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katieproctorbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I thought the premise of this book was interesting, but sometimes the story dragged on a little too long in places. I was compelled to finish it though because I did care about what happened to Harold, and in the end I felt that the overall tone, while really sad, was also hopeful.
sleightoffeet's review against another edition
4.0
What a delightful book! I didn’t think I would enjoy it as much as I did!
Harold starts walking to his mailbox to send a letter to an old friend with cancer, but then, on the spot, decides to walk there himself, hundreds of miles, in yacht shoes. Through his ups and downs we learn what has gone wrong in his life, and how he ended up where he is.
There’s a twist at the end that’s becoming a bit of a cliché in a lot of books I read.
Otherwise, it’s a wonderful story, and I will miss reading about Harold every day.
Harold starts walking to his mailbox to send a letter to an old friend with cancer, but then, on the spot, decides to walk there himself, hundreds of miles, in yacht shoes. Through his ups and downs we learn what has gone wrong in his life, and how he ended up where he is.
There’s a twist at the end that’s becoming a bit of a cliché in a lot of books I read.
Spoiler
The pretending someone is alive until the end when we find out they’re not tropeOtherwise, it’s a wonderful story, and I will miss reading about Harold every day.
veronica87's review against another edition
4.0
People were buying milk, or filling their cars with petrol, or even posting letters. And what no one else knew was the appalling weight of the thing they were carrying inside. The superhuman effort it took sometimes to be normal, and a part of things that appeared both easy and everyday. The loneliness of that.
This was a lovely little story about Harold Fry, a man carrying the weight of his failures as a husband, father, and friend. Now retired, he lives out his days with a wife who barely seems to know he’s around. When a letter arrives one morning from Queenie Hennessey, an old co-worker with terminal cancer whom he hasn’t seen or heard from in twenty years, he sets out to mail his response. But then he keeps walking…and walking…and walking. And so begins Harold’s journey, one that ends up being far more than simply traversing the 600 miles from his home to the hospice where his friend is spending her last days.
The story meanders at time, much as Harold’s journey sometimes does in the narrative. It’s not in a hurry to get anywhere just as Harold is not in a hurry, buoyed by his belief that it is his act of walking that is giving Queenie the will to live. The journey is the thing, not the destination. It’s a story of a life examined, of the moments – big and small – that make up that life. It’s about love, loss, regrets, and forgiveness. And it demonstrates that sometimes simply placing one foot in front of the other, to keep moving forward, is the easiest and yet the hardest thing to do.
This was a lovely little story about Harold Fry, a man carrying the weight of his failures as a husband, father, and friend. Now retired, he lives out his days with a wife who barely seems to know he’s around. When a letter arrives one morning from Queenie Hennessey, an old co-worker with terminal cancer whom he hasn’t seen or heard from in twenty years, he sets out to mail his response. But then he keeps walking…and walking…and walking. And so begins Harold’s journey, one that ends up being far more than simply traversing the 600 miles from his home to the hospice where his friend is spending her last days.
The story meanders at time, much as Harold’s journey sometimes does in the narrative. It’s not in a hurry to get anywhere just as Harold is not in a hurry, buoyed by his belief that it is his act of walking that is giving Queenie the will to live. The journey is the thing, not the destination. It’s a story of a life examined, of the moments – big and small – that make up that life. It’s about love, loss, regrets, and forgiveness. And it demonstrates that sometimes simply placing one foot in front of the other, to keep moving forward, is the easiest and yet the hardest thing to do.
mpdarby's review against another edition
5.0
A beautifully written book about putting aside regrets of the past to move forward. A tale of simple love that endures to old age.
sharppointysticks's review against another edition
3.0
Beginnings could happen more than once, or in different ways. You could think you were starting something afresh, when actually what you were doing was carrying on as before. He had faced his shortcomings and overcome them, and so the real business of walking was happening only now.
Joyce, Rachel (2012-07-24). The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A Novel (p. 156). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Joyce, Rachel (2012-07-24). The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A Novel (p. 156). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
_david_'s review against another edition
3.0
I have mixed feelings about this book. The story itself is really touching and I enjoyed it, but there were some parts that didn't quite hit the mark for me. Some of the chapters felt a bit weak, and I found myself not connecting with some of the side characters. My enjoyment of the book usually matched Harold's enjoyment of the pilgrimage. It was just worth the read for me, but I wish I could give it more than 3 stars.
rennegade's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a great read! The main character is a perfectly average, flawed everyman who becomes a hero. The journey itself was consistently interesting, as were the cast of characters he met along the way.
I love how the story of his life was seamlessly weaved in with his pilgrimage. This book got really dark at times (the first novel in a while to make me cry!), but the ending was so beautiful and poignant. Harold's relationship with his wife, son, and parents were so profoundly sad, but I was SO relieved to see some resolution with at least one of them.
I also love that the book was realistic. Harold was ill-prepared for this walk, and he felt the effects of that. He wasn't able to change the world or prevent the inevitable, but he was to make an incredible change in his own life (which, I believe, is far more important than what he initially hoped to achieve).
I LOVED this book. It was beautifully written, and I am thrilled to read such a great book so early in the year. I hope this is a sign of the good books to be read over the rest of the year!
I love how the story of his life was seamlessly weaved in with his pilgrimage. This book got really dark at times (the first novel in a while to make me cry!), but the ending was so beautiful and poignant. Harold's relationship with his wife, son, and parents were so profoundly sad, but I was SO relieved to see some resolution with at least one of them.
I also love that the book was realistic. Harold was ill-prepared for this walk, and he felt the effects of that. He wasn't able to change the world or prevent the inevitable, but he was to make an incredible change in his own life (which, I believe, is far more important than what he initially hoped to achieve).
I LOVED this book. It was beautifully written, and I am thrilled to read such a great book so early in the year. I hope this is a sign of the good books to be read over the rest of the year!
elysahenegar's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book! Harold Fry, a modern-day everyman with a broken heart, receives a letter from an estranged friend who is dying of cancer. Before he even understands what he's doing, he embarks on a pilgrimage which takes him across England and into the lives of other travelers, as he wrestles with his own heart break and the nature of life, and begins to heal. This is a novel that made me want to reach for a pen time and time again. It is beautifully rendered, full of wisdom, authentic, painful, and rich with hope. Anyone "whose heart is set on pilgrimage" will love this book and be better for it.
traceyellen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5