Book Review: The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry - R. Joyce

“But maybe it's what the world needs. A little less sense, and a little more faith.” 

I met Rachel Joyce at the Guildford Book Festival back in October 2017. At the time I had not read any of her novels, but heard about them a lot. She was there to present her latest book, The Music shop (read my review of the day here) and I was fascinating by how she talked and how her ideas for the novels came about.

And now I finally read Harold Fry and why did I wait for so long? It is an amazing book, so beautifully written it is like reading a poem, one of the not boring ones indeed.

I found the plot absolutely unique, as during the real physical journey, Harold also travels down memory lane and his whole life.

The book's tone changes  with Harold's moods changes, it really passes through the feelings he is going through so when he is sad and low you reader are down too, when he is energetic and positive you strongly feel that good vibe.

It is a book about life and all that comes with it, joys and sorrows and things we wish we have done differently. It is a book about surviving a tragic loss, about believing in something to get you going.

A novel about hope and about doing something about your life.

A great read which I'd highly recommend, both for the plot and the writing style.

“Harold could no longer pass a stranger without acknowledging the truth that everyone was the same, and also unique; and that this was the dilemma of being human.” 

Overall rating: 8      Plot: 8     Writing style: 8      Cover:  6,5

Title: The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Author: Rachel Joyce
Publisher: Black Swan
Pages: 384
Publication year: 2013

Plot:

When Harold Fry nips out one morning to post a letter, leaving his wife hoovering upstairs, he has no idea that he is about to walk from one end of the country to the other. He has no hiking boots or map, let alone a compass, waterproof or mobile phone. All he knows is that he must keep walking. To save someone else's life.

The Author:

Rachel Joyce is the author of the Sunday Times and international bestsellers The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Perfect and The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize and longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and has been translated into 34 languages. Rachel Joyce was awarded the Specsavers National Book Awards 'New Writer of the Year' in December 2012 and shortlisted for the 'Writer of the Year' 2014.
She is also the author of the short story, A Faraway Smell of Lemon and the forthcoming short story collection, A Snow Garden & Other Stories and a new novel for 2016, The Music Shop. She is the award-winning writer of over 30 original afternoon plays and classic adaptations for BBC Radio 4.
Rachel Joyce lives with her family in Gloucestershire.