It has been a long time since I stayed up late reading a book. This is the one. I was so engrossed I stayed up way past my bedtime. 2 nights in a row.
I love books that have a real person as a main character. More than that, I love a story that has a loser in the main character role. That loser is chock full of compassion, flaws, passion, love and is interesting to read about. I don't know about you, but MY real life is not full of people with long, flowing chestnut colored hair, exquistite eyes, full heaving breasts or burning loins. My life is filled with real people.
As of late, my favorite books all sport the "loser".A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Shipping News, the Accidental Tourist. And now, The Memory of Running.
Smithson Ides reminds us how easy it is to get swept away by life. No one means to watch tv slowly becoming alcoholics while letting our lives slip by unnoticed. It happens though.
This is a touching story of how Smithy deals with the simultaneous deaths of his Mother, Father and Sister. Unwittingly he makes a decision to take back his life. His quest to find himself brings him across many people. Some wonderful. Some not so much.
This is an easy, fun, heart warming, thought provoking read. I hope you'll give it a try.