I read
Nobble Hospital of the Aegean by
Paul Judges on a train journey from Doncaster to
Edinburgh recently, and noticed nothing of the countryside we passed through or the activities of fellow passengers (what a wonderful escape from mobile phones and inane chatter !).
I became fully engrossed in this story
set on a little visited Greek island, where our 'hero' must face the realities of life after a surprise event shakes his small world.
There is much to relish in the descriptions of Greece and the arid beauty of the natural environment. Humour is a recurrent feature of the novel, however there is plenty of reflection on deeper themes that brings a lovely poise and balance to the book.
Sometimes when reading fiction the events are somehow unconvincing, but the detail here is at times painfully real and deeply moving. The author shows strong compassion for his wide variety of characters, whether they are fat or thin, apparently stupid or clever.
Don't expect many similarities with Captain Corelli's Mandolin, this tale is firmly set in the present, though it does make a different kind of music - for those ready to listen will hear the rhythms of nature itself, whether it is the sea, imperceptibly fattening olives, lizards in the wilderness, or your own heartbeat.
An exhilarating and original book.