Modern Love (novel)
Modern Love was a standalone novel by Paul Magrs.
This story was notable for referencing Magrs' Eighth Doctor Adventures novel The Blue Angel and the then-unpublished Phoenix Court novel Fancy Man, and for featuring a cameo by Brenda Soobie, an incarnation of Iris Wildthyme.
Publisher's summary[]
19 year-old Christine is forced into a shotgun marriage to Michael, a bank clerk. They both have their secrets, as do the parents of the bride. As the twin daughters grow up their behaviour grows increasingly strange until their violent games end in tragedy.
Plot[]
to be added
Characters[]
- Christine Fletcher
- Michael
- Margaret Fletcher
- Dan Fletcher
- Lily Woods
- Brian
- Ruth
- Peter
- John
- Sheila Brown
- Pastor
- Pastor's wife
- Collection boy
- Judith Fletcher
- Jessica Fletcher
- Andrew
- Peg
- Mackey
- Arthur
- Cilla
- Katherine Marshall
- Alison
- Sam
- Melissa
- Brad
- Tom
- Dorothy
- Eunice
- Maxine
- Brenda Soobie
Worldbuilding[]
- Judith and Jessica watch Disneytime. Their favourite song is "The Bear Necessities".
- The Fletchers watch Dallas together.
- The Fletchers watch the Royal Wedding of Diana and Charles. Christine is said to look like Diana.
- Judith thinks older kids do drugs, "like Zammo on Grange Hill".
- Christine changes her eyeshadow and looks like "Pat off EastEnders".
- Brian wears a suit from Top Man and has "Duran Duran hair".
- Jessica throws her school dinner away, and a teacher tells her off, citing "Ethiopians and Live Aid".
- Jessica shops in Fine Fare.
- Huey Lewis and the News plays in Fine Fare.
- Margaret works at the Sixties Cafe.
- Judith calls Arthur a "Davros".
- Katherine wrote a book called The Child Killers.
- Cilla was named for Cilla Black, who sang "Step Inside, Love".
- A lorry driver listens to Oasis on cassette.
- Cilla and Jessica like Blondie.
- Cilla says that she and Jessica are "Doctor Who's girl assistant" who've been "caught in a time warp".
- Cilla mentions the Cavern, a venue played by the Beatles.
- Cilla references Richard and Judy.
- Mary Hopkin sang "Those Were the Days". It plays at the wedding of Michael and Christine, in the Sixties Cafe, and at the bar in Liverpool.
- Judith has the Pixies and the Cure on vinyl in her flat. She has postcards of Goya etchings on the walls.
- Grease starred Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. Michael rented it on VHS. John Travolta was later in Pulp Fiction.
- Alison plays Throwing Muses on CD.
- Nancy! is a talk show broadcast live from Norwich.
- Katherine reads Pieces of Belinda by Timon.
- Katherine plays Come Fly with Me by Frank Sinatra.
- Jessica is a fan of Elvis.
- Jessica watches Mommie Dearest.
- Christine and her family are shocked by the death of Princess Diana. She and Lily start an act where they channel her spirit.
- Jessica shops in Argos.
- Tom and his mam went to Disneyland. Lily promised to take Judith and Jessica there.
- Judith listens to George Michael in the car.
Notes[]
- The reactions of a family to a character in a coma were also explored in Magrs' Phoenix Court novel Could It Be Magic?.
- The scenes at the Spiritualist Church mirror those in The Blue Angel, albeit with a darker and more sexual edge. Several characters from that novel reappear.
- The writing of Pieces of Belinda by Timon and its subsequent publication are events from the Phoenix Court novel Fancy Man.
Continuity[]
- Lily and Michael, and later Christine, attend the Spiritualist Church. Michael encounters the pastor with dyed black hair and his wife, with a tall beehive. (PROSE: The Blue Angel)
- Famous medium Sheila Brown, named in this book, previously encountered the Eighth Doctor and told him he had "a gift". (PROSE: The Blue Angel)
- Sheila delivers a message from a congregant's husband about not being buried in a red jumper. She previously delivered a message about not being buried in a blue sweater. (PROSE: The Blue Angel)
- Sheila's favourite song is "I Believe in Angels" by Abba. (PROSE: The Blue Angel)
External links[]
to be added