The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain
The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain is a story about a 64-year-old man named Albert Entwistle (big surprise there) who is about to retire from the Royal Mail (the UK equivalent of the United States Post Office). He discovers that he has largely lived his life alone and closed off from the people around him. His secret is that nearly 50 years ago, he fell in love with a man named George. Will Albert be able to find connection in this world? And what happened to George?
This book was initially billed as funny as Fredrik Backman with the charm of TJ Klune. Who is this spin master? Because I definitely need this person in my life! The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle did have some humorous moments, but it did not reach the same level as Backman (nor for that matter TJ Klune).
The story itself is cute, but it is too long. For example, the storytelling needs some fine tuning as some of the events are not too exciting. Additionally, the romance between Albert and George is underwhelming. I still don’t understand what is so special about George. Aside from just love, did George inspire Albert to be a better person? Did Albert and George go through an experience that bonded them? Is there a great friendship between Albert and George?
I was also disappointed that the cat, Gracie, didn’t appear more throughout the book, and the ending is very unrealistic and predictable.
We know where the book is heading – a reunion of Albert and George. Cain takes a bit too long to get us there.
In conclusion, I did enjoy the plot overall; however, I think that The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle would have been better off as a short story rather than a full-length novel.
*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion. For this book, I practiced immersion reading (listening to the audiobook as well as following along in the text). The audiobook was purchased by yours truly.