I am looking for a novel that is not too complicated, but not too daft, a book that would rest my brain without being overly simplistic…. This is the eternal dilemma of the easy-literature (sappy book) seeker, looking for romance and happy ending but above all, for a good read. In that respect, the often-recommended Harlequin’s books usually defeat the purpose. Once the in-love Duchess has been rescued by the Marquis, the rest of the story is pretty limited. Not to mention that you might find it extremely frustrating to systematically know what will happen 50 pages in advance.
What you need instead is Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher. In 1936, in a boarding school of the windy English region of Cornwall the reasonable Judith befriends the whimsical Loveday Carey-Lewis (Don’t stop here! Yes the name is incredibly cheesy but this is perhaps the only thing we can hold against Pilcher). Practically adopted by the glamorous Carey-Lewis family, Judith soon gives her heart to Nancherrow, their Cornish estate and to their eldest son. But as the war breaks out and as the world of her childhood collapses, she is brutally forced to grow up… Coming home is much more than the average chick-flick. The twists of the plot occur when you least expect them and the characters are sufficiently balanced to be plausible. Pilcher is in love with Cornwall. An incredible story-teller, she masters the description of the sheer cliffs, the salty humid air and the region rough nature. Her writing is caring and benevolent, and she perfectly portrays the upheavals of the British society during the war. Like a good English tea, Coming Home gradually warms you up all the way to the shoulder blades and reconciles anyone with books.
In a way, isn’t it what we expect from an easy read: retrieve our literature craving. Through Coming Home, we can relive this moment of infinite plenitude where words carry us far far away and feel, once more, this amazing sensation that initiated our quasi-addictive relationship with books when we were kids. I am convinced that we (consciously or not) assign a role to each of our books and that the hidden virtue of romance, chick flicks or airport reads is to restore our desire to read when we have lost it. When I dread looking at my library, only an easy novel will bring me back to my literary journey. Only a pure reading sensation will pave the way for a next reading cycle. But beware; any romance will not do the trick, only one of the same quality as Coming Home. So next time, look for a simple story, but in style!
PS to my male readers: I am guessing it is very unlikely you will read that one. Take this post as an invitation to find your own Pilcher with testosterone ! A good Ken Follet maybe?
PILCHER Rosamunde, Coming Home, 1995, Hodder & Stoughton, London
Most Pilcher books are of similar quality. After Coming Home, my preference goes to The Shell seekers (PILCHER Rosamunde, The Shell Seekers, 1987, Hodder & Stoughton, London).
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