That's Life! > Reviews (14)

My wife occasionally buys this magazine and I’ve picked it up a few times and had a read, as it has some word search quizzes and things –which I enjoy doing. (Honest- that’s the main reason I read it).
Aimed primarily at women the magazine contains articles that are not too in-depth, covering topics like Health, Beauty, Fashion Cookery and some other items that vary from issue to issue.

The magazine is a strange mix, because parts of it come across like a glossy tabloid of the “currant bun” variety, while it also tries to cover some serious issues.

The magazine also contains regular features like horoscopes and items like “tightwad tips” Here readers write in with tips to save money ,or how to make use of something , or just basic household tips. There is a page of Rude Jokes of the week again supplied by readers, who are paid £15.00if their joke is printed.

The quizzes, which I’ve already mentioned, carry various prizes, mostly in cash - up to £3000 for the main crossword-or vouchers for stores like M&S or Argos. In all the copies I’ve read there has also been a competition where the prize is a car. I don’t know if this is a regular thing as I don’t read the magazine often enough to know this.

Each issue also has a “My True Secret feature”, here someone tells the readers a true life secret –most of these stories I’ve seen are related to sex or relationships in some way. How true they are (or even if they are made up) I don’t know, as some of them have been a little far-fetched.
There is also a short fiction story normally about a page long, that always has a sting in the tail ending. The ones I’ve read have always been pretty entertaining, and a good way to spend five or ten minutes. There are also a few other items, the usual celebrity type stories appear, but they are usually little snippets rather than loads of pages devoted exclusively to them. There’s also a column that keeps you up to date with the current stories in various Soaps.

Where this magazine various from others I’ve read, is that every issue contains true stories from readers. The stories vary from people overcoming illness, to love cheats, and things like that. (You know the sort of thing -How my grandmother ran off with my husband of two weeks – My wife left me for a Cocker Spaniel –you get the idea.)
People write in and are paid to tell these stories(around £200-300)
and their real names are used.

Now I don’t know about you , but it amazes me that anybody would want to air their dirty linen in public, and tell tens of thousands of readers how they were dumped for a Border Collie, or how they can only have sex when they dress up in a football strip while playing a tape of the theme to Match of the Day. But there are people out there who do it, and it makes for rather unusual reading.

I must admit I don't take these stories too seriously. I’m pretty amused by them and find them pretty funny. Firstly because I can’t believe they actually do some of these things, secondly because the people involved are so stupid, and also because they have actually agreed to tell their stories to the public.

Two hundred quid would not compensate for the fact that some of these people would never be able to show their face again in public. (Well if it was me –I’d never be able to anyway)

Anyway - I’ve wandered off the subject- lets get back to the magazine.
It costs 57p and normally has around 50-60 pages and doesn’t have too many adverts, which is a bonus.

If you are looking for in-depth articles, or current affairs or travel articles, then look elsewhere. This mag is basically a soap opera in it’s own right.
Light fluffy articles(which act as the adverts) and the true readers stories (which act as the main programme). If you like soaps with slightly dubious plots and somewhat unbelievable storylines, then you’ll love this magazine.

Me? – I just wish my wife would buy it more often