Obstacles to Young Love

From one of the greatest comedic writers of a generation comes a story of love, faith and taxidermy.

‘Three mighty obstacles threaten the burgeoning love of childhood sweethearts Timothy Pickering and Naomi Walls. They are Steven Venables, a dead curlew and God.’

1978: Two lovers perch precariously on the cusp of adulthood. Timothy’s father decides it’s time for him to take on the family taxidermy business; while Naomi dreams of a career on stage.

Across the decades their lives continue to interweave, and occasionally cross – bound by the pull of intoxicating first love. But will their destinies ultimately unite them?

Nobbs moves his exceptional comic talent to a new-found depth. Memorable and moving, a tale of love won and love lost. You will never look at the art of taxidermy in the same way again.

Reviews

Praise for David Nobbs’s novels:

‘Probably our finest post-war comic novelist’ Jonathan Coe

‘A delicious entertainment, as comic and sharp as they come’ Guardian

‘A marvellously comic novel’ Sunday Times

‘One of the most noisily funny books I have ever read’ Michael Palin

‘Very funny sketches of provincial newspaper life’ Sue Townsend

‘We should be thankful for the continuing brilliance of David Nobbs … Going Gently is richly funny and rich in many other ways. Buy it’ Mail on Sunday

‘The most satisfying novel I have read in years’ Express

About the author

David Nobbs’s first break as a comedy writer came on the iconic satire show That Was The Week, That Was, hosted by David Frost. Later he wrote for The Frost Report and The Two Ronnies and provided material for many top comedians including Les Dawson, Ken Dodd, Tommy Cooper, Frankie Howerd and Dick Emery. Apart from his twenty novels, David is best known for his two TV hit series A Bit of a Do and for The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. David Nobbs died in 2015 at the age of eighty.