Exceptional! - Rated 
I first read this book whilst holidaying, late in the glorious Summer of 69', in Devon. I'd bought three paper-backs from a second-hand book-stall: ''The Itinerant Lodger'' by David Nobbs; ''Lucky Jim'' by Kingsley Amis; and, ''A Touch of Daniel'' - the combination of the three, and especially the latter, served to change my life.
This fortuitous trio of novels somehow awakened me to all manner of possibilities beyond my hitherto somewhat parochial expectations of life. From these three 'seeds' came 'university' and, a previously undreamed of freedom, of both 'mind' and opportunity.
''A touch of Daniel'' was Tiniswood's first novel and, arguably, his finest. Perhaps something of a victim of its own success; his follow-on novels played (admittedly, still brilliant) to the more obvious strengths of pure comedy. However, the darker elements of ''A Touch'' were swiftly, and increasingly, abandoned in favour of a 'winning formula' - not an uncommon problem amongst authors!
By all means read and enjoy all of Tinniswood's superlative 'off-beat' comedies; but, do yourself a very real favour and treat 'A Touch' as an entity in itself.....it admirably captures the 'mind-expanding' 'hopefulness' of the 'sixties' together with a more enduring surrealism, of infinite possibilities.
However you choose to read it, you will be delighted by this bizarre and intelligent novel; so, go read it!
Funniest contemporary books ... - Rated
Tinniswood deserves a more prominent place in literature. I am lucky enough to own the trilogy (there was a fourth in the series but the first three are very much a continuum). I have derived more pleasure out of reading and re-reading these books than any other books (including the "classics" and Booker Prize stuff). They do have a slightly surreal element but they are written with style, brevity, insight and wit. Tinniswood was trained as a journalist and his observant nature and style I guess come from this backround. I have not seen the TV version but would recommend these books to anyone vaguely attracted to the series. The actual book I Didn't Know You Cared is the best of the bunch for me and is much more centred around Uncle Mort. A Touch of Daniel is the weakest, so if you like it get the others as fast as possible. I think that may be in some people's eyes the televising of the book has lessened the true worth of his work. It also seems odd to me that Amazon put Nobbs as co-author. I am not fully sure but I thought that they fell out because Tinniswood accused Nobbs over plagiarism. Though I enjoy Nobb's books, Tinniswood is in a different league. I would also recommend the BBC Radio Play, A Touch of Daniel, if you can get hold of it.
Funny .... but weird - Rated 
The late Peter Tinniswood's first novel about the Brandon family is nothing like the BBC sitcom 'I Didn't Know You Cared' which was somewhat loosely based on it (by Tinniswood himself). And I'm not surprised. Carter Brandon's internal conversations with the baby Daniel, and the stange powers the child seems to have, are very surreal and strangely disturbing. The BBC would never have understood it (and I'm not sure I do, either). This part of the story is very much at odds with the rest, a comic kitchen-sink family drama set in a thinly disguised Sheffield. Tinniswood had a wonderful ear for dialogue, and a nice line in descriptive prose, but I'm not sure the Daniel business works, or what it's supposed to mean. Very odd. Aye, well, m'm.
Surrealism in a Flat Cap - Rated
The recent death of Peter Tinniswood sent me back to the classic Brandon saga of the 1960s and 1970s. The deadpan delivery and creation of time, place and class via seemingly unconnected details remain as fresh as ever, and the mix of realistic comedy and absurdist flights is a reminder that surrealism doesn't have to wear a bowler hat. The fact that only A Touch of Daniel has been reprinted is as astonishing as the failure to repeat television's I Didn't Know You Cared. Any comedy that could make a catchphrase of 'Ay, well, mm' (not to mention featuring the wonderful Robin Bailey and John Comer) deserves an appearance between the 35th and 36th re-runs of Dad's Army.
Failed to live up to expectations - Rated 
I loved the 1970s sit-com 'I Didn't Know You Cared' but until now had never read any of the novels on which the series was based. As far as I can tell, all apart from 'A Touch of Daniel' are now out of print. I think I understand why... Tinniswood's strength lies in his ability to portray ordinary northern life in the 60s and 70s and it's people in a dry, yet endearing style - in many ways akin to Roy Clarke of 'Summer Wine' fame. Common family routine and everyday events are handled with a witty perception that many writers would do well to learn from. For this reason, until about halfway through, this book lived up to all expectations I had of it and I found it hard to put down. Yet somewhere Tinniswood seems to lose the plot. The TV adaptation always had its surreal moments, but in this book Tinniswood embarks on flights of fancy that are utterly beyond belief and which, for me, detracted so much from the joy I found in the early chapters that I found it a struggle to finish the book. If you are a fan of the extreme surreal, then you will probably love this book to the bitter end. I'm glad I sampled Tinniswood's written work, but, for me, I won't be looking too hard around the secondhand bookshops for the sequels.
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