Lost & Found by James Gould Bourn
Ronnie has resigned himself to a life of loneliness.
His life in the crumbling seaside town of Bingham-on-Sea never seemed that bad, but since the loss of his father, the highlights of Ronnie’s solitary days include manning the lost property office at the bus station where he works, and plaguing his local GP with increasingly outlandish ailments. Forgotten or underestimated by all those around him, Ronnie is lost, and he’s not expecting to be found.
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But when a chance encounter leads Ronnie to reluctantly foster Hamlet, an unwanted stray dog, his empty days begin to fill with all manner of new responsibilities and experiences.
Can these two lost souls help each other to find a new lease of life?
My Review
I literally read this in a day, finishing at one o’clock in the morning. It has everything. It’s sad, hilariously funny at times, poignant, includes an ugly but lovable dog called Hamlet (no not after the Prince of Denmark – after the next town where he was found, which happens to be called Hamlet) and a group of mismatched lonely protagonists.
‘He likes you,’ said Cate. ‘I can see it in his eyes.’
Ronnie looked at Hamlet. Hamlet’s dodgy eye also looked at Hamlet.
‘Really?’ said Ronnie. ‘And which eye would that be exactly?’
‘The gammy one. It only rolls around like that when he likes someone.’
Ronnie has lost his shadow. He has no idea how or why, only that he can no longer see it. Maybe that is why Hamlet is so wary of him. Dogs can sense things. Ronnie also visits the doctor – the only medical professional (loosely speaking) in run-down Bingham-on-Sea – every couple of weeks, having consulted Google and convinced he has everything from tetanus to a lump on his bum and a tropical disease only caught in a country he has never been to (or even heard of). He can’t tell the doctor about his missing shadow though as it’ll make him sound even madder than the doctor already thinks he is.
The doctor scenes are hilarious. ‘Yes,’ said Dr Sterling. ‘I can feel it.’
Ronnie swallowed and braced himself for the news. ‘What do you think it is?’
‘I think it’s your bum cheek.’
Ronnie sighed. ‘Not that round thing, the other round thing?’
‘That’s your other bum cheek.’
‘I don’t think you’re taking this very seriously.’
‘I’m not.’
‘Well that’s comforting,’ said Ronnie.
‘I’m not here to comfort you. Watch The Golden Girls if you want comfort. I’m here to tell you whether or not you have a legitimate medical complaint, and as per usual, you do not.’
Ronnie is a hypochondriac. And lonely since his father died. His mother had run off with the neighbour 35 years ago and his dad became his only friend. Ronnie works at the bus station with Carl and their boss Alan. He has been put in charge of the Lost & Found office, except no-one wants to claim any of it back. Except homeless woman Pearl that is, only none of it belongs to her. In the end Alan tells him to get rid of it. Ronnie can’t just dump it, so he takes most of it to the charity shops, but they don’t want the part chewed dog toys, so he takes them to the dog shelter and that’s where he meets Cate … and Hamlet. And somehow Cate manages to persuade him to take Hamlet home with him for a few days.
I love Cate. She’s knowledgeable about everything, a mine of useless trivia, unless you are a contestant on University Challenge, everyone tells her.
And it’s through Hamlet that he meets Brian who wants to train his cat to be a dog, Harriet who sits on the beach every day atop what looks like a life guard’s watchtower, and how he befriends the neighbour whose husband ran off with his mum.
This is such an enjoyable read. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a book in 2023 that will make their spirit soar.
Many thanks to @Tr4cyF3nt0n for inviting me to be part of the #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour
About the Author
James Gould-Bourn is an award-winning screenwriter and novelist from Manchester, England. His debut novel, Bear Necessity, has been published in 13 languages and his short films have been screened at several international film festivals. His most recent film, Champ, qualified for consideration at the 2022 Academy Awards. It was directed by Emmy award-winning director Ben Tricklebank and premiered at Cinelounge in Hollywood. James currently lives in Bristol, UK.
