The Salt Path

[Mothership4two]

Anyone planning to go and watch this? And did you read the book? I am hoping to go in the next couple of weeks. There are four of us going, two have read it and two haven't. Looking forward to the scenery as much as the story.

I overall enjoyed the book, and am hoping to see the film this week, but I have to say some of the encounters with people in the book don't strike me as entirely genuine...

I haven't read the book and am not inspired to after watching the film. So taking the film as a work in itself, I thought it was mildly diverting (much like the salt path itself).

I enjoyed the scenery, but I loathe camping and the film reminded me why.

I thought the Jason Isaacs casting was great - from photos I see he looks very similar to the real Moth (and actually nothing like Simon Armitage, so I really didn't get that reference).

Agree that Gillian Anderson, usually so good, was a bit all over the place. I wish there had been less monosyllabic dialogue and more explanation.

The reason for them being in that situation was sketchy. Also, if they didn't really owe the debt and had the paperwork to prove it, but it was dismissed as being submitted too late - why on earth didn't they appeal?! Surely that is the next obvious course of action. Perhaps the book explains, but that was frustrating.

Also what was that underwater swimming scene?! Suddenly they're in the barrier reef or somesuch and what did they do with all their gear?

Fair play to the bunnies though. I am rural and we definitely have wild bunnies like this. It was very disconcerting when we first moved here and the dog caught one, I was convinced it had eaten Flopsy. But there are hundreds of the wild furry critters hopping around.

Funny I thought Gillian Anderson did a fantastic job. Saw the movie on Sunday, really enjoyed it and loved the book. My husband enjoyed the movie too and he’d not read the book.

Also, if they didn't really owe the debt and had the paperwork to prove it, but it was dismissed as being submitted too late - why on earth didn't they appeal?!

EXACTLY!

I didn't like the book much either. I do believe what happened, you can't just take evidence I to a court without submitting it first but why didn't she know that? Why didn't someone tell her? It was all so avoidable.

I thought she came across as a pretty self indulgent person on the whole.

Didn't read the book but I saw the film.
I enjoyed it, lovely scenery, and I love the idea of just going off walking and camping for months. A fantasy escape.

I think Winn is just a bit thick. Or to be more charitable, perhaps she is just horrendously disorganised and had never before had to suffer the consequences.
Moth obviously had other things on his mind with his terminal diagnosis, so can be excused the complete fuck up to some extent, but Winn didn't even manage to cancel all the direct debits, and as others have said caused the homelessness by not being on top of the court paperwork. Let alone not appealing!

In the film it is her idea to just go walking, instead of finding somewhere to stay and getting a job.
There is a certain kind of middle-class privilege that just cannot bear the thought of having to live the life of working-class poor people, as if that would be the ultimate insult to their identity as middle class. So going off walking for months seemed preferable to a life in rented accommodation on benefits and a minimum wage job.

I wasn’t keen on the book

Depends if they're in halls or rented accommodation / working.

I'm not that keen to see the film as I loved the book, and feel it won't be as good.

Always amazed when I read on here the dislike for It!

There is a certain kind of middle-class privilege that just cannot bear the thought of having to live the life of working-class poor people, as if that would be the ultimate insult to their identity as middle class. So going off walking for months seemed preferable to a life in rented accommodation on benefits and a minimum wage job.

That's very astute - now you've said it, I completely agree.

Surely the council would have provided a hostel? Even the street homeless have the option of that.

That's exactly what my book club though too.

Well I'm by no means middle class, and I'd prefer to go off walking for months rather than stay in a homeless hostel so 🤷‍♀️

(As clearly would quite a few long distance walkers on the SWCP. I've encountered quite a few single guys who strongly appear to be homeless plodding along. Don't forget that the original article that spawned The Salt Path was published in the Big Issue).

Well, I think you should go this afternoon ' give us a 'rabbit appraisal!' It's the only decent thing to do!

I haven't read the book or seen the movie. I only opened the thread as my Mum said she might go with a friend tomorrow.

having read the thread I'm not sure I want to read the book or see the movie....but bunnies...

Maybe I’ll give it another go

it was a gift from DDad so not my choice

I might just watch the film instead though

Agree with all the comments re the book, plus:

There was one bit where she reveals they forgot to cancel some direct debits. FFS ..if you are completely broke how can you do that?

When they kept splurging on ice creams with their last 15p or whatever.

How can you 'agree with all the comments' about the book when some have enjoyed it & some have disliked it??

Who has read the the other two? ( the Wild Silence, Landlines) what did you think??

I wasn't so impressed with the Wild Silence. But I did enjoy the concept of Landlines- a walk the length of the UK, and it was interesting to read about what walking's like in Scotland, where I've never really done it. She has quite a debacle with walking boots (they have money by this point) which does rather add to the evidence that Practicality Is Not Her Forte. (But I'm not judging her for that- I have a lot of creative, impractical friends!) Bit disappointed that they swerved my beloved Dartmoor, but they were pretty much done in at that point. Moth's prognosis at the end is extremely interesting, if true.

Okay Mrs Pedantic… I agree with all the NEGATIVE comments about the book!

Interesting. Thank you !!

would it help if I said I love Dartmoor ❤️

I can't contemplate any proper walking at the moment as I have health issues just walking locally is more than enough, but if/when I can Dartmoor is definitely one of the plans!!

It's not pedantic to be interested in knowing if you were agreeing with the positive or negative comments 😜

I think it was obvious but hey ho

I agree! Off walking amid beautiful countryside, or living in a rented flat working a job i didn't enjoy...it's not exactly a difficult one to understand.

I think that’s fair. I think what I actually liked about the memoir was how unfiltered it was. This wasn’t some feelgood ‘we lost everything and everyone pulled together and it all worked out fine’ inspirational tale. I’m not sure whether from honesty or a comparative lack of self-awareness, but she represents them as faulty, bitter, angry, exhibiting poor judgement, having let their friendships and extended family relationships go, as ungrateful to the few friends who do help, as being fairly problematic parents to their YA children etc etc. I think most people writing a book about themselves would have edited out their resentment thst they’ve outstayed their welcome at friends’ houses etc.

I’m assuming it was also partly that Raynor could allow herself to express her fury towards Moth (as the investment, friend thing seems to have been his initiative) so it got directed towards friends she didn’t think helped enough, or people they didn’t like on the path etc.

I still haven’t seen the film, but I assume the reason the court case and the loss of their farm wasn’t explored further in the film was probably due to legal issues — it was pretty fudged in the memoir, too probably because her publisher’s lawyers were all over it for potential litigation from the nameless ex’friend’.’ And it’s never discussed in interviews either, and no journalist ever seems to have investigated.