Notes from Sept 2016 group

The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty – Discussed on Wed Sept 7, 2016 at Geneseo Public Library

 

                                                                                                                                            

Meet Smithson "Smithy" Ide, an overweight, friendless, chain-smoking, forty-three-year-old drunk who works as a quality control inspector at a toy action-figure factory in Rhode Island. By all accounts, including Smithy's own, he's a loser. But when Smithy's life of quiet desperation is brutally interrupted by tragedy, he stumbles across his old Raleigh bicycle and impulsively sets off on an epic journey that might give him one last chance to become the person he always wanted to be. As he pedals across America—with stops in New York City, St. Louis, Denver, and Phoenix, to name a few—he encounters humanity at its best and worst and adventures that are by turns hilarious, luminous, and extraordinary. Along the way, Smithy falls in love and back into life.

This was an unusual book which was well-written through flashbacks.  There were few but interesting characters.  The story brought up many serious subjects  – mental illness, family relationships, Vietnam war, alcoholism,  diet/health, friendships and community.  We had good discussions.  Our group had mixed feelings about this story – it was slow getting started but it got better.