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A review by june_englit_phd
A Country Road, A Tree by Jo Baker
5.0
My word, this was a five star read - the second book in succession to get one of these from me (the other being another contender for the Walter Scott Prize)! I thought I had a favourite book of 2017 already, but this one has fought its way into my radar and it is up there with the best.
This was the last of six books I read that have been shortlisted for the 2017 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. It has also been shortlisted for Edinburgh University's esteemed James Tait Black Prize for Literature this year. With being a 'double-lister' I started this book with high expectations but yet a little trepidation.... after all, two different panels of judges can't be wrong, can they?
Well, I have to say that this book is phenomenal. It exceeded my expectations by a HUGE margin, and is now one of my best reads of 2017 so far. The author's references to James Joyce and Ireland reflect so much the static, paralytic and suffocating nature of that land so often portrayed in Joyce's imagery; so much so that the protagonist (unnamed but universally acknowledged as being author Samuel Beckett) has to emigrate abroad in order to progress in his career as a writer.
Most of the action occurs in France during the outbreak and length of WW2, with two Irish episodes almost bookending the main story. Without giving away spoilers, what I loved about the narrative were the metaphors the author used: trees appear at specific points during the text, almost like chapter markers; the country roads are like the experiences traversed between these chapters. Indeed, the hostility and difficulty of travelling along these roads to reach the final destination is effectively described, and I felt weary and sore as a fellow traveller. Finally, the man becomes the creative instrument, like the piano he plays at the Saint-Lô bar towards the end of the book. While at one stage he physically, emotionally and creatively resembled the pianos who were 'tangled wires and splintered teeth' and no good to anyone, now he is the creative energy, albeit a little imperfect.
This book is amazing. I have this thing where if I love reading a text, I give it a hug when I finish it. This one got a hug. I sincerely hope this one does well in both prizes; very well done, Jo Baker.
This was the last of six books I read that have been shortlisted for the 2017 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. It has also been shortlisted for Edinburgh University's esteemed James Tait Black Prize for Literature this year. With being a 'double-lister' I started this book with high expectations but yet a little trepidation.... after all, two different panels of judges can't be wrong, can they?
Well, I have to say that this book is phenomenal. It exceeded my expectations by a HUGE margin, and is now one of my best reads of 2017 so far. The author's references to James Joyce and Ireland reflect so much the static, paralytic and suffocating nature of that land so often portrayed in Joyce's imagery; so much so that the protagonist (unnamed but universally acknowledged as being author Samuel Beckett) has to emigrate abroad in order to progress in his career as a writer.
Most of the action occurs in France during the outbreak and length of WW2, with two Irish episodes almost bookending the main story. Without giving away spoilers, what I loved about the narrative were the metaphors the author used: trees appear at specific points during the text, almost like chapter markers; the country roads are like the experiences traversed between these chapters. Indeed, the hostility and difficulty of travelling along these roads to reach the final destination is effectively described, and I felt weary and sore as a fellow traveller. Finally, the man becomes the creative instrument, like the piano he plays at the Saint-Lô bar towards the end of the book. While at one stage he physically, emotionally and creatively resembled the pianos who were 'tangled wires and splintered teeth' and no good to anyone, now he is the creative energy, albeit a little imperfect.
This book is amazing. I have this thing where if I love reading a text, I give it a hug when I finish it. This one got a hug. I sincerely hope this one does well in both prizes; very well done, Jo Baker.