Paul Torday

I've just finished 'The Hopeless Life of Charlie Summers' by Paul Torday. This is a writer who was recommended to me by my mother. I took my time about taking up her suggestion as I had so many other books waiting to be read, but finally picked up 'More Than You can Say' a couple of months ago on audio. I was absolutely hooked immediately. The link I've given here doesn't give a very good write up but I found it a very plausible story line. The narrator is an army veteran who has seen terrible things in Afghanistan and Iraq and isn't dealing well with his memories. He has lost his fiancee and their business and is coasting along day by day, spending a lot of time gambling. He is bet that he can't walk from London to Oxford in time for lunch the next day. On his way he is kidnapped and forced into a marriage with an Afghan girl. He falls in love with her and is not the participant that was expected for the agreement made, in fact makes life quite difficult for the arrangers of this marriage. Al Quaeda is involved and things get very interesting. I felt it said a lot for the numbers of soldiers who go away to fight a fairly filthy battle on behalf of the West without sufficient support when they come home and out of the army. He is obviously suffering from post traumatic stress with all its attendant problems and I found it a fascinating story.


The Hopeless Life of Charlie Summers, which I finished yesterday deals with the issues of banking and money, particularly in the late 80s/early 90s when money was virtually being given away - you could get a mortgage with very little savings. Charlie Summers is a con man who drifts from one entrepreneurial scheme to the next with little thought for how it could work out although not intentionally out to hurt people. He meets up with Eck who's a front for a Hedge Fund. Eck is enjoying earning spectacular money without much understanding of the whys and wherefores of the banking industry. The parallels between the two were interesting and a tad scary in their own way. I enjoyed the book in a fairly light hearted fashion.

Also finally finished The Thread which I thooughly enjoyed. I know now much more about Greece's past that I did before. Lovely book; one I know I will return to.