Since I last commented on books I have read ten in September and well onto another ten in October. I was hooked on a couple of authors but have chosen this book because I persevered with it almost to the end.
The High Mountains of Portugal was certainly an unusual book and I ended up giving in about fifty pages from the end. I just could not understand what it was about . The novel is in three parts. It starts with a story of a man who walks backwards as the result of his grief over losing his lover, his child and his father. He becomes obsessed with an object he reads about in a priest’s journal , a cross. He undertakes a journey meeting people along the way to his destination. It’s sad and it’s about loss and grief but sometimes humourous.
The second part is about a pathologist, There is some talk of miracles, the bible and Jesus. Agatha Christie and chimpanzees play a role in this section.
The third part is also about a grieving man and a journey . Chimpanzees and grief seem to be a common theme across the three sections. I gave up in the third section as the book was totally beyond me… Then again I wasn’t a huge fan of The Life of Pi, the author’s previous book. This one was certainly not my cup of tea.
If you would like to read a positive review check one out here.
I forced myself to read the whole thing and did not like it, one bit. So totally agree with you. There are too many other great books to read out there. Thanks for your honest assessment.
Yes I was surprised I kept going for as long as I did.