The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Book Review

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce is a proficient novel, but I am non sure it was deserving of its Man Booker Prize long-list.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold FrySynopsis:

Come across Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a pocket-sized English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated past almost everything he does, even down to how he butters his toast. Fiddling differentiates 1 twenty-four hour period from the side by side. So one morn the mail arrives, and within the stack of quotidian minutiae is a letter addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl from a woman he hasn't seen or heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye.

Harold pens a quick answer and, leaving Maureen to her chores, heads to the corner mailbox. Just then, as happens in the very best works of fiction, Harold has a gamble encounter, one that convinces him that he absolutely must deliver his message to Queenie in person. And thus begins the unlikely pilgrimage at the heart of Rachel Joyce's remarkable debut. Harold Fry is determined to walk vi hundred miles from Kingsbridge to the hospice in Berwick-upon-Tweed considering, he believes, as long as he walks, Queenie Hennessey will live.

Still in his yachting shoes and low-cal glaze, Harold embarks on his urgent quest across the countryside. Along the style he meets one fascinating graphic symbol after another, each of whom unlocks his long-dormant spirit and sense of promise. Memories of his starting time dance with Maureen, his hymeneals twenty-four hours, his joy in fatherhood, come rushing back to him—allowing him to also reconcile the losses and the regrets. As for Maureen, she finds herself missing Harold for the first time in years.

And so at that place is the unfinished business with Queenie Hennessy.

Genre: Drama, Romance, Literature, Mystery, Audio

Disclosure: If y'all click a link in this mail service and make a purchase, I may earn a pocket-size committee.

Book REVIEW

Of the dozen titles long-listed for the 2012 Human being Booker Prize,The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was one of only two that really interested me. I expected to exist gushing over this novel in a similar vein to the gloriously life affirming, witty and charming Major Pettigrew's Final Stand by Helen Simonson. Practice not go me wrong, this is good novel, but there will be no gushing.

1 feels deep empathy for Joyce's lead characters as they travel on their corresponding journeys of cocky-discovery. Notwithstanding, non necessarily a genuine affection for them. At times I found myself frustrated with Harold and Maureen, virtually to the extent that they were frustrated with themselves.

Joyce did however provide some beautifully descriptive and poignant observations near human being behaviour that I identified with. This a very subtle but moving tale almost the search for meaning in life.

"It was not a life, if lived without beloved." ― Rachel Joyce, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Audiobook narration

The  audiobook narration by Jim Broadbent was first class. He differentiated between characters extremely well without overacting. His narration enhanced the book experience for me (listen to a sample).

However, the sense of humor was dry out and understated, producing fewer laugh out loud moments than I was hoping for.  Joyce lost some momentum (and my appointment) in the center passages but came home stiff with a gut wrenching conclusion. Have the tissues at the ready… The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is a much darker and sadder story than I had anticipated.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry past Rachel Joyce is a good novel, but I am not sure it was necessarily deserving of its long-listing for the Human Booker Prize.

Finally, I pose a question for the literary officianados — is the championship of this novel a nod to Byron'due south poem 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage'?

Volume RATING: The Story 3.5 / 5 ; The Writing  iv / 5  — Overall 3.75

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Nigh the Author, Rachel Joyce

Rachel Joyce is the author of the Sunday Times and international bestsellers The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Perfect, The Love Vocal of Miss Queenie Hennessy, The Music Store and a collection of interlinked brusque stories, A Snow Garden & Other Stories. Her books have been translated into thirty-vi languages and ii are in development for film.The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book prize and longlisted for the Homo Booker Prize. Rachel was awarded the Specsavers National Book Awards 'New Author of the Year' in December 2012 and shortlisted for the 'UK Author of the Year' 2014.

Rachel has also written over xx original afternoon plays and adaptations of the classics for BBC Radio 4, including all the Bronte novels. She moved to writing after a long career equally an actor, performing leading roles for the RSC, the National Theatre and Cheek past Jowl. She lives with her family in Gloucestershire.

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Source: https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/2012/09/book-review-the-unlikely-pilgrimage-of-harold-fry-by-rachel-joyce.html

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