The Love Song Of Miss Queenie Hennessy (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
I LOVED "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye" and Rachel Joyce is a brilliant writer. That being said, I did not enjoy this story as much as "Harold Frye". Queenie was a bit of a mystery in the first book and I think I would have preferred she stayed that way. I don't want to give too much of the story away but I struggled with this book because I simply couldn't relate to nor sympathize with Queenie's character. By the end, I did feel more compassion toward her and the surprise twist at the end pulled everything together (like I said, the writing itself is brilliant); but I find it difficult to enjoy a story when I feel like I'm supposed to sympathize with a character but I simply never do.It is possible that I would enjoy the story more if I re-read "Harold Frye" then re-read this one, but I have to be honest: I was disappointed. To answer the question about whether this is a stand alone book... I say NO. You will not get as much out of it if you don't read "Harold Frye" first. I can't see it making much sense.Ugh... I wanted to LOVE it! Wonderful book. Poignant, sad, a bit mysterious and a lot sublime. Often presented in second person POV, written as a 'letter,' yet the entire book is not written this way. This is book which is hard to describe, to pin down. Basically the story of a woman in a hospice, with only a short time to live, who sends a letter to an old friend. His response is to tell her to 'wait,' as he walks to her - which, just incidentally is the whole length of England.Of course the woman has always been in love with the old friend, yet has never told him. The depth of sadness which comes from this one fact is more than a bit overwhelming. But this is NOT a romance. (Nothing wrong with romances, this just isn't one.)This is also the bare bones plot of the companion book, the first one, which sets up the story of Queenie Hennessy and Harold Fry. (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.) Now, I hadn't read the first book, and some readers commented that it would be difficult to read the second book before the first. I didn't find it that way. (And I do intend to go back and read Harold Fry's book, doing things a**-backwards, so to speak.) But 'Love Song' is an exceptionally vivid, startling clear, amazingly forthright book - too many adverbs, I know - that I cannot recommend it enough. When you get to the passage where everyone raises their hand, well if you don't feel at least an emotional 'swell,' let alone let go a few tears, then wow, hard-shelled you are.But really, this is a great book, a gem, the best book by far that I've read this year, and in the top five of the last year. If this book isn't up for a half dozen or so prizes of various kinds, I'd be surprised. I am so glad I OWN this book, because if I didn't I'd have to go out and buy it.I'm buying the first book.
What do You think about The Love Song Of Miss Queenie Hennessy (2014)?
3.5 starsUnfortunately I didn't enjoy this as much as The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.
—akrx9
Moving, touching and, sometimes, overwhelming. I love this author.
—goodkingwtf
