Detour de France, Michael Simkins

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and buy I will receive a percentage commission at no extra cost to you.

Simkins takes himself on a three month jaunt around France to broaden his horizons and learn more about the reality of French life. What ensues is a series of amusing encounters that don’t always go to plan but demonstrate his commitment to trying new things and breaking old habits. This can be as simple as taking a dip in the sea, playing a game of petanque, or letting go of his inhibitions and spending a day in a naturist resort. He visits a few popular tourist sprts such as Arles but rarely for the reasons many visit, always searching for a taste of the real France. Despite his hesitation on embracing some of the experiences, he comes to appreciate the time taken over a good meal, the climate, and the importance of doing things properly.

At one point he plays cricket with a group of British immigrants, who despite their moaning about both their home country and their new, all admit to being pleased with their choice despite the sacrifices involved. By the end he is himself quite enamoured by the country but can see its flaws, especially in its infamous bureaucracy and ardent nationalism.

This is an easy to read account of a sometimes ill-fated exploration of a great country with its mystifying rituals and effortless chic. He is able to laugh at both himself and the situations he finds himself in. The humour is occasionally cringey but often genuine and self-deprecating, and you get an insight into what France has to offer the curious tourist determined to step outside his comfort zone.

Pick up a copy:

Foyles

Waterstones

No Relation, Terry Fallis

Meet Earnest Hemmingway, aspiring writer and recently unemployed singleton who is plagued by a name that sounds the same as the famous author’s, whose writing, incidentally, our Hem can’t stand. With his sudden abundance of free time he decides to finally crack on with that novel he’s been working on for years. Unfortunately, he has sudden, crippling, writer’s block which he blames on the ghost of Hemingway.

After a very public breakdown, which naturally ends up online and goes viral, he starts a support group for others suffering with famous names. He finds an enthusiastic group who encourage him to go on a trip they call the Ernest Hemingway Exorcism World Tour – visiting the places he lived and worked in the hope of moving past his creative block. Various of his group members, including Professor James Moriarty and Marie Antoinette, offer to accompany him on some sections of the trip and we see them grow closer during their time together.

Alongside this storyline runs that of his father’s determination that he take over the family underwear business. He is the fourth Earnest Hemmingway of the family as the first-born son and it is seen as his duty despite his complete lack of interest, and the presence of his willing and able sister Sarah.

A lighthearted tale that discusses the pressure of family expectation, gender discrimination, and responsibility. Hem comes across as kind and generous with his friends, but many of the characters seem to lack any real depth. A lighthearted book that’s perfect as a holiday read.

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 ¼ Years Old

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 ¼ Years Old is a fictional diary of octogenarian Hendrik Groen, resident of an assisted care facility in Amsterdam. He is exasperated by other residents who want only to discuss their ailments and the hard lot of the elderly as they wait for their next meal. He has little time for the management of the home whose rules are often arbitrary and who refuse to allow the residents to see the regulations. Thankfully for his sanity he finds a group of like-minded individuals with whom he forms the Old But Not Dead Club. They take it in turns to organise days out for the group, giving them something to look forward to and causing resentment among the other residents. By the end of the novel the club is struggling with a stroke, amputation, and the onset of Alzheimers for some of its members. It is heartening how they rally together but painfully honest in its depiction of life for the older generation.

The tone is generally light-hearted as he describes the small events that get blown out of all proportion, often sparked by his mischievous friend Evert. Hendrik purchases a mobility scooter at one point, but not before careful consideration. It becomes something of a status symbol and a point of amusement to the others when he receives a speeding ticket. Underneath the humour however is a heartfelt thankfulness for the freedom it provides, opening up the city to him once more.

He comments on the way the female residents fawn over any fresh male blood as there is such a shortage, and how those whose husbands are still with them guard them jealously against the advances of the others. Hendrik is not without his own flush of romance however. When Eefje moves in he finds himself taking extra care of his appearance. Their friendship grows and their sweet closeness makes him wish he’d met her much earlier in life.

A humorous, thought-provoking tale of a man making the most of old age. Nothing is too small or big an issue – from the cliques that form in the care home to the question of euthanasia. Hendrik is a likeable narrator who may not be a fan of the elderly in general but who cares deeply for those closest to him.