I loved the ideas behind this book, and I did like it but it was a tasty starter and dessert but lacked a satisfying main course.

Reasons for liking it are:
I love a ‘journey’ story. Both the actual physical journey and the journey Robert took within himself, the growing, awareness and the ignition of his creativity.
I loved the description of the countryside and nature, but more of that in a bit
I loved the way his relationship with Dulcie was handled... and Dulcie generally was well drawn. I really thought it was a good example of well written older person..
I enjoyed thinking about the way it dealt with people and places being ‘other’ and how those borders and distinctions are in our minds, not in reality


But the bits I didn’t enjoy so much were:
that sometimes it felt unlikely and forced. Sometimes those nature bits felt inserted to make the book appealing to a reader. I know that sounds daft because a book does have to be appealing to readers but I mean more that I felt a bit manipulated rather than seeing it for how it was. The nature was too biscuit tin idyllic. I didn’t feel the reality and at times it felt like whimsical padding. Likewise with the meal descriptions, they felt a bit celebrity chef perfect. I was being told and not shown too often. And the language was a bit forced too at times. Talking about catching crabs ‘we’d tip the bucketful back into the unctuous water.’ Ugghhhh
I didn’t enjoy the opening and ending. It seemed to not fit and be tagged on, though I could see why it was done that way, maybe it needed more thought.

So in the end, I think it was not brilliant. At times I felt it was all very much on the surface of a story.