The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce – subject: recently filmed books
This book was published in 2012, but with the release of the film starring Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton.
If anyone would like to write a sentence or two about the book, please email janet.bayliss@esneft.nhs.uk
The core plot of this novel describes how Harold Fry decides to walk almost the length of England to visit his old friend Queenie, after receiving a letter stating she is dying. The odd thing is that he does not plan it all and makes no real explanation to his wife until he is under way – just leaving the house after having initially planned to post a letter. From this low key start, this rather episodic novel gradually emerges. As we all commented, it is important to stick with this one; it is a real slow burner.
We discussed Harold’s communication problems – particularly with his wife Maureen and around the relationship with their son David. The central mystery around David is key to the plot and the fractured relationship between Harold and Maureen; along with the central driver of Harold’s walk to visit Queenie, which is largely motivated by guilt.
This novel is one of three discussing the same characters and tackling the other two books can help the reader to understand the background to Harold’s walk. The “companion novel”: The love song of Miss Queenie Hennessy was published in 2014 and the third book in the loose trilogy: Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North appeared in 2022.
The author Rachel Joyce, started her career as an actress and has written plays for Radio 4 before publishing The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry as her debut novel in 2012, which is based on her radio play To be a pilgrim.
We discussed books about walking and pilgrimage as a topic: the non-fiction book 52 ways to walk by Annabel Streets is very interesting on walking as therapy.
Older books around the pleasure of walking include 500 mile walkies and Travels with Boogie by Mark Wallington, part of a series of very funny books about the author’s long walks with his dog, Boogie.
Other amusing offerings in this genre include A walk in the woods by Bill Bryson, whose approach to a long journey by foot is different to Harold’s in that he brings a lot of stuff with him; and Round Ireland with a fridge by Tony Hawks. Here the author chronicles the difficulties of travel with a single very heavy item: the fridge in question. On journeys more generally, Three men in a boat by Jerome K. Jerome remains an engaging account of a boating holiday up the Thames, published as long ago as 1889.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed is a serious memoir about the author’s 2012 journey along the Pacific Crest trail in the United States, which is also a voyage of self-discovery. It has been filmed more recently in 2014 with Reese Witherspoon in the title role.
To turn to novels, we recommended The seven sisters by Lucinda Riley, a sweeping epic set in modern day Geneva; and 1920s Rio de Janeiro and the first in a series of books.
From the world of crime we also liked The running grave by Robert Galbraith, number 7 in the Cormoran Strike series and The last devil to die by Richard Osman, the fourth Thursday Murder Club book.
Several of the above may be on Libby. Head over to our Libby page to find out more.