"Runaway" by Peter May - fabulous story!

[scarletwoman]

Last edited Thu Mar 3, 2016, 07:56 AM - Edit history (1)

I had intended to write this review two weeks ago, but various events in RL belayed my good intentions.

I loved this book. I have no doubt that my love of it has to do with my age - I so remember what it was like in the early/mid 60s, and the story here moves seamlessly between 1965 and 2015.

We meet five members of a teenage rock band in 1965 Scotland, who decide to run off to London to make their fortune. Ill luck and strange encounters follow them. Eventually, just three of them return home to Glasgow- traumatized, confused, and broken-spirited, fame and fortune having never been achieved.

In the present day, one member of the band is dying of cancer, and enlists his old band mates on a journey back to London to put the past to rest.

[Number9Dream]

1. Sounds kinda depressing... is it?

Thanks for the review, scarletwoman. I, too, can relate to the 60's, but I can do without a depressing story. Is it depressing?

[scarletwoman]

2. I didn't find it depressing at all, but that may be just me.

Yes, parts of it were quite dark, there was tragedy and pain, but there were also wonderful touches of humor throughout, as well as redemption and hope.

I found the story completely fascinating, and I was thoroughly engaged with the characters and their lives. I think Peter May is a marvelous writer. I've read several of his books now, and I think his evocative powers are utterly amazing. Whenever I am reading his books, I always find myself totally THERE.

One of the interesting things about this particular book is that it is semi-autobiographical. Peter May himself was a Glasgow teenager who ran away to London in the 60s, so there's a an authenticity to the descriptions of time and place that shine through the whole story. I'm very glad to have taken that journey with the author.

[Enthusiast]

3. Thanks for the review, scarletwoman! That sounds good.

So far I have only read the single book by Peter May—The Blackhouse. I liked it very much.

Curiously enough I'm currently reading The Lewis Man, second in the Lewis trilogy. I like this second one also. Mrs. Enthusiast is impatiently waiting for it.

Peter May does have an undeniable skill to put the reader in a certain place and time. I feel like I'm on windswept Lewis Island.

[Enthusiast]

4. We have both read it now. We liked it! Mrs. Enthusiast especially.

She generally reads her books in bigger chunks than I do. It helps with the continuity, I think. Recently my reading has been a mess. But, still, I liked Runaway, especially the ending.