Book recommendations

[houblon]

It's also what my wife asks whenever I receive mysterious parcels from the likes of Wiggle.

It's many years since I read it. Must give it a re-read.

It certainly rewards repeated reads. I forget bits of it every time, and even when you know the plot and the twist it's worth it for the language. Every time I go out with the dog, the phrase 'walking finely from the hips' comes to me.

For me, it's the Withnail and I of literature

 

[RichardB]

"is it about a bicycle?" is a quote from the book

I forget bits of it every time

And me, as you noticed.

 

[MichaelW2]

I saw The Third Policeman performed as play in Cork when I was on a bicycle tour. Bizzare and intruiging work.

 

[gom]

• "The Rider" by Time Krabbe - surely one of the all time classics.
• "A Golden Age of Cycling": A Gentleman's Adventure on Two Wheels, 1924-1933
  Edited extracts from a cyclist's diaries, so a lot "I stayed here" and "I ate (& drank!) this", but really very enjoyable, and an interesting look at a bygone age.

 

[Baldy]

Travels in a strange state, by Josie Drew. Quite good. About cycling in California and Hawaii.

 

[PaulB]

Free Country by George Mahood.

Do you like cycling? I'm sticking my neck out and saying that yes, you probably do. Well you should DEFINITELY read this book. It's about two men who decide to cycle from Lands End to John O' Groats. The only thing is, they don't have a bike between them. They don't have anything, really. No shoes for instance, no clothes (other than a pair of Union Jack boxer shorts each), no money, no food and no water. No map either!

I was astonished when I read the blurb about it but thought I'll have to read that and I'm very, very glad I did.

These two friends made up this crackpot scheme and then decided to see if they could do it by relying on the good nature of us Brits. They got dropped off at Lands End and walked barefoot for a bit until they could blag some footwear (a pair of socks each and one pair of shoes between them - they wore one shoe each until they could beg a pair of size six wellies off someone).

It is a superb read with some brilliantly observed, and very funny, writing illustrating the people they encountered en-route (Michael Eaves of Glasto fame being one of them) and just telling these people what they were doing and being surprised at the responses.

After several days, they blag two totally unsuitable kids bikes, rusting and no brakes and without any cycling training or equipment at all they make a good fist of the adventure.

Read it, you'll enjoy it. I can't offer it up because I got it on my Kindle.