A literary quest - recommendations for a good read, please!

Last weekend, I finally finished "The Secret Commonwealth" - part two in Philip Pullman’s "Book of Dust" series, and whilst I wait for part three to hit the bookstores (it’s due for publication on 23^rd of next month), I’m looking for a book to keep me going until then.  The book will have to be one that’s easy to dip in and out of, as I shall be taking the publication away with us, on our forthcoming cruise, which will see us heading out into the Atlantic during the last week in October.

It’s probably a hard ask, as unless it’s a novel I’m already familiar with – in part, I would appreciate some guidance as to why I ought to read a particular book. I would also like to see a vague outline or in other words, a brief synopsis.  I am not interested in anything trendy, or a book that claims to change my life, and definitely not looking for the latest “must read” publication. Instead, I am interested in a good old-fashioned novel, that will take my mind on a journey and provide a relaxing means of dropping off to sleep.

After devouring umpteen science fiction novels during my late teens and early twenties, I’m not interested in that genre any more, and the same applies to detective stories, although I don’t mind a touch of Iain Rankin’s, Inspector Rebus, the Scottish,  anti-hero, sleuth, whose exploits, and crime cases, now stretches to 25 books.  Autobiographies and biographies will be considered, but only up to a point, and that point is, the subject must have an interesting story to tell, but not one that wallows in self-pity, or one that is boastful, or downright ludicrous.

I also don’t mind if the recommendation is a literary classic, providing it is relatively easy to read, although I’m not interested in a publication full of turgid prose. I’m also unimpressed with anything that’s pretentious or aspiring to be.  I remember well both Eileen and I giving up on Emily Brontës, Wuthering Heights, independently of one another, yet this novel is regarded as a classic, by literary buffs. "Wuthering Heights" is described as being notoriously hard to read, an assessment both Mrs PBT’s and I wholeheartedly agree with. Not for us then, the dark tale of Cathy and Heathcliff, and after checking online, it seems we are not the only ones.

So, what am I reading at the moment? Which literary gem am I devouring, whilst waiting for inspiration? The answer might surprise you, but it is a recommendation from History for the Kents, a commentator on my post Southampton, via the A272cross-country route.  "A272: An Ode to a Road", by Dutch author Pieter Boogaart and his wife Rita. The book has become a cult classic, as it explores the quirks of the A272, and the unique experience it offers to those who journey along it.

Part guidebook, part history, and part travelogue, the Boogaart’s book is a reminder that the A272 is more than just a road, it is a journey through time, and a reminder of England’s rich heritage, as well as a connection between the counties of Kent, East & West Sussex, and eventually Hampshire. For those seeking an alternative to the hustle and bustle of modern highways, the A272 remains a hidden gem, inviting travellers to slow down and enjoy the ride.

 

  

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