The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle

Well... I cried. Of course I'm giving it five stars. Such a lovely and inspiring story. The character development was simply touching. And Albert's story is a warm mug with coffee on a cold day.

I anticipated giving a high rating for this book but the story fell flat to me. It was okay for the most part but I wish the characters were better developed. I appreciate the queer representation but I wish the plot was also more exciting.

TWs: Animal death, homophobia

This was a sweet read about Albert, whose retirement is coming up, and he begins to do all sorts of things for the first time in search of his love from his teenage years.. I loved the story, though I did feel like some parts were a little dragged, which could be skipped here and there. I wished the ending was a little longer, though, after George came back to Albert was a little longer I would have loved to see where they have gone and did together after!

Yeah, it's terrific. Ta very much. Hehehe

I really expected to like this book more than I did, but Albert is a curmudgeon who isn't the least bit curious about the world and holds on to his naivet?? like an emergency blanket. I just don't really understand or have the patience for the type of people who haven't been more than 50 miles from their place of birth until they're old - especially someone who lives 100 miles from one of the greatest cities in the world.
He's worked for the same Royal Mail post office in the same town since he was of working age and shies away from anything, especially if it's even close to being “gay”. Now, I understand that he had trauma from his asshole cop dad and his equally (but in different ways) abusive mother but there's a point where you cross from being traumatized to full blown mental illness. He has no friends, he doesn't like anyone he's around, he doesn't have any hobbies, he's never even been on the internet... it's just really sad and bizarre.
The thing that kicks Albert out of his 55+ year slump is the death of his cat. He seems to have this revelation that life is short and he's been wasting what he has of his. The story kind of shifts from him to a young mother on his route, even with whole chapters devoted to her POV, which I was uninterested in. If your title says “Life of” and then a character's name, I don't want it to be about other people. Her pushing her boyfriend into a relationship and talking to her shitty friend about her life didn't progress the story in any way.
The latter half of the book is Albert and this young mom going on tiny adventures looking for the love of his life - a kid he was in a relationship with when they were both still in high school. While this may be charming to some people, I found it kind of obsessive. Of course this old man who has never experienced the world and has denied himself even the simplest of pleasures his entire life is going to be fixated on the single thing that made him happy, but it felt obsessive and weird. At least it got him out of the house.
Overall, the story itself could be cute and it does have decent character progression, but you have to really identify with these characters to really appreciate it and I just didn't.

CW: an elderly cat has to be put to sleep

Criticizing this book feels like kicking a puppy; it's just so well-intentioned. It hasn't been very long since being gay meant shame, isolation, and possibly criminal persecution, and that's an important fact to remember, both so we can celebrate how far we've come and make sure we don't slide backwards. I just wish the vehicle through which all of this is communicated was a little more nuanced.

The titular Albert is a reclusive, deeply closeted British postman who is on the cusp of retirement. He delivers the mail with his head down and a few trite phrases to keep from engaging with anyone (“the mail won't deliver itself!”). Albert has hidden away from the world for decades, ever since his budding romance with classmate George ended disastrously and his father's virulent homophobia convinced Albert he could never reveal that part of himself. Years spent caring for a bitter, demanding elderly mother further isolated him.

But after one more traumatic loss, Albert resolves to make dramatic changes to find happiness in the years he has left. All it takes is a a book and some YouTube videos about building up your self-confidence, and Albert is suddenly a new man. He opens up to his co-workers, helps a young Black single mom who lives on his postal route, and chips in to send a terminally ill young boy to Disneyworld (yes, really!). Most importantly, with help of his new smartphone and friends, he sets out to find George and see if it's not too late to start over with the love of his life.

The flashback scenes to the 1970s in which George is regularly beaten up for looking too effeminate while Albert tries to keep their relationship a secret in the face of his father's constant harangues about the “disgusting” nature of “perverts,” are genuinely horrifying and sobering. There's no doubt that Albert lived in a closeted hell for too many years. But it doesn't feel at all realistic that his turnaround happens so quickly and easily. Everyone he encounters is supportive, and his coworkers are so delighted with his newly revealed sexuality that they throw him a “congratulations on coming out” party. He's further blessed by the presence of a gay couple who move in next door and become his ambassadors to gay culture. Sure Albert deserves a HEA, but does it have to be so treacly sweet?

Occasionally Albert stops and thinks about all of the other men like him who were forced to stay closeted, and he vows to make dramatic changes in their memory. These are very moving moments, but they only highlight the fact that Albert feels more like a symbol than a real person. In fact, the postscript to the American edition of the book contains several brief interviews that the Matt Cain had with older gay men, who talk about their experiences living in an era when homosexuality was still a crime. The distinct personalities of each man comes through clearly and their stories are fascinatingly diverse. I kinda, sorta wish Cain had written the whole book about them instead of about Albert.

ARC received from Net Galley. This book was published in Great Britain in 2021 and will be released in the U.S. in May 2022.

So lovely and heartwarming.