**"A is for Angelica"** by Iain Broome is a poignant novel about loss, mental health, and the complexities of human relationships. The story is narrated by Gordon Kingdom, a man struggling to cope with personal and emotional challenges as his life begins to unravel.

### Key Themes and Plot Points:

1. **Gordon’s Life of Control and Routine**: Gordon Kingdom lives a quiet, routine-driven life in a suburban neighborhood. His life is marked by a need for control, but this facade begins to crack when his wife, Georgina, suffers from a debilitating illness, and he struggles to cope with the emotional toll it takes on him. His meticulous routines and obsession with order are, in part, a way to avoid dealing with his feelings.

2. **Georgina's Illness**: Georgina’s illness becomes the central emotional struggle for Gordon. As her condition worsens, he becomes more withdrawn and unable to express his feelings. Her declining health leaves Gordon feeling isolated, both from her and from the outside world. This emotional distance exacerbates his sense of helplessness.

3. **Angelica's Arrival**: A new neighbor, Angelica, moves into the house next door. She is a mysterious and seemingly carefree woman who disrupts Gordon’s carefully controlled life. Her presence forces Gordon to confront his emotions and the secrets he has been hiding. Angelica becomes a catalyst for change in Gordon’s otherwise static existence.

4. **Surveillance and Obsession**: Gordon becomes fixated on watching his neighbors, particularly Angelica. He begins keeping notes about their lives in his "files," which he organizes obsessively. His compulsion to observe others is a manifestation of his need for control and a way of coping with the chaos in his own life. However, this obsession reflects his growing detachment from reality and the world around him.

5. **Themes of Grief and Isolation**: At its core, *A is for Angelica* is a meditation on grief, mental health, and loneliness. Gordon’s inability to connect with those around him, particularly Georgina, highlights the emotional barriers that grief can create. The novel explores how individuals cope—or fail to cope—with loss, and how silence and isolation can worsen emotional pain.

6. **Humor and Pathos**: Despite the heavy themes, the novel is laced with dark humor. Gordon’s voice is marked by a dry wit that contrasts with the sadness of his situation. This balance between humor and tragedy gives the novel a sense of realism, capturing the complex ways in which people deal with life’s hardships.

In summary, *A is for Angelica* is a thoughtful and quietly powerful novel about a man’s struggle to maintain control in the face of personal loss and emotional turmoil. Through Gordon’s journey, Iain Broome explores themes of grief, isolation, and the difficulty of confronting one’s deepest fears, while also finding moments of humor amidst the sadness.