A Country Road, A Tree

He stares now at the three words he has written. They are ridiculous. Writing is ridiculous. A sentence, any sentence, is absurd. Just the idea of it: jam one word up against another, shoulder-to-shoulder, jaw-to-jaw; hem them in with punctuation so they can't move an inch. And then hand that over to someone else to peer at, and expect something to communicated, something understood. It's not just pointless. It is ethically suspect.

Samuel Beckett lived in France through the Second World War and this is Jo Baker's novel about that time, as Beckett struggles with his writing, finds a way to contribute to the Resistance and manages to survive the war. He starts out as an eager acolyte to James Joyce, but his wartime experiences pare him show more down and change him and his writing.

This isn't a war-as-adventure-story, but one filled with the real deprivation, fear and insecurity that he and the people of Paris faced. Baker is one of my favorite authors; every single book she writes is entirely different from the next, but each is superbly written and worthwhile. show less

A Country Road, A Tree by Jo Baker is a novel based on the WWII experiences of Samuel Beckett. Though Irish, Beckett spent the war years in France. In 1939, our protagonist, who is not named, is a failed writer living in Paris with his lover, Suzanne. Eventually he becomes a member of the Resistance and the couple narrowly escape to a free zone when his group is betrayed. The free zone will not remain free, and he gambles with their lives again when he rejoins the Resistance.

I can say that I thought of giving the book up a couple of times, but that was because Baker shies from nothing; neither the extreme deprivations, the fear that comes from knowing there is no safe place, or the inhumanities of war. I just began to feel unsettled, show more maybe because of the world's current political unrest. But though I thought I might stop, I kept on reading, the book was too compelling to put down. show less

[A Country Road, A Tree] is Jo Baker's imagining of Irish writer Samuel Beckett's time in France during WWII. Beckett is working on his writing, but has not yet had a breakthrough. During the war, he becomes a resistance fighter. The novel creates a sense of danger and uncertainty and shows how this time influenced Beckett's later writing.

I liked this novel, but I didn't love it as much as I was expecting. I became quickly immersed, but as the novel went on, I tired of the plot. Maybe I've read too many WWII novels . . .

I felt this was well written but the subject simply didn't grab me.

What an interesting account of a tormented writer's life during WWII - driven to write yet haunted by his mother's admonition to be useful. Author Jo Baker appears to have done her research and delved deeply into the formative years of young Samuel Beckett in France during WWII. The book's writing style takes some getting used to - comes off as a bit breathless or of pouring out thought after thought - perhaps much in the style of Samuel Beckett himself. But don't let that stop you. All the senses are assaulted through the painterly prose of this book. There are richly painted scenes replete with repugnant odors and difficult observations. Yet, there are gentle moments of discovery and wonder. I had not known much about Samuel Beckett, show more the man, before reading this story and am grateful that Jo Baker took upon herself the mantle to expose the depth and humanity of this well-regarded writer. My understanding of Samuel Beckett is much the richer for it.

I am grateful to publisher Knopf Books and Goodreads First Reads for having provided a free uncorrected bound proof of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review, the words of which are mine alone. show less

An unnamed Irish writer leaves Ireland for Paris during the German occupation in WWII. A bit of light research reveals that the protagonist is Samuel Beckett. It recounts the arrests of several of his friends and his time helping the French Resistance. He and his partner, Suzanne, must flee Paris to avoid the Gestapo. The story is told in present tense. I have mixed feelings about portraying the conversations, thoughts, and feelings of a real person. There are references to other writers, particularly James Joyce, and allusions to Beckett’s works (especially Waiting for Godot) scattered throughout the narrative. It is nicely written. I had trouble remaining engaged and set it aside for a while, but I am glad I picked it back up and show more finished it.

3.5 show less

Found this novel hard to get into. It is as if Jo Baker writes in a dream style. The main character who is Samuel Beckett the Irish writer and poet, is never named. Still the novel had some great chapters when Jo Baker describes so well what it is like to be hungry, cold and travelling during a war.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fictional book about Samuel Beckett. I wondered if the fictional Suzanne was anything like his wife Suzanne as they didn't seem fit for each other.

I loved the prose of this story, the working in of James Joyce as Beckett's mentor and the struggle to write during the war. It was endearing and great to read so much of Beckett's life in the story.

What I didn't enjoy was the unknown name of Beckett in the first few chapters as I didn't read a review or synopsis of the book ahead of time. I had to do that after reading and going backward trying to find out the little boys name. I might have enjoyed the first few chapters better if I didn't feel like I had to sleuth out his name.

Over all this was a great page show more turner. I wanted to see where Samuel and Suzanne would end up next and if they would ever find peace and a feeling of protection. show less