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The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - DISCUSSION
I think the note from Queenie pricked Harold's conscious. Something had happened between the two of them that Harold thought of as unfinished. He went to post the letter, but that didn't seem like enough. Then he met the girl at the gas station who told him her story about her aunt's cancer (which turned out to be not quite true), and he made the decision to walk. The pilgrimage is more for Harold than Queenie, of course. The knowledge of this doesn't dawn on him for a long time. His has been such a frozen soul, that it takes that much activity to thaw it. About the son: I didn't suspect for a long time, maybe up until the reveal. I knew something was wrong, so the reveal made perfect sense. I forget his wife's name now, but she was experiencing a kind of pilgrimage, too. In reverse. I liked how Harold's absence created enough room for her to make realizations about him and herself.
I cringed when folks started hanging onto him. He just didn't know how to say No, did he? I think the experience did help him grow, though. There were some wonderful people he met, like the doctor who was a cleaner. She was a literal life-saver. I was a little surprised that Harold was able to continue after the problem with his leg, though. It seemed a bit unrealistic that he didn't need weeks to recover, instead of a couple of days.
I liked the story of how he and his wife met; about the wild dancing.
There were places where my suspension of disbelief machine clunked and crashed. The leg thing was one of them. It sounded really serious. I was thinking blood poisoning from an infected blister.On a frivolous note, did you know what yacht shoes are? I had to google them. What we call boat shoes.
That was one of the things I thought couldn't happen, him walking 600+ miles in those shoes. (I googled them, too.) Even if he had running shoes, he would have needed more than one pair.
This book immediately reminded me of To The End of the Land by David Grossman. Has anybody read it? It's about an Israeli woman who goes on a walk after her son joins the Israeli Army during war. Like Harold, she believes that her son won't die, as long as she keeps walking and is not home to receive the news of his death. Unfortunately, I didn't like To the End of the Land (the main character grated on my nerves), but I really enjoyed Harold's journey. He was such as sad sack of a man, that as first I didn't like him either. But learning of how much he loved his son and wife, and watching him become someone who followed his heart, was really touching to me. Personally, I didn't have a clue about his son. I also thought something was off about him, but I assumed that he had distanced himself from his home and previous life because of his substance abuse.
re: the yacht shoes (and other British vocabulary)Who was it who said that Britain and the US are "two countries divided by a common language?" Yacht Shoes didn't flummox me, but there were one or two words/phrases that had me wondering, though I can usually figure it out from context. I've come to expect that when reading a book written by a British author and set in Britain. It doesn't bother me or particularly slow me down in my reading, and it doesn't affect my enjoyment of the work.
re: David (son)
I had not guessed the real story ... Maureen seemed to berate Harold for not speaking to David for so long, and she clearly was speaking to him and asking David's advice on how to deal with Harold's sudden disappearance.
I found Harold exasperating at times (agree, Sherry, he really did NOT know how to say "no"). But I grew to love him and really liked how Maureen also had a "journey" of sorts.
I finished the book over the weekend so am joining the discussion today. I really liked this book and found that I liked it's slow reveal of both Harold and Maureen's backstories. I also love the story of how they met, the crazy dancing, the forgotten silly words that joined them. I didn't have a clue about David but obviously this is a pivotal moment in the lives of Harold, Maureen and Queenie. It seemed as the book progressed that Harold slowly began to realize, or to admit to himself, why he had to walk.
As for the shoes and the leg, I also had some doubt re the reality of those parts, but then this is not what I think of as a realistic novel, at least not totally. And the doctor/cleaner did have the boat shoes resoled (or somehow fixed) while Harold rested at her house). I had thought that Harold had torn a muscle in his leg!
Did anyone else see any likeness between Queenie's death and the scene in Tinkers? I haven't read Tinkers for some time but I'm thinking of that sinking into time.
I am still reading, so I can't read your posts yet. But I was compelled to find this very quickly after starting the book, and wanted to post in case some of you readers have not seen it yet:http://theharlow.net/the-unlikly-pilg...
It has been almost a year since I read this, plus I gave it to a friend to take back to England. This book reminded me of "The Way " , only on a lighter level. I think we all are walking a pilgrimage through this life, at least on some level. Harold was being proactive with his pilgrimage.
As Harold receives Queenie's letter he is gazing out the window at the "clipped lawn" which is "spiked in the middle" by Maureen's telescoping washing line and "trapped on all three sides by the neighbors' stockade fence."And so we are informed from the beginning that this is an emotionally stunted man who feels as trapped as an insect pinned to a display board.
It is not surprising that once Harold has made the decision to leave the house and then the yard that his spirits rise; a feeling of freedom and the good weather conspire to give him the confidence and energy to walk past the first mailbox.
The farther he walks he notices the details of the landscape around him with increasing frequency. Had this beauty always been surrounding him? Why hadn't he seen it? A sense of discovery and adventure propel him onward.
Sometimes living conditions and relationships can hold us hostage. As Harold's path moves northward the restrictions (on thought and action) loosen and memories from the past begin to float through his mind.
I think that most people who have carried out long journeys through a physical modality, e.g. backpacking, biking, etc., can understand how the noise of the outside world fades and we are able to see situations in a much clearer light.
In that respect I found the reliving of past memories quite believable. The ability to see past situations in such a stark, unflattering light is a bit harder to accept. Is Harold moving towards some kind of sainthood?
Alas not. As the outside world intrudes and more and more people latch on to Harold and his story with cringe-inducing motivations we see our protagonist begin to struggle with doubt, sadness and a creeping sense of hopelessness.
I enjoyed this book despite the nagging thought that Harold's leg condition should have laid him up for much longer than it did. The symptoms indicated either an infection, a muscle tear or both.
I didn't have a problem with Harold making the walk in deck shoes. I have backpacked in rubber thongs and walked miles in shoes with no support. It's not much different than walking barefoot and would we question that that was possible? The cleaning lady/doctor resoles his shoes and the narrative indicates that Harold has the shoes resoled after that whenever needed.
The concurrent transformation of Maureen (and to some extent neighbor Rex)give us resolution and a happy ending. Which is good. I like happy endings. But does anyone else think it would be more realistic for Maureen's anger to build during Harold's pilgrimage leading to an explosive and destructive conclusion of the book?
Despite having nominated this book, I have to surface here and say that I was not enamored of it. Too precious. Too feelgood. Too predictable. Too English-villagey-with-oddball-characters. The whole point is way too obvious. Doesn’t make us work for it, so I didn’t feel invested in the story. Way too gentle. Do we really believe nothing scary or dangerous or horrible happened on this quixotic journey by an unprepared old man in lousy shape?
I wasn't looking at this as a realistic novel in that way, Ruth, so lack of danger and horrible events didn't bother me. The presence of some moral dilemmas with the thief and those who took over the walk were enough for me.Given the basic truth of the novel, what happened to David, I'm glad for Maureen's evolution. Had she not, I think Harold would have had some difficulty recovering from the entire episode as he was at a lower point after seeing Queenie. Would it still be titled "Pilgrimage" and would it still have the same meaning?
The pilgrimage story has been done and done. Someone takes off, meets a variety of characters, finishes the journey a changed person. Does this book add anything to that scenario?
My F2F book group read this several months ago and we agreed that it did add a freshness to this scenario ....this was one of my favorite books of the year.
I'm only about two-thirds of the way through, but I enjoy it more and more as I go through it. We've been moving - just two floors up in our building, but it feels like it's taking years to move in. So much work, so I'm behind on my reading.
Ruth,I think that any genre of literature - summed up as succinctly as you have the pilgrimage story :-) - can be asked the same question.
In fact it is a necessary question I unconsciously ask myself while choosing a book to read. What draws me into a book is the writing first, not the genre.
The writing here was serviceable, but only that. It didn't interfere, but I don't think it enhanced, either.
I enjoyed taking the trip with Harold and I think that the changes that happened to Maureen at the same time seemed realistic. Since I am about the same age as Harold, I didn't buy taking the journey in yacht shoes as possible. I know I could walk 600 miles in my running shoes or trainers, as they say in England. If the author had just put him in trainers, and why wouldn't he have gotten a hat along the way? It just didn't seem very practical, but I guess that isn't important. Harold is in such low spirits at the end that is really is Maureen and their marriage that saves him.
Ruth, I think all things have been done and done and done. Literature, movies, music, people... Even though something has been done and done and done doesn't always make something less powerful. It's how you take it and personalize it. Sometimes we can sometimes not so much. Personally I enjoyed this story of an emotionally and physically shut off man, who could never deal with the realities of parenthood or later the lack thereof. In the end he finds the key to his inner self and is able to feel.
Ruth wrote: "Despite having nominated this book, I have to surface here and say that I was not enamored of it. Too precious. Too feelgood. Too predictable. Too English-villagey-with-oddball-characters. The..."I'm curious, Ruth, as to why you nominated the book if you didn't like it at all.
Simple. I hadn't read it before I nominated it.
Lindsay wrote: "Ruth, I think all things have been done and done and done. Literature, movies, music, people... Even though something has been done and done and done doesn't always make something less powerful. It..."I like that idea, too. But for me the execution of it fails. It could have been done so much better.
I found the writing straightforward enough not to scare anyone away or get bogged down in, and there's enough going on to create an interesting discussion, but it never rises to something better. I enjoyed the book and was moved in the appropriate places, but I agree that it didn't really give anything new to the genre. I couldn't help comparing it to the running section of Forrest Gump. Like the map of Harold's journey, the book was a lot of connected dots and I never felt truly surprised or delighted by it. Good, but not remarkable.I thought the yachting shoes were a good metaphor. At the beginning of the journey, Harold is unable to make changes to his life. He feels as if he has to simply accept how things are - he accepts that he started walking in yachting shoes. Trainers would be better, but the shoes represent who he is. It is not until the end that he truly looks at the duct taped, split and paper thin shoes and realized they aren't acceptable any longer, just as the status quo with Maureen isn't acceptable.
I was so glad to see this on the Reading List when I returned, since I had thought about reading it anyway. I was not disappointed. (So sorry that you were, Ruth! Truthfully, as a fan of first novels, I'd say she did much better than average.)There was this one strange thing that caught me off guard over and over again, so I wonder if any of you had the same deal? That is Harold's physical description. At least half of the book I spent envisioning it as a Dustin Hoffman or Bob Hoskins role, then along would come another mention of his unusual height. It should be James Cromwell or Max Von Sydow! (In truth if it were filmed, what would make me happiest is Tom Wilkinson. He has the ability to mesmerize me.) Anyway I don't remember being fooled repeatedly like this before.
I had a similar reaction to the mystery surrounding David. My first thought was that he was dead, and every mention of Maureen talking to him reminded me that it must be something else. Well done, I suppose...
Altho Harold was walking and got most of the novel, I thought his and Maureen's transformations were equally well described, memorable, and believable. Actually, unlike some comments above, the story felt very real to me. Even that strange nightmare that "woke" Maureen up was just right.
Finally, I was pleased by the ending. As I was reading I resisted trying to predict it, but knowing some things I didn't want to read at the end was unavoidable. For me, she left it at the right place and on the right note.
Tonya wrote: "I was so glad to see this on the Reading List when I returned, since I had thought about reading it anyway. I was not disappointed. (So sorry that you were, Ruth! Truthfully, as a fan of first nove..."I feel much the same, Tonya, except that I really had no inkling about David. I think I was really in the moment with the book, experiencing as it was reveled/narrated.
Tonya wrote: "I was so glad to see this on the Reading List when I returned, since I had thought about reading it anyway. I was not disappointed. (So sorry that you were, Ruth! Truthfully, as a fan of first nove..."I didn't have any trouble with Harold's physical description. I always pictured him as tall and lanky. James Cromwell would be perfect if there were a movie made of it.
I have this book on hold at my library, hopefully I will get it soon and be able to read it as my first group read in this group. So far, it looks like opinions are mixed about it.
Hello everyone. I read the book a while ago and thought that in the end it was very good. Yes - this has been done and done - but as my art teachers told me over and over - there is nothing new to be done - it's all been done before. So - assuming that is true - then I think that the book has value in its original situations, visualization, and characterizations. The resolution of the story was thoughtful and not what I expected. Yes - the book was accessible to many - but for this book I found that to be a plus. A great message, accessible to many. Rather than put this in the same category as - say - Tinkers, I found myself accepting it in a different category.
Diane wrote: "As Harold receives Queenie's letter he is gazing out the window at the "clipped lawn" which is "spiked in the middle" by Maureen's telescoping washing line and "trapped on all three sides by the ne..."Great commentary, Diane. Very perceptive.
Ruth wrote: "Despite having nominated this book, I have to surface here and say that I was not enamored of it. Too precious. Too feelgood. Too predictable. Too English-villagey-with-oddball-characters...."LOL. Love the expression. But I enjoy TV's Midsomer Murders immensely, mentally checking off the requisite characters as each story unfolds: "Aha! Here comes the Nutter-on-a-Bicycle!" or "Look! There's the Lurker-in-the-Bushes!" or "Obnoxious-Old-Biddy approaching! She won't last long."
J. wrote: "Ruth wrote: "Despite having nominated this book, I have to surface here and say that I was not enamored of it. Too precious. Too feelgood. Too predictable. Too English-villagey-with-oddball-charact..."We happen to be in the midst of Midsomer Murders right now. Exactly. This book is too much like that. As to why I find that acceptable as after dinner TV and not so much in a book, hevvin knows.
Ruth wrote: "We happen to be in the midst of Midsomer Murders right now. Exactly. This book is too much like that. As to why I find that acceptable as after dinner TV and not so much in a book, hevvin knows. "It plays differently when seen, instead of described, I think--much easier to ignore the cookie-cutter characters...and the fact that the murderer will be caught when Inspector Barnaby notices that everyone in the village has joined the choir invisible except the one bloke. Then it's time to play "spot the bad guy." Could it be HIM?
Funny, I can't watch Midsomer Murders anymore. It just doesn't appeal. but I really liked the book a lot. I used to like the show when it was first on.
Why does the story that the garage girl tells Harold affect him so deeply? Do you think Harold would have mused on faith and gone on this tremendous journey had the garage girl told Harold that her aunt died of cancer anyway?
Ruth wrote: "Why does the story that the garage girl tells Harold affect him so deeply? Do you think Harold would have mused on faith and gone on this tremendous journey had the garage girl told Harold that her..."Probably. I think he was ripe for any little thing to push him to do what he needed to do to unfreeze his life. Maybe he wouldn't have attempted the pilgrimage, but he would have done something else. He took cues from what was already around him and gave them greater significance than they probably deserved.
I'll confess to being a bit dubious as the book began, unsure if I wanted to make the long walk with Harold. Because there were a lot of obvious notes, and while I certainly didn't expect Queenie to die before he got there, I also didn't expect a miraculous recovery either. Page 158 is where I got on board: "The world was made up of people putting one foot in front of the other; and a life might appear ordinary simply because the person living it had been doing so for a long time. Harold could no longer pass a stranger without acknowledging the truth that everyone was the same, and also unique; and that this was the dilemma of being human.
"He walked so surely it was as if all his life he had been waiting to get up from his chair."
I mean, yes, much of this be printed on one of those motivational posters - maybe a shot of a single person silhouetted against a sea of sand dunes - but it struck a chord, and I kept reading.
I've also been trying to "read into" the fact that Queenie lost the ability to speak. Harold seemed quite struck by that.
This is frustrating, I added to this conversation over a week ago and must not have posted what I wrote. I can't think of another reason why it never showed up. I actually liked the book quite a bit. I loved finding the link someone posted: an Italian man who traces Harold's route and posts pictures of the towns and countryside mentioned in the book.I actually thought the relationship between Harold and Maureen was wonderfully described. That made the book for me. Some of Maureen's realizations...her growing understanding that she was pretty terrible to him...that her nasty comments became instinctive, were so true to what I see happening in distant relationships...I've been that way myself at times. I also found myself compelled by Harold, by his sense of freedom and his resourcefulness, and openness to the people he meets along the way.
Of course, this backfires when new "pilgrims" join him and completely co-opt his journey. I felt he was ultimately as brow beaten by this hangers on as he had been by Maureen, and I wanted him to escape far sooner. But openness was what he was learning and no matter how frustrated I became, it felt true to his character as it was unfolding and changing.
So, I have to say, it was an interesting experience, and I found myself wanting to trace this journey myself.
Ruth wrote: "Why does the story that the garage girl tells Harold affect him so deeply? Do you think Harold would have mused on faith and gone on this tremendous journey had the garage girl told Harold that her..."I agree with Sherry's comment. Harold was ripe for some kind of change. Queenie's letter was the trigger with the garage girl perhaps adding fuel to the fire. And maybe a greater sense of purpose.
The other thing I wanted to add was that it's Maureen's "journey" that really saves the book from too much treacle. Harold's pilgrimage causes her to grow as well. The growing truth about what happened to David shows them both to be unreliable narrators in their own lives, and by the end, the scales had fallen from their eyes.
Nice way to put this, Peggy. Oh, don't we all narrate our lives unreliably? I love that perspective. And I agree about the way that Maureen's journey and her voice in the book keep the book from "too much treacle." I read an essay recently in which Jonathan Franzen says that a novel has to risk sentimentality in order to be truly great. Risk it, not succumb to it, I think he means. Not saying that The Unlikely Pilgrimage is great, but I think it is most successful when dealing with the relationship between Harold and Maureen...or their own growth in terms of their stalled and dysfunctional relationship.
I agree, Jane. Harold's pilgrimage itself seemed a little hackneyed compare to the Harold/Maureen relationship.
I wonder though if either one of them would have moved out of those learned patterns had Harold not gone on that long walk.
I'm awfully glad you reposted, Jane. I caught myself looking for the "like" button on your post!You and I got just the same things from this book, and you expressed all of them perfectly.
Sue, I think you're right. The rift was deep and psychological. His walk is the catalyst for change with both of them. I doubt Maureen would have learned much more than anger if Harold had gone off on a cruise.
Jane wrote: "I doubt Maureen would have learned much more than anger if Harold had gone off on a cruise..."That's the sequel, Jane.
oh my god. that's what LOL is really meant for.
The book keeps returning to incident at the beach with his son. Do you think it's representative of Harold’s fears about himself? In what ways do those fears reflect the reality?
I enjoyed reading a book about genuine friendship between males and females that was not turned into a sexual relationship. So hard to find that nowadays.
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Books mentioned in this topic
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (other topics)Tinkers (other topics)
Harold’s marriage is not in good shape, and hasn’t been for some time. Is this journey as much of a fleeing from as it is a walking to? What do you think of the way the problem with his son is revealed? Did you catch on ahead of time?
This book fits into an already crowded classification—the pilgrimage story has been written time and time again, both in novels and nonfiction. A recent article in The Guardian points out that it is particularly popular now. Rowan Williams, Anglican bishop, poet and theologian, spoke recently of "a whole generation of new pilgrims … wishing to cut through the clutter of institutions, and achieve self-discovery in a new place." There is the novel Pilgrimage, by Paul Coelho, which I have not read, not to mention Pilgrim’s Progress, of course. I think of a recent book, which I have read, The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty. My mind is blanking out. Can you think of others? How does this book compare to other books of pilgrimage you have read?
Pilgrimage is a word that can suffer under its burden of implied piety. But may be a necessary term for describing how more and more people are choosing to make sense of their places and of themselves. Is Harold consciously on a voyage of self-discovery? What do you think of the people he meets? How do they contribute to the story? Are they rounded characters or cardboard symbols?
That’s probably more than enough questions to get us started!