Graeme Simsion, Anne Buist - Two Steps Forward

Zoe, a sometime artist, is from California. Martin, an engineer, is from Yorkshire. Both have ended up in picturesque Cluny, in central France. Both are struggling to come to terms with their recent past—for Zoe, the death of her husband; for Martin, a messy divorce. Looking to make a new start, each sets out alone to walk two thousand kilometres from Cluny to Santiago, in northwestern Spain, in the footsteps of pilgrims who have walked the Camino—the Way—for centuries. The Camino changes you, it’s said. It’s a chance to find a new version of yourself. But can these two very different people find each other? In this smart, funny and romantic journey, Martin’s and Zoe’s stories are told in alternating chapters by husband-and-wife team Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist. Two Steps Forward is a novel about renewal—physical, psychological and spiritual. It’s about the challenge of walking a long distance and of working out where you are going. And it’s about what you decide to keep, what you choose to leave behind and what you rediscover.

Comment: I got aware of this book years ago, probably because of author Graeme Simsion. I had read three books by him before this one and only one wasn't up to my liking. I was curious to read this one, also because of the theme, the Path of St James, or the Camino, which is the pilgrimage to Santiago of Compostela, the city where it is said the remains of the apostle James are buried.

In this book we follow the paths of two characters, American Zoe and British Martin, as they depart from Cluny, a French city, instead of the usual starting points, although as we keep seeing, anyone can start wherever they feel like. Zoe and Martin meet before they departure but they don't seem to get along and their journeys only overlap sometimes but it will get to a point where they can't avoid each other anymore. Those who have done the Path say it will change you and, considering the distance, it will give people time to think and make decisions. Both Zoe and Martin faced complicated situations but will they be open to any lesson the Path wants to teach them?

There are plenty of sources out there where people can know more about the pilgrimage to Compostela and why, nowadays, most people do it for spiritual or personal reasons, rather than the religious intent of the monks from past centuries. There's a whole set up for the Path, whether one chooses the traditional one, known as "french path" or any of the other secondary paths but the aim is always the same: to reach some kind of closure or goal when arriving at Compostela. Since this can be quite a touristic journey too, there are times where it's impossible to have the solitude many probably imagine but it must be a memorable experience. If anyone is interested, here's the wikipedia link, but of course there are many other sources with personal narratives which might give you better notions about it.

I'm actually quite fascinated by this idea of walking to ease up one's mind, to try to find some kind of message or goal or meaning. I think I wouldn't mind trying but, like many pilgrims probably agree with, the most rewarding way to do it must be the traditional one, where the pilgrim does the whole effort. However, that means time (usually three months for the traditional routes), money and motivation. I confess I feel a little lazy to seriously consider it, plus the time factor is tricky... I have also read other books, two autobiographical, and this an idea I have had for some time...perhaps one day...

Ok, so now back to this book...

This is a book written by a couple and it makes sense they have chosen to present the story in alternate chapters, from Martin and Zoe's perspectives. They have had different paths in life, they meet when both come from dealing with emotional wounds and their personalities don't seem to match very well. However, perhaps because this has a slight aura of romance, or because the authors have done the Path and wanted to convey part of their own experience, Zoe and Martin at some point help each other and we can see how much alike they are, in what matters.

Since each one tells their side of things, we not only have an idea of how their interactions with others influence them but also how the experiences they have in the Path make them work on their issues. I especially liked one detail, which I think might be overlooked by other books, especially the autobiographical ones, where people focus on the "goal", and not much (or not only) on the practicalities of walking thousands of km, which is the fact not everyone in the Path or in the places where pilgrims stop have a, let's call it "benevolent state of mind". Zoe and Martin have had some less than good experiences and that's life for sure but I liked it this wasn't sugarcoated, as if just doing the path would immediately be the best journey ever.

I had a good time reading this book and I liked several aspects of it, I liked how detailed some things were, which obviously means the author have to know how it was done. They included a note at the end explaining they have done the Path twice. What I think wasn't as well executed was the end. After all those pages seeing the protagonists going though physical and emotional challenges, the end felt rushed. They both had to deal with daily life and obligations but from the end of the Path in Compostela and all that it meant for them, until the last page it felt as if no time enough passed. The epilogue is hopeful but not definite. It's not that this is a bad thing, only it feels under done compared with the rest.

All in all, and interesting read, many even more interesting characters with all they are suppose to signify (if one reads it that way) in relation to the protagonists. I liked Martin and Zoe for the most part, more for the journey and what they lived through, rather than the romance, which is one of the "under done" elements for me but, then again, that isn't supposed to be the big endgame in this. I think it's a good story for those who want some fiction into a real life possibility.

Grade: 8/10

Graeme Simsion - The Best of Adam Sharp

Adam Sharp met the love of his life on the other side of the world. He was playing in a bar in Australia when Angelina requested a song. It was the start of a relationship he's never forgotten - but not every duet ends on a high note.
Two decades later and half a world away, Adam is stunned by Angelina's message. He thought he was happy. He thought he had everything. Now all he can think about is her.
Adam has sung about second chances - but does he believe in them? And is he prepared to risk everything to find out if they ever come true?

Comment: Graeme Simsion is the author best known for his Rosie Effect books, featuring a hero who has, apparently, Asperger's syndrome. The books have been very successful and many readers were delighted by them, especially by the unique voice of the narrator. This book is the one the author wrote after the hype with the Rosie books and, to be very honest, I don't think it was a well thought book.

In this book we meet middle aged Adam, a British man who has lived in many different countries due to his work but who currently lives in the UK with his partner Claire. Adam's life seems to be pretty much simple, always with the same routines, even in how he and Claire deal with one another.

One day Adam receives an email from Angelina, one of his part lovers, the woman he thinks of as his Great Lost Love, whom he met in Australia when they were in their 20s. Now in their late 40s, Adam is again thinking of her and everything they shared. When she asks if he wants to live dangerously, will Adam accept the invitation? He has a partner, Angeline is married but the spark still seems to exist between them. What will happen if they meet face to face again and nothing changed after all?

I'll include spoilers!!

What a frustrating story. It read, for me, like a train wreck about to happen and I still watched to see it and the question was not if it would happen but how it would happen.

I confess I feel very disappointed with this novel. I assume many readers were, especially on goodreads, considering the average rating.

This book is divided into two parts. Although throughout the novel we have 48 year old narrator Adam telling us about his thoughts, the first part is more centered on his experiences when he was in his 20s and met Angelina who, despite having been married young, was not happy and a chance encounter proved they were perfect for each other.

The second part of the novel is when Adam accepts Angelina's invitation and their present selves meet and deal with what was left behind.

I don't conscientiously look for books with unfaithful characters but the first part of the novel was not only bearable but emotional because I could see the connection between Adam and Angelina and the effort they both did, even when saying they wouldn't, to accept the other and to be happy.

I was more than ready to accept Angelina's decision to end things with her husband, who we could see didn't make her happy, because the emotion and the narration by Adam (the whole book is narrated by him in he first person) were key to make me defend them and hope they could be together. There was a date that could be the end of things for Adam had a temporary job and would need to move on to another place as part of a program. At this point I imagined they could still be together but the emotional separation was touching and not that unexpected really, because of the second part of the story.

Until the second part, I was thinking about grading this as a little more than average, say four stars if one uses the 1-5 star grading system.

However, I can't understand what the author was thinking when he went the path he did with the second part and half of the story. He presumably wanted to be realistic with how couples might be with one another after years together but I was thinking of this primarily as a romance, secondly as a fiction tale of second chances or - naively - I wanted Adam and Angelina to acknowledge they were great but their lives did change too much for them to let go of what they have now to be together.

I don't think it would be such a surprise to discover this is the conclusion they achieve by the end but, sincerely, I can't accept at all how they acted before they got to that decision.

Angelina is married, still living in Australia with her husband and three children, and she travels with her husband to Paris, where Adam, freshly separated from his partner after a misunderstanding, meet them. They will spend two weeks in a house the couple has near Paris, reconnecting and sharing memories.

I thought this would be very difficult, emotionally, for them because of their shared history and the fact that, obviously, Angelina's husband was with them. I really thought this would be the point of the whole book: for them to talk and remember but to finally accept their time had passed and sometimes second chances aren't meant to be despite the good or painful memories.

I did assume this!

However, it was not what the author had in mind. Many readers have commented on this and how the end was too open, too much lacking real closure considering Adam and Angelina's story. Unlike some, I was actually glad they didn't end up together, that they didn't let go of everything to be once more in love. I liked the realistic aspect of the decision they took instead, she had a life and children, he had someone who, we are told, was not really ready to end their relationship so it was realistic they would settle with what they had instead of going back to a youth romance, no matter how deeply felt it had been. 

What bothered me so much was how Adam and married Angelina were sexually intimate with the knowledge and acceptance of her husband. They acted as immature people who wanted to see if the spark was there yet but even though there are reasons why the husband "allows" them to have sex, I just cannot accept this as smart, as a necessary action for Adam and Angelina to know their minds. I disliked this immensely and for me, it turned off every positive feeling the couple could have shared now, as they met again in their 40s. How easily the three people could play with each other's feelings!

Thinking on this, I just disconnected and didn't really appreciate the way things happened.

The author includes songs in the book, which are meant to "guide" the reader through the characters' experiences and this might help to convey the feelings readers should get while reading. I can accept this idea and the feelings supposedly associated with what the characters do or feel but in the end of everything, Angelina disappointed me terribly despite her life and why she wanted to be with Adam now and the amazing Adam from the first part was no better either, after all.

Grade: 4/10

Graeme Simsion - The Rosie Effect

Forty-one-year-old geneticist Don Tillman had never had a second date before he met Rosie.
Now, living in New York City, they have survived ten months and ten days of marriage, even if Don has had to sacrifice standardized meals and embrace unscheduled sex.
But then Rosie drops the mother of all bombshells. And Don must prepare for the biggest challenge of his previously ordered life - at the same time as dodging deportation, prosecution and professional disgrace.
Is Don Tillman ready to become the man he always dreamed of being? Or will he revert to his old ways and risk losing Rosie for ever?

Comment: This is the sequel to the well received first book of the author, a story I really liked as well. In this new book, we follow the events which took place in the previous installment but after a few months have gone by.

Those who haven't read the first book would lose a lot, though, since everything is related and this is not a book one can fully understand on its own, even if the structure allows for new readers to get the plot. My comments are based on the idea the first book has been read already.

In this new book, Don is living with Rosie in New York so they both can work on their careers, Rosie in particular. When the book begins, Don is feeling conflicted because his friend Gene's family situation is now at a critical stage and he split up with his wife after she finds out he cheated on her. Don tries to help his friend by making things happen so that Gene can work in New York for a while but of course Rosie isn't fond of this idea, especially because something unexpected is going to happen: Don and Rosie are going to become parents.

While Don accepts and deals with this fact, his life still goes through many weird situations only his brain can provide enough explanations for and we, as a reader, surely follow his often complicated steps...

Overall, I think this second story wasn't as good as the first one. The innovative type of character is already known but his way of seeing and describing things is still the same and this is what obviously makes this story special, how Don acts and reacts to things so differently. 

I think what wasn't as well done was the portrayal of Don and Rosie's relationship in some specific situations. Of course Don would struggle a bit with the idea of being a father, even people considered "average" would, but there were certain details I wasn't such a fan of.

Basically, the relationship deteriorates as the plot moves forward because Don doesn't seem to act as if he truly cares about being a father but Rosie already knew he was different so... while valid she could now think differently when a child is on her mind, why did she decide on her own he would be "put aside?"

Another thing I was bothered with about Rosie in this book is why she got to decide to become pregnant in the first place! Unless I misread, she was the one who thought it would be a good idea to have a baby but she didn't talk to Don about it, she just let it happen and announced it later. Wouldn't it be better for someone like Don to deal with it had he known? I can see the plot purposes in this, but then why her reaction...

I really think Rosie, as a character, was placed in a position we would only be able to see her as a sort of opponent when compared to Don and I can't say this felt right or well done, even more so when the end tried to convince us it was all just a (expected) misunderstanding.

My personal preferences and dislikes aside, the story is still engaging and filled with funny and amazing situations only because we see them through Don's eyes. What would be easy or embarrassing for us is usually the opposite for Don and it's particularly interesting when he, not being aware of social interactions and subtleties, can create quite the scene without knowing it. At the same time, for me, this is what makes Don such a great character, his ability to process things differently and how he responds to it.

All things considered, this book should be much weaker for me but I still gave it four stars on GR because the element I liked the best is still here: Don's personality and his attempt to be social, to be the person others respect and even look up to but he didn't become a perfect man, husband or person just to suit the novel.

Some readers say this book suffers of being released too quickly after the successful first one and it's not as fun as the other one was. I kind of agree with the fact this book feels more serious too but at the end of the day, it still worked out, in general, for me. Just not as wonderful.

Grade: 7/10

Graeme Simsion - The Rosie Project

Meet Don Tillman. Don is getting married. He just doesn't know who to yet. But he has designed a very detailed questionnaire to help him find the perfect woman. One thing he already knows, though, is that it's not Rosie. Absolutely, completely, definitely not.

Comment: I got this book as a gift and it was already on my radar since the beginning of the year. I was really interested in seeing how things would develop with such quirky characters and how any HEA would be accomplished.

This is the story of Don Tillman and how the fact he's so smart and different makes him have the perfect idea to find a wife. He believes a questionnaire will be the better way to see through many possibilities who might be in a better position to be his wife. However, things don't go as smoothly as he estimated and knowing someone completely opposite of his wishes will make him re evaluate his aims and the process chosen until he realizes he left one factor out, love, which proves to be the most important of them all.

I had a great time reading this story. In fact, I read it quite fast because I really didn't want to put the story down. It's obvious the main character has a syndrome that turns him to someone with OCD and a need for routines and clear, precise happenings, thus his talent for science. But while he acts so differently, he feels the same as everyone else and love also finds him. I thought it was interesting to see how his personality adapted to what he was feeling. It was a fascinating dichotomy and something that in reality might not be as simple but for the plot's purposes, it was well done and offered a romantic side of things I really enjoyed reading.

I did feel curious about the main character's syndrome, despite it not being addressed in the story. I think his acts were a good showing off of what someone like him might go through, and how others can be judgmental about the unknown and what is different. In this aspect, the novel offered and interesting POV about it, even more so because the narrative is told by Don's perspective.

The story has several characters that play an important role. We are surrounded by all types of people and sometimes their personalities affect us too. Don might have his issues but he had a conscience about those closest to him. He cared and acted according to that. I think this is another good indication about our ideas of how someone different might be, we always think people with disabilities of some order don't feel the same as we do, but we couldn't be more wrong and in this novel we see a bit of that as well.

The romance was sweet. I smiled a lot though Don's trials about love, about falling in love without realizing it and how love found him in a way he didn't put into any statistic. As a reader seeing through Don's eyes it was obvious to us how certain things were changing but Don didn't see it like that as I suppose someone like him in real life might not, but in terms of fiction and romance, I was very happy with how things ended. It was sweet and cute even despite a little detail here and there I think could have been better explained.

Nevertheless, this romance is cute and Rosie is a wonderful character.

I do plan on reading ore about the author one day. This first book of 2015 was a success and that was great.

Grade: 8/10