Thursday, August 11, 2016

A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute (Book)


55/100 of #100bookpact

A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

As a reader I already realized that its going to be a lovely book the moment I read the disclaimer on the very first page by the publisher that it is printed as it is written by the writer, is will be written as "ize" and so on so forth. For me it works big time as it actually makes me read the communication between two people with expressions as they would talk unlike the plain jane English which looks nice in print but doesn't make the same impression. The story which is mostly in flashbacks - just goes on and on and on in a most simplest way and abruptly comes to current time of two people talking. An aged Solicitor / Trustee who is fulfilling his clients last wishes of handing over his property's worth to his only heir a girl in mid 20's whereas the will says that the whole will go to her only after she turns 35. Till then she gets an yearly income from the estate - what she does with that money is what the story is all about and its just mind-blowing. Heartwarming, Touching and indeed one of the best I have ever read in a long long time. What pains she had gone through earlier in life and how she lands this fortune makes up for a superb story. How grueling life can become for some (like walking 500 miles on foot as a prisoner in six months) and how easy it turns out for us - it made me feel that all the time while reading the book. Their troubles seem never ending but they too have their own cherishing moments too, people do go out of the ways to help them and how - that is so touching. Spending three years of their life in an unknown land.

The best part of the book is Jean's (The girl) dreams and how she goes about it, her will to survive and save so many other lives with her. What she decides to do first after getting the legacy and so much with it is an eye opener and simply unbelievable. When she goes back retracing her life during the time of war and what all facts she get and they take her for another amazing journey of her life is the rest of the book. She is one person who brings in the "winds of change" in so many people's life. If someone has to review this book - you will have to write a book on it, its that kind of a story that I just want to go on talking about it. It is one heck of a book I would say which will be a permanent part of my collection now and I believe it should be read by all to learn so many lessons in it. I am definitely going to share it with a lot of my friends who love reading - spread the word I would say. The way I learned it from a friend of mine - lets keep up the good work. 


One of my very close friend who has moved to Adelaide (Australia) which happens to be very near the town of Alice - guess I may be going their some time soon to see it from my own eyes. After reading this book I will definitely go there once in my life. 

2 comments:

Ava said...

I have read two or three books by Nevil Shute and they were all superb. He is such a great storyteller. Time ka itnaaaa locha hai. I have so many books on my kindle that I must read, so many movies and TV shows I should see that my lifetime seems short.

Lovely review. This was one his most celebrated novel.

Rohit Sharma said...

Absolutely loved this one and you are so damn right.
I calculated last week that we will not be able to read more then 3000 books in our life time that too even if we go at the same speed we are going, we need to live another 30 years in that case (I will be 70). My God. Time is so short, but lets do what we can, Do what we love :)