The Station Philosophers' Club

by Rorie Smith, Siobhan Harrison (Cover Art)

The self-styled Station Philosophers meet when it suits them in the brasserie in Gare Bordeaux Saint-Jean.
There’s William the translator whose head is almost in the ether and whose feet are not quite on the ground. He’s in love with Clara, a student at the Conservatoire.
And there are Otto the ex-train-driver, Alice the yoga teacher, Gwen who worked on a sheep-farm, Steph the scientist, Sean the Irish priest turned army veteran, and now, the waiter, Alex.
They all have stories up their sleeves, mostly about random events in their lives.
One day William buys the wrong hat...

136 pages, Paperback

Published February 28, 2025

About the author

Former journalist. Now living in the wonderful French city of Bordeaux - but home is always Freathy Cliff, Cornwall. Long distance walker. Spain and France. Three other novels. Tombola, Counterpart and One Million Euro.

Reviews

[Daniel Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are introduced to our eponymous Station Philosophers’ Club immediately. Each from their destination and each with their foibles. They are – to Rorie Smith’s readers – an almost familiar gallery of eccentrics.
A smoke-filled air hangs over the elegant 19th Century Gare St. Jean, a glorious structure redolent of Europe’s golden age of the train. The ‘club’, as we discover, held over lunch or coffee in a station brasserie, and except for the semi philosophically trained waiter, is not much more than a gathering of talkative types ambling their way through life and tying to make sense of it all.
The discursions: the legend of a non-existent Montreal restaurant, the efficiencies of mail sorting systems, Gwen’s trysts with a man who calls her Mercedes, are culled lovingly from the Bordeaux streets and landmarks and people who live among them.
But a Rorie Smith tale would not be a Rorie Smith tale without some form of intrigue; strangers proffering packets of cigarettes, identical midnight blue hats spied at the marketplace, and a shepherd’s deadly brush with a pack of wolves. Read on and see.

[John Mullins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seven strangers become acquainted at a busy rail station brasserie in Bordeaux, the self-styled Station Philosophers who share their diverse life stories, past and presnt. Each story, told with quiet humour and some contention, abandons the tramline of cause and effect, derailing into the mystery of chance and coinidence - how they got be here, where they are going amidst their mundance and anonymous existence. Deep connections interweave their stories into a wonder-full web of Life Meanwhile, through a chance encounter, a slow burning love story is unfolding. The main character, a book translator, is delayed in a waiting queue where he is forced to buy an unwanted hat. From this a series of complex incidents unravel, leading to a gripping climax of synchronicty where is life is saved by a total stranger. The style of writing is subtle, complex and deeply thought provoking. Highly recommended!

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in one of those reading limbos where you've read a book that is so magical and good that you can't settle to anything afterwards, then I started The Station Philosophers' Club and was grabbed from the first page.

There's a wonderful sense of place - Bordeaux - it's obvious the author loves the city, intriguing characters, interesting stories, an unusual hat and a great developing theme which ties it all together. Despite having a filthy cold I stayed up late to finish it in one sitting.

I loved it!

[Hal Robinson]

The Station Philosophers' Club is a gem! Reading it takes you straight into life in France, among the French … philosophers all. If you don’t know France, and Bordeaux specifically, you will begin to. And if you love the country this quirky book will make you smile and love it more.

"The Station Philosophers' Club should be essential reading for anyone learning about France and its richly human culture. I only wish the book was twice its length.

[Ian Forth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rorie weaves together a series of tales told by an eccentric cast of ‘pals who like to have a bit of a gabble’ at a brasserie by the station in Bordeaux. The stories go off in strange, unexpected directions yet have teasing parallels. The novel is situated in the cosmopolitan city of Bordeaux – ‘ a city where it’s easy to fall in love.’ The main protagonist, William, a ruminative soul, tries to court his elusive Chinese neighbour while pondering the curiosities and synchronicities of life before ending up in a Hitchcockian stand-off at a music recital.

[Robin Hooppell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy flowing style with undertones and great observations, no snags. Diffuse story line but that's the point. Seems well grounded in local knowledge and wider personal experience. Interesting connections made here and probably only here, for example whales and night train postal service!
Should make you look around and notice more details in your own daily life.

[Lynda Haddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

An original and skilfully plotted novel about seven travellers who meet occasionally at a station brasserie to share intriguing stories of their lives. Their tales are interwoven with humour and coincidence. This is a compelling read.

[LeQuan Tran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Their stories are intertwined with each other, which made it difficult to follow through. I wouldn’t say I’m the critic here, but this style of writing is just not my favourite.