Lost and Found by Tom Winter - Revision history

Sue at 13:39, 11 August 2020

2020-08-11T13:39:42Z

Sue at 16:09, 17 March 2018

2018-03-17T16:09:39Z

Sue at 14:19, 2 January 2015

2015-01-02T14:19:26Z

Sue at 12:10, 25 July 2013

2013-07-25T12:10:08Z

Sue at 11:52, 27 February 2013

2013-02-27T11:52:38Z

Sue: Created page with "{{infobox |title=Lost and Found |sort=Lost and Found |author=Tom Winter |reviewer=Sue Magee |genre=General Fiction |summary=Dark, almost savage humour, quirky and thought prov..."

2013-02-27T11:51:44Z

Created page with "{{infobox |title=Lost and Found |sort=Lost and Found |author=Tom Winter |reviewer=Sue Magee |genre=General Fiction |summary=Dark, almost savage humour, quirky and thought prov..."

New review

{{infobox
|title=Lost and Found
|sort=Lost and Found
|author=Tom Winter
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Dark, almost savage humour, quirky and thought provoking. Don't let the cover fool you into thinking this is a romance.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=320
|publisher=Corsair
|date=Febraury 2013
|isbn=978-1472104892
|website=
|video=
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1472101596</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>1472101596</amazonus>
}}

Carol has lived in a state of unhappiness for many years, married to a man she doesn't love (and probably never has) and with a daughter whom she doesn't understand (and probably never will). But Sophie is just about independent now and Carol is determined that she's going to tell Bob that the marriage is over - that she's leaving - but something always gets in the way. As her frustration grows she writes letters - to the world at large - and posts them. It doesn't ''change'' anything, but she does feel better. She even puts a smiley face on the envelope.

Albert is a postman on the verge of retirement who lives with his cat, Gloria. He's not got over the death of his wife, decades ago and lives in a state of animosity with his neighbour. At work they're at something of a loss - when they bother to think about it - as to what should be done with him and he ends up in the post room - in the bowels of the building - where they sort undeliverable mail. When he finds a series of letters with a smiley face on the envelope he reads them. They intrigue him. They give him a purpose.

It's a quirky book and not at all what I was expecting. The cover hints that it might be a romance, but don't be fooled. If anything it's the antithesis of romance, with a penetrating look at loneliness, the iniquities of old age and the random ways in which illness attacks. I could have cried for Albert - he's the sort of person who should be loved but who, somehow, misses out. I warmed less to Carol, finding her anger a little tiring, but that's offset by the humour of the book which is dark and savage at times. I laughed out loud at the staff of the sorting office. Having rather more to do with Royal Mail than I would like at times, there were quite a few people there I could have put a name to.

The book's one to keep - perhaps not one that you'll immediately turn back to the beginning and start reading again, but certainly one that you'll come back to at a later date. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy of the book to the Bookbag.

If this book appeals then we think that you might also enjoy [[The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce]] and [[The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals by Wendy Jones]].

{{amazontext|amazon=1472101596}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=9349726}}

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{infobox
+{{infobox1
 |title=Lost and Found
 |author=Tom Winter
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 |date=February 2013
 |isbn=978-1472104892
-|website=
+|cover=1472101618
-|video=
+|aznuk=1472101618
-|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1472101618</amazonuk>
+|aznus=B0090IB1C4
 }}

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 |reviewer=Sue Magee
 |genre=General Fiction
-|summary=Dark, almost savage humour, quirky and thought provoking. Don't let the cover fool you into thinking this is a romance.
+|summary=Dark, almost savage humour, quirky and thought-provoking. Don't let the cover fool you into thinking this is a romance.
 |rating=4
 |buy=Yes
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 Carol has lived in a state of unhappiness for many years, married to a man she doesn't love (and probably never has) and with a daughter whom she doesn't understand (and probably never will).  But Sophie is just about independent now and Carol is determined that she's going to tell Bob that the marriage is over - that she's leaving - but something always gets in the way.  As her frustration grows she writes letters - to the world at large - and posts them.  It doesn't ''change'' anything, but she does feel better.  She even puts a smiley face on the envelope.
-Albert is a postman on the verge of retirement who lives with his cat, Gloria.  He's not got over the death of his wife, decades ago and lives in a state of animosity with his neighbour.  At work they're at something of a loss - when they bother to think about  it - as to what should be done with him and he ends up in the post room - in the bowels of the building - where they sort undeliverable mail. When he finds a series of letters with a smiley face on the envelope he reads them.  They intrigue him.  They give him a purpose.
+Albert is a postman on the verge of retirement who lives with his cat, Gloria.  He's not got over the death of his wife, decades ago and lives in a state of animosity with his neighbour.  At work they're at something of a loss - when they bother to think about it - as to what should be done with him and he ends up in the post room - in the bowels of the building - where they sort undeliverable mail. When he finds a series of letters with a smiley face on the envelope he reads them.  They intrigue him.  They give him a purpose.
 It's a quirky book and not at all what I was expecting.  The cover hints that it might be a romance, but don't be fooled.  If anything it's the antithesis of romance, with a penetrating look at loneliness, the iniquities of old age and the random ways in which illness attacks.  I could have cried for Albert - he's the sort of person who should be loved but who, somehow, misses out.  I warmed less to Carol, finding her anger a little tiring, but that's offset by the humour of the book which is dark and savage at times.  I laughed out loud at the staff of the sorting office.  Having rather more to do with Royal Mail than I would like at times, there were quite a few people there I could have put a name to.
-The book's one to keep - perhaps not one that you'll immediately turn back to the beginning and start reading again, but certainly one that you'll come back to at a later date.  I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy of the book to the Bookbag.
+The book's one to keep - perhaps not one that you'll immediately turn back to the beginning and start reading again, but certainly, one that you'll come back to at a later date.  I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy of the book to the Bookbag.
-If this book appeals then we think that you might also enjoy [[The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce]] and [[The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals by Wendy Jones]].
+If this book appeals then we think that you might also enjoy [[The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce]] and [[The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals by Wendy Jones]].  You might also enjoy [[Arms Wide Open by Tom Winter]].
 {{amazontext|amazon=1472101618}}

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 |website=
 |video=
-|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1472101596</amazonuk>
+|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1472101618</amazonuk>
 |amazonus=<amazonus>B0090IB1C4</amazonus>
 }}
@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 If this book appeals then we think that you might also enjoy [[The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce]] and [[The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals by Wendy Jones]].
-{{amazontext|amazon=1472101596}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=9349726}}
+{{amazontext|amazon=1472101618}}
 {{commenthead}}