Armchair Will: The Musings of a Man of Leisure

Caroline M. Hallsworth is a librarian at Cambrian College in Sudbury.

“Armchair Will’s” musings purport to be those of a man of leisure, and therefore one would expect this book to be a witty, well-thought out piece of prose. Unfortunately, the book fails, for humour is a difficult genre which Malcolm has not mastered.

Malcolm’s writing style is heavy and pedantic, lacking the light touch necessary to transform a jibe into a joke. The scenes which he sets lack originality and his criticisms of society are those same worn-out banalities heard in bars and on buses. The grudges of “Armchair Will” do not make good reading and for that reason this book is not recommended.