Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Half Way Down The Track

Are You Enjoying The Trip?


  We've seen a side of London in this book that we rarely see...not Buckingham Palace or The Tower, but a section with hard working, mostly immigrant people.  At the start of the book, The London Train, Paul seems to worry about "class" and how things "should be done".  How do you feel Paul has changed since leaving Wales and coming to be with his daughter in London?  Is it still about his daughter, or is it, once again, all about Paul?  Although most of the dialogue for Paul is internal, we really have begun to know him. He is a man who is much more comfortable with his inner thoughts and may regret the times he did not speak.  Is he really passionless, or is he just unable to communicate? As Pia, his daughter, leaves his car, back in Wales, she says, "Everything isn't always about you Dad".  But is it?
  So...these are some of the questions we come upon as we go through the book. As an old English Major, there were certainly times I longed to read a book just for the story. I loved this book, JUST FOR THE STORY. It is now, as I re-read it, that I am thoroughly enjoying breaking it down and looking at the words and the characters as a separate entity. The wonderful use of description. "Floppy crows, whose feathers fitted like old mackintoshes". I look forward to seeing Paul and his family and new acquaintances work their way down a well trodden path.
  I hope to see you on February 12, at 6:30pm for our Book Review Meeting Sign Up Here or hear from you, here on the blog. Have you joined our club? Make sure you are an official member of CapRadio Reads. You will be the first to know about our upcoming special events. They promise to be very special and you won't want to miss one! JOIN THE CLUB

2 comments:

  1. Paul's sinking into Pia's lifestyle and his running away from his home life seemed like a classic midlife crisis to me. I felt sorry for his little daughters. The story was very good, and I had a hard time keeping down to my 11-page per day schedule (I don't want to finish the book too soon!). Many of the adults in the book seem very selfish, which sadly, is true to modern life. People in general have become much more narcissistic and selfish.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My previous comment pertains to the first half of the book. The characters in the second half are completely different!
    Where are the rest of the people in this book club? Please someone else join in here. It feels like an echo chamber. Let's make this a success. :-)

    ReplyDelete