The main theme of this novel has to be the love that exists between father and son. The love is prominently displayed by the author at the beginning of the book as Harry (being the narrator) explained to the readers of how beautiful his baby boy was. His love for Pat escalates when he and Gina separated, leaving him to take care of Pat. His love for Pat is shown in every part of the novel. For example, he loved Pat so much that he could not bear the thought of leaving Pat at Gina's father's (Glenn) house under the care of the reckless sixteen year old Sally. He undertook all the domestic chores himself to care for his son even though he has never done any of those chores before, he was still willing to learn. His love for Pat was undeniable when he turned down the seemingly perfect job with as a TV producer for Eamon Fish, a young Irish comedian because he had to look after Pat at home when he was the sort of man who loved work. The love between father and son can also be seen between the love that was shared between himself and his father, Patrick Silver. The book consists of many flashbacks of when Harry was back in his childhood days with his father. The flashbacks show how Harry's father has cared for Harry in the strong, gruff but gentle way. .
One of the darker themes of this novel is that divorce amongst the younger generation is common. The author, Tony Parsons has portrayed a vast difference between Harry's own marriage compared to his parents marriage. His parents marriage was strong and steady, true love with standing everything. Harry himself grew up in that kind of marriage where his parents stayed together and bought him up in a loving environment. Harry himself wanted that kind of marriage in his own life but he failed to achieve it by one single mistake of having a one night stand with his co-worker, Siobhan. His own marriage plummets into the ground as his wife, Gina decides to leave him to start a new life.
