The unusual pilgrimage of Harold Fry (spoiler alert)

[LEMisdisappointed]

I have just read this - found it frustratingly depressing. It got such good reviews but i did not like this book :( Anyone else disappointed?

I agree that it`s depressing, but I quite enjoyed it anyway, despite wanting to shake Harold Fry till his teeth rattled; I found him a touching character.

I thought it was well written and thought-provoking. But perhaps it is because Harold and his wife share a lot of character traits with certain members of my family that I found it interesting.

I`m from an emotionally dysfunctional family

He walks to burton-upon-tweed, meets some interesting folk along the way, then publicity gets out and he gets a bit of a following (this was the crap bit where i thoguht the author had run out of ideas), gets irritated with them (as did i) and loses them, finally gets to see queenie, of course we all knew she would be in a terrible state despite his niave belief that she would be serenely sitting in a window seat waitig for him, i felt the depiction of someone rendered almost inhuman by cancer was too much (really horrible). Doesn't really know what to say, can't wait to leave - his wife picks him up, they go for a walk on the beach and realise they love each other after all.

I found him pusilanimous (that is the first time i have EVER used that word properly!)

I didn't enjoy it at all.. however mum borrowed it and loved it.

I found the end of the book unsatisfying, NatashaBee

During his journey Harold gradually confronts the strong emotions he has spent his life suppressing. His absence makes his wife reflect on their relationship and remember what drew them together rather than what drove them apart.

Their reconciliation is quite disappointingly low-key.

Despite that, it is a book that I would read again. It reminded me a little of Paolo Cuelho`s "The Alchemist".

I think the reason mum loved it is she has been married 40 years and I think she projected her and dad onto the characters.

I really enjoyed it!

I loved how the characters weren't necessarily bad or good... there are no heroes and villains, just people trying to get through and each seeing the world through their own tinted glasses. I felt that while it was all quite low key and at times frustrating, that's real life and there was something very real about the characters and their lives that I could relate to. I found it quite life-affirming rather than depressing!

i loved this too and the geography and the different cities. we read this as a book group with a mainly positive feedback. Interesting relationships between fathers and sons and very sad.