Fiction
2010 Random House Audio
Narrated by Peter Altschuler
Finished on January 18, 2022
Rating: 3/5 (Good)
Publisher's Blurb:
You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of your own family. Among them is Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), the unlikely hero of Helen Simonson's wondrous debut. Wry, courtly, opinionated, and completely endearing, Major Pettigrew is one of the most indelible characters in contemporary fiction, and from the very first page of this remarkable novel he will steal your heart.
The Major leads a quiet life valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations: honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his brother's death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition?
It's been over a decade since I first read Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. I listened to the audio in 2011 and decided to go that route again when my book group selected the novel for our January discussion. I enjoyed Peter Altschuler's excellent narration, but the story fell flat and I continued listening only in order to refresh my memory for the upcoming meeting. Once again, I found myself comparing Major Pettigrew with Lyle (Geoffery Palmer) from As Time Goes By. Both men are opinionated and share a dry sense of humor, which was the best part of the book.
You can find my first review of this book here.
I remember reading this, too, but not being all that enthusiastic about it. Hope you enjoy the book club meeting. Our library group is still on hiatus... I miss it.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, we had a great discussion about the book, which kind of surprised me. I didn't think there would be enough to talk about, but we had a long conversation about racism, class structure, aging, etc. I'm a little curious about the author's second novel, but so far, it hasn't called to me. I hope your library group can start up again soon. We met face-to-face in our neighborhood rec center (everyone wore their masks), but several members opted out and would prefer Zoom meetings.
DeleteI remember seeing this one years ago and loving the cover, but never read it. I'm adding it to my list. It seems just as current now, maybe even more so.
ReplyDeleteJen, isn't it a fabulous cover?! I'm eager to give the author's second novel a try.
DeleteI read this a couple of years ago and enjoyed the writing style, the characters and the exploration of so many societal issues (in a gentle, honest, and humorous way). I'm glad you reminded me of the book—now I want to read it again!
ReplyDeleteLaurel, I was afraid it would be too gentle of a read for a book club discussion, but apparently I was wrong. We talked about the various themes presented by the author for well over an hour. I hope you enjoy reading it again. I do think it's probably a better read in print than audio, at least for the second reading. My mind wandered a little too often...
DeleteI read this when it came out .... and like your first review found it charming. Not sure what I'd think now ... but I'd like to think it might still be a bit charming between Major & Mrs. Ali. Did it come out in 2010?
ReplyDeleteSusan, the relationship between Major and Mrs. Ali are really what kept me interested during this second reading. Yes, it was published in 2010. Hard to believe it's been a dozen years!
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