor, a companion was actually what I craved for. also, love. Ideally, both simultaneously. The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock by Jane Riley underlines Oliver’s passion of food through the use of cookery metaphors throughout Oliver’s unflinchingly honest first-person narrative. The loyalty shown to him by his best friend Andy, who is diametrically opposed to him in personality, furthers his obsession with neatness, and his awareness of minute details (and admiration for people who show attention to it) demonstrates his genuine goodness.

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Even Riley’s pitch-perfect geeky deadpan (and frequently highly visual) humour, which is unrelated to his encounters with funeral home clients, serves to emphasise his concern and understanding for others. When the power goes out while you’re out on a date: I lit the candles on the coffee table in the living room while avoiding shining the torch in Shelley’s eyes. In the soft light of the candles, I couldn’t help but note how gorgeous she looked. However, I refrained from lingering for fear of appearing to be about to question her with the torch.

Humor, especially the nerdy sort, has a very individualised effect on people. Riley, however, undoubtedly struck the correct chord for me. I was intrigued and kept turning the pages late into the night as Riley’s narrative alternated between humour and the poignant along Oliver’s transforming, overall character journey (mid-life awakening).

The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock by Jane Riley should have a disclaimer that says, “This novel may generate geeky chuckles and require a tissue on reserve for happy-tear dabbing at its conclusion.” really lovely I’m eager to see what else the author has in store.

About The Book

Every detail has been carefully planned by Oliver Clock. running the family funeral home is a stable employment. a refrigerator loaded with prepared food a drawer full with socks in different colours. A strategy to maintain a healthy weight that would fit in a coffin of average size. He has even found the love of his life in florist Marie, albeit she is unaware of it.

He finds out too late that Marie secretly loved him back after a horrific tragedy strips Marie from his life but leaves him with her personal notebook. Now that he is dealing with an empty love life, a family funeral home in financial difficulties, his impending forty-first birthday, and a notebook of unfulfilled resolutions, Oliver decides to let love into his life—and all the mess that goes along with it.