Monday 8 April 2013

#50books2013 - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Pilgrimage? Not that interested to be honest. Religion definitely not my cup of tea. Harold Fry? He doesn't sound that interesting, does he.

Really, Harold Fry isn't that interesting. He lead a static, boring life with his wife down in Kingsbridge on the South Coast. He doesn't seem to particularly mind - that is until he receives a letter from an old friend who he feels he let down many years previously who has cancer - he goes to post a letter back and thus starts the pilgrimage.

This book is about Harold - a stereotypical English man walking through England and stereotypical English towns and villages, meeting gloriously and wonderfully drawn characters on the way. It is a novel of British Idiosyncrasies at its best - especially towards the beginning g of the novel. Sadly, although I loved the book, I did feel like it lost momentum as more and more people joined Harold on his pilgrimage. However, the novel as a whole was great and I loved the story of Harold and Maureen, his wife, left behind uncertain of what is happening.

Road numbers, a journey you can follow on a map, descriptions of places you remember of previous holidays - and ones you file away in your mind for future ones... I really enjoyed reading this novel and would definitely recommend it.

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