The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A Novel (original 2012; edition 2012)

This story was a bit farfetched but enjoyable non the less. Harold was a sweet man, full of regrets, on a trek to help someone who had really helped him. While reading the book, you know something bad had happened but weren't told until the end and then everything made sense. ( )

Harold Fry is an ordinary man. Newly retired, he has yet to find a hobby to fill his days. His wife has fallen out of love with him, and their relationship is a strained one. However, when a death-bed letter arrives from a former coworker, he finds himself shaken out of his lethargy and driven to do something. That something, as it turns out, is to walk across the country to save his friend. Beset by doubters, physical ailments, and issues with motivation, every step of Harold’s walk brings new discoveries and a new sense of self for both him and for his left-behind wife. Rachel Joyce’s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is the extraordinary story of faith, love, aging, friendship, and of rediscovering oneself no matter what age.

Harold is a delightful man and a pleasure to follow on his journey. There is a placidity to his actions that is comforting, while his thoughts are insightful in so many ways. He remains humble throughout his journey, a difficult feat given the attention he soon garners as news of his pilgrimage hits the news media, but it is his observations about himself and humanity that truly make the novel. His simple faith in the goodness of people – at first internalized and then put to the test – is profound and a healing revelation given all of the negative news that dominates the headlines these days. His remorse at his estrangement with his wife, at the strained relationship with his son, and for other regrets shows just how unexpected life’s course really is. It is at once a great reminder to stay vigilant and fight for the truly important things in life and a heart-wrenching image of what could happen to all of us.

While Harold is walking, Maureen undergoes her own spiritual journey. Hers is every bit as profound as Harold’s, although hers happens under the comfort of her own roof. While Harold’s path shows how important it is to leave one’s comfort zone and do things, Maureen’s shows the importance of self-reflection and of holding up the proverbial mirror to the truth. Both are incomplete until the two methods are combined, and their reunion is made more powerful as a result.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is the type of novel that begs for an open map and web browser. His journey definitely arouses a reader’s curiosity to learn. Following along Harold’s route, looking up the tourist sites he visits, and checking out the scenery as he denotes its changes serves to enhance one’s understanding of his long journey. This is especially true for readers unfamiliar with England’s varied topography or even its geography. This multi-media interaction, however voluntary, also creates a better link to Harold’s struggling mindset, as it is easier to imagine the physical struggles that enhance his mental ones. The opportunities for learning more about English culture, geography, and people allows for a total immersion into this beautiful story.

Jim Broadbent, he of Harry Potter and Moulin Rouge fame, is the narrator. His delivery is very slow and deliberate, which can take some time to adjust to it. However, his methodical narration suits the plot so well that it soon becomes a nonissue. His is also a subtle performance, well-suited for the story. He does differentiate characters through intonation, pitch, and accent changes, the latter which also highlight Harold’s northward passage, and his emotional output is minimal. Yet, a listener can distinguish between the characters and, more importantly, can feel Harold’s ever-changing mood. Mr. Broadbent’s narration falls heavily upon the ear when Harold is struggling to find his motivation; similarly, the entire feel of his performance changes when Harold is most inspired and determined. It is a quite brilliant performance specifically because of its restraint.

Words fail to do justice to this beautiful work of prose. Each word is as deliberate as each of Harold’s steps, and the time Harold spends remembering and reflecting provides a natural inclination for readers to do the same regarding their own lives. Even better, Harold’s progress is not as one would expect. Just as in life, he starts, stumbles, doubts, continues, stumbles and doubts again, and so on. His pilgrimage truly is a metaphor for the journey of life, with the need for love, kindness, faith, and hope just as important as the need for food and shelter. While such a journey would change anyone, Maureen too undergoes astounding growth, showing that even the hardest heart can change if willing. The ending is every bit as moving as one would expect without becoming overly sentimental or manipulative. It is just a wonderful, heartfelt story that makes one feel good about this great thing called life.

Very often, when I'm enjoying a book, I experience a certain amount of trepidation about where it's going to end up. Many a promising book has fallen apart in the last third, usually because a clever premise lacks the necessary legs, or an equally clever conclusion, or the not-clever conclusion doesn't offer anything else to make it worth the journey (like character, or writing, or setting).

This book did not do that. This is one of the few books I've read where I had total confidence in the author from the off. I loved it even more by the end than I did at the beginning, and that is a rare, rare thing for me.

Sure, I could sit here and make pedantic comments about what would actually happen if you tried walking to Berwick in unsuitable shoes, or complain that there are no great surprises plot-wise, but those things didn't matter because this is wonderfully written and has well-drawn characters who are relentlessly human. It's sad, it's funny, it has buckets of charm which never risks becoming saccharine thanks to the emotionally true (and *raw*) undercurrents. I had to stop reading it in the Post Office queue because I was wearing mascara at the time.

So, yes. I loved it utterly. Normal cynical service will be resumed forthwith. ( )

Harold is a retiree whose days are pretty uneventful and ordinary. He and his wife, Maureen have lived together but separate for over twenty years. One day Harold receives a letter from Queenie Hennessy a woman that he worked with a very long time ago. Queenie has written to say goodbye. She is in a hospice with not many days left. Harold writes a brief reply and decides it must be posted immediately. What begins, as a stroll to mail a letter becomes a pilgrimage of over ninety days. He must deliver his letter in person and he will walk the entire way.

What he learns about himself and life along the way makes for an incredible read. I too took his journey with him and he provided me with many thought provoking moments.

I completely recommend to everyone. ( )

Harold Fry's journey the length of England takes him to memories he did not know he held, an evaluation of his life, and a new understanding of people. He rediscovers love and friendship.

It's difficult to sum up this beautiful book. I expected something quite different, more lighthearted, but as the story went on, it became more philosophical. I hope I can persuade my book club to read and discuss it.
( )