22. The Reader on the 6.27, Jean-Paul Diederlaurent (2014)
Just a vague shape hovering on the edge of people's field of vision.
This beautiful little novel is one that once you start, you can't put down. Guylain Vignolles is an isolated man, working at a paper pulping factory, living alone aside from his goldfish, cut off from humanity. Except he likes to read aloud, to those commuters he encounters daily on the 6.27 train. And by doing this, he finds a USB stick, that draws him into the path of another lonely soul, also working a shadowy job that most people choose to ignore. As her story unfolds, a genuine connection is forged.
This novel really does bring the mundanity of life to life, from its descriptions of the factory to his co-workers. There are clever sub plots - his attempts to help an older ex-colleague who unfortunately becomes a double amputee, and how he becomes part of an old folks' home. But this is a portrayal of how lonely life can be, and the beauty of genuine emotion. Sparingly written and carefully drawn, everyone should read this book.
This beautiful little novel is one that once you start, you can't put down. Guylain Vignolles is an isolated man, working at a paper pulping factory, living alone aside from his goldfish, cut off from humanity. Except he likes to read aloud, to those commuters he encounters daily on the 6.27 train. And by doing this, he finds a USB stick, that draws him into the path of another lonely soul, also working a shadowy job that most people choose to ignore. As her story unfolds, a genuine connection is forged.
This novel really does bring the mundanity of life to life, from its descriptions of the factory to his co-workers. There are clever sub plots - his attempts to help an older ex-colleague who unfortunately becomes a double amputee, and how he becomes part of an old folks' home. But this is a portrayal of how lonely life can be, and the beauty of genuine emotion. Sparingly written and carefully drawn, everyone should read this book.