July 29, 2018
Harold of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce is a Most Compelling Character
At month’s end I enjoy reflecting on the most memorable, compelling, or unforgettable character from the month’s reading.
***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Genre/categories: Contemporary Fiction, Friendship, Life Reflection, Quirky Character
Summary:
Harold Fry is recently retired and lives in a small English village with his wife. After a long marriage, they have their differences but have settled into an amicable, predictable, and manageable daily routine. One day, a letter arrives for Harold from a woman (former co worker) that he hasn’t heard from in twenty years. Queenie is writing from a hospice to say goodbye. In the process of mailing his reply, Harold decides that he must deliver his message in person and decides to walk. As Harold impulsively sets out on his quest, he figures out the logistics of the six hundred mile journey as he goes. On the way he meets interesting people, finds plenty of time to reflect back on his life, and confronts some unsettling thoughts and feelings that he has buried.
Amazon Rating: 4.3 Stars
Meet Harold Fry
Like many of us, Harold has managed to survive life’s circumstances. His mother abandoned him and his father had little time for him and shoved him out the door when he was sixteen. Harold survived a less than meaningful job, an angry boss, and his marriage has lost its shine. Despite difficult circumstances, he was a responsible employee, a faithful and loyal husband, and did the best he could. Like some of us, he also suffered a personal tragedy (which I can’t describe here because it is a spoiler). On this pilgrimage to deliver his letter to Queenie, Harold finds that the solitary act of walking offers a new perspective and this new pace gives him time to notice things and the time to thoughtfully reflect on the past and evaluate his actions and decisions. On this sometimes treacherous journey, he examines regrets and accepts loss, wrestles with grief and faith, and finds joy, healing, and acceptance.
“Life was very different when you walked through it.”
The journey itself is a metaphor for life. Despite life’s disappointments, he’s determined to do something about it. Harold sets a goal, is faced with challenges, overcomes difficulties, meets an assortment of people, and benefits from the help and compassion of many good people along the way.
“He understood that in walking to atone for the mistakes he had made, it was also his journey to accept the strangeness of others.”
Honest and authentic, Harold is truly an unforgettable and compelling character.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is recommended for readers who appreciate poignant themes, a quest for meaning and purpose, and beautiful, thoughtful, and reflective writing. Even though it’s character driven, this endearing story has just enough drama and plot to keep you engaged. This story might appeal more to older readers who have faced more of life’s challenges and disappointments. Great book club selection, too!
Rachel Joyce, author of The Music Shop, has become one of my favorite authors, and I’m glad I read this back title that I missed somehow when it was first published.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded up to 5 Stars on Goodreads)
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Information Here
Meet the Author, Rachel Joyce
Rachel Joyce is the author of the Sunday Times and international bestsellers The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Perfect. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was short-listed for the Commonwealth Book Prize and long-listed for the Man Booker Prize and has been translated into thirty-six languages. Joyce was awarded the Specsavers National Book Awards New Writer of the Year in 2012. She is also the author of the digital short story A Faraway Smell of Lemon and is the award-winning writer of more than thirty original afternoon plays and classic adaptations for BBC Radio 4. Rachel Joyce lives with her family in Gloucestershire.
QOTD:
Who was the most compelling character from your reading this month?
(Edited to add) Have you read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy, or The Music Shop, or Miss Benson’s Beetle?
Happy Reading Bookworms!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection!
Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
My Summer TBR
I’ll be updating my Summer TBR list as I complete each read, so check this link often!
(So far I’ve read about half of the list, some I’ve been more thrilled with than others, and I’ve only abandoned one)
Looking Ahead:
I look forward to providing a July wrap up on 7/31. I’m currently reading An American Marriage (I’ve read mixed reviews of this Oprah Book Club selection so we’ll see how it goes).
Let’s Get Social!
Thank you for visiting and reading today! I’d be honored and thrilled if you choose to enjoy and follow along (see subscribe or WP follow option), promote, and/or share my blog. Every share helps us grow.
Find me at:
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
Pinterest
***Blogs posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price.
Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.
Book Cover and author photos are credited to Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website.
© WWW.ReadingLadies.com
[…] The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (Fiction) by Rachel Joyce (author of The Music Shop) 4.5 Stars (Full Review Here) […]
This book sounds lovely! Thank you for sharing at Words on Wednesday. I’ll be right back to link at your party! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Thanks for stopping in and commenting Marci!
Great choice Carol!! He’s such a complicated, but winsome character in spite of his quirks. I read the follow up book to this one and didn’t like it nearly as much. xox
Oh is that the one about Queenie???
Yep, it’s her at the rest home. Not as heart warming and quirky. But our Lit Group really like Harold! xox
[…] The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce […]
[…] The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce 5 Stars […]
[…] 4.5 Stars. My Review. […]
[…] them in order of preference they would stack up like this: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (full review here); The Music Shop (full review here); and The Love Song of Miss Queenie […]
[…] The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy both Contemporary Fiction by Rachel Joyce (character-driven companion reads) […]
[…] Stars. A companion read to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (5 Stars). Full Review […]
[…] Eleanor (Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine), Lovejoy ( The Lost For Words Bookshop), Harold (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry) (find my post about quirky characters living their best lives […]
[…] My Summary: “Harold Fry is recently retired and lives in a small English village with his wife. After a long marriage, they have their differences but have settled into an amicable, predictable, and manageable daily routine. One day, a letter arrives for Harold from a woman (former co-worker) that he hasn’t heard from in twenty years. Queenie is writing from a hospice to say goodbye. In the process of mailing his reply, Harold decides that he must deliver his message in person and decides to walk. As Harold impulsively sets out on his quest, he figures out the logistics of the six hundred mile journey as he goes. On the way, he meets interesting people, finds plenty of time to reflect back on his life, and confronts some unsettling thoughts and feelings that he has buried.” My The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry review. […]
[…] The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (My review here) […]
[…] The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce […]
[…] Author: Rachel Joyce is one of my favorite authors. Have you read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry or The Love Song of Miss Queenie […]
[…] (can be read as stand alones, but are best with Queenie as a companion read to Harold) My review of Harold Fry here and my review of Queenie Hennessy […]
[…] is exquisitely detailed and her characterizations are brilliant! (Harold from The Music Shop, Harold Fry and Queenie, for example!). She’s also a great story teller! If you read Miss Benson’s […]
[…] a few of these great reads, and today I’m thrilled to share my review of the popular The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce…a reflection on […]
This book was a gateway drug. I’ve been addicted to Rachel Joyce ever since!
It was my first too! 🙌
[…] First Degree. From Redhead, I think of my next quirky male character, Harold Fry in The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. […]
[…] Let’s continue the theme of male protagonists who are yearning for something with Harold from The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. Harold yearns for something more practical: he yearns to deliver a message in person to his good […]
[…] The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce […]
[…] you a Rachel Joyce fan? Other books I’ve reviewed by Joyce: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Miss Benson’s […]
[…] Maureen (ARC) by Rachel Joyce (spin-off of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry) […]
[…] character-driven women’s literary fiction. This is a novella, and I highly recommend reading Harold Fry first to enhance your reading experience. Discussion topics: finding your voice, independence, […]
[…] (ARC) by Rachel Joyce (spin-off of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry) 4.5 rounded to 5 […]
[…] a reflection on grief and finding yourself, completes the poignant Harold Fry […]