The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

What a perfectly wonderful little book about aging, alienation, connection, commitment, rejection, friendship, life, death, acquisitiveness, religion and the lack thereof, and the importance of humor. Surprisingly, there was some very helpful advice given by the surly son. The point of good novels seems to be to discuss the question, "How should I live?" Harold doesn't know that's what he's asking when he starts out on his walk, but he involves us all in his contemplation.

This little book packs a powerful punch. Perhaps it is the time in my life and recent family events, but this story resonated with me in a way nothing has recently. Ms. Joyce is a spare writer. She slips in something profound amid a simple description. I was blown away by her ability to take Harold's walk from the south to the north of England and fill it with memorable moments. His wife, Maureen, left behind has her own powerful story. When a couple of surprises were revealed at the end, I was truly shaken. I recommend this book be read slowly even though it is easy prose and can be read quickly. It is absolutely to be savored.

Not since Tolkien has so much walking been so exhaustively recounted, yet been almost completely tangential to the actual story. (And though there weren't any eagles, there were, like, cars and stuff to explain away.)

Harold is quintessentially British. I completely lost count of the times where he did something like walk into a shop and feel compelled to buy something because the worker was staring at him, and he was the reason they weren't able to close yet.

When he finds out an old friend with whom he's lost touch is dying of cancer, he finds that he can't find the words to say. I'd blame this on the Britishness, but I really don't know that any nationality has the proper phrasing for this, with exception of possibly hakuna matata, show more which is actually Swahili but not the phrasing anyone who speaks Swahili would actually use.

Anyway.

He goes to mail a trite letter, only when he gets to the postbox he decides he's going to walk to her instead. 600-some miles away.

That's probably enough of the plot. It's not about the destination, it's about the journey. Except it's not really about the journey, either. It's more about Harold's life, and the walk is a penance for all of it. It's purgatory for his wife, who's at home and has held Harold in a subconscious begrudging resentment. And it's a little slice of heaven for the neighbor, Rex, who hasn't had so utility for or interaction with other people in months.

The heartache and emotion that's screwed out of Harold with every step is riveting, if punctuated with several gut-punches. The plotting of the walk itself gets fairly repetitious, as Harold vacillates between rapture and despair with numbing regularity. But peoples' reaction to Harold, his walk and the inevitable nonsense that encircles all of it are eminently believable, especially in the age of social media. And the ending, while not exactly Disney-happy, feels satisfying and earned.

I'm not saying I'd want to read a whole trilogy about the walk (and we're already two-thirds of the way there), but it's worth the effort to amble through. show less

This book was so much more than I thought it would be. I had read short blurbs about it here and there: Elderly man walks across England to save woman, et cetera. I thought, okay, interesting, character-driven novel. Should be good. Well, it far outreached any expectations I had about the book. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming, never ran short on surprises, and had some of the most real-life and honest characters I've seen written in a long time. And...I cried. More than once. Absolutely loved this story and will be thinking about Harold and Maureen for a long time.

Rachel Joyce has written a novel which, despite its improbable premise, quickly gathers the reader into a story both uplifting and shattering. On its most basic level The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is about a man who receives news of an old friend who is dying, and decides upon a whim to walk a ridiculous distance to visit her on her death bed, and thereby keep her alive just a little longer.

What starts out as a whim and ill-considered journey quickly becomes a pilgrimage in the truest meaning of the word, visited by physical, moral and spiritual pain; by travellers seeking solidarity, redemption and notoriety; and in the end by a very private journey into the depths of Harold's personal inferno.

Joyce crafts this story with show more simple elegance, employing a witty, unpretentious style which is highly readable, utterly captivating. Her characterization reveals an insightful understanding of human motivation and foibles.

For the tender of heart, like me, you will weep, you will laugh, and in the end close the cover of the book somehow edified and transmuted. Which is what the best storytellers cause to occur. show less

Harold and Maureen are an older retired couple in England. When he hears that his old coworker and friend, Queenie, is dying, he decides to walk hundreds of miles to visit her in hospice. That simple premise leads to unexpected friendships and quiet processing of painful moments in the past. It's not a book with big plot twists, but instead is an introspective novel about how our choices and the people around us shape our world. It was lovely to spend time with Harold.

I can't help but compare this to "Stoner", which I just finished. Both books deal with one man's quiet life. Both men are in unhappy marriages and had one child. But the marked difference is the way Harold's action in this one changed the trajectory of his world. Also, show more his wife Maureen is not a cruel woman, unlike Stoner's wife. Fascinating to read such similar books so close together. show less

Harold Fry is an aging, unassuming man who lives in an English village with his wife Maureen. His days slip by with little variation. Then, one day over toast, the mail arrives with a letter from a woman Harold has not heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is writing to tell Harold she is dying in a Hospice far away in the town of Berwick upon Tweed. Harold pens a response, and walks to the end of his driveway to mail the letter. But something strange happens. Instead of posting his letter, Harold keeps walking and walking and walking. And thus begins his pilgrimage – a mission to walk nearly 600 miles to Queenie in the belief that as long as he walks, she will live.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is a deeply moving story show more of loss, regret and ultimately forgiveness and redemption. Harold’s walk unleashes memories he has buried for years, and uncovers the cracks in his marriage to Maureen, a woman who has retreated behind a wall of anger and accusation as a way to protect her own fragile emotions.

The novel takes the reader on a journey not only forward to Berwick upon Tweed, but backwards into Harold and Maureen’s past where lives filled with joy, sorrow, misunderstanding, and loneliness are revealed.

As Harold walks, he encounters many people who support and encourage him. His journey is as much about touching the lives of others as it is about understanding himself – in fact, the connection to other ordinary people provides Harold with a deeper sense of his own regrets and a better understanding of the human heart.

The world was made up of people putting one foot in front of the other; and a life might appear ordinary simply because the person living it had been doing so for a long time. 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. - from the ARE of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry -

Rachel Joyce’s narrative moves between Harold and Maureen and gradually begins to connect the dots in the lives of these ordinary yet extraordinary people. This is not a fast-paced plot, but it is compelling drama which propels the reader through its pages to an emotional conclusion. I found my throat constricting and tears welling in my eyes in the last pages of this beautifully written novel. Joyce captures the fragility of the human spirit and the complexity of marriage and love in the face of loss. She reminds us of the need for connection to others to enrich and bring meaning to our own lives.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is simply outstanding literature. I am glad I took Harold’s journey with him. It is not a straight path from Harold’s tiny village to the northern shore of England – it weaves and hesitates, it falters and slows, it is a struggle…but ultimately Harold’s pilgrimage delivers the reader to a satisfying conclusion. Harold and Maureen, and certainly Queenie, will keep the reader company long after the final page of their story has been turned.

This novel which was recently long listed for the prestigious 2012 Booker Prize, is highly recommended. show less