The Monk Downstairs
by Tim Farrington
In the opening pages of The Monk Downstairs, we are introduced to a monk who has decided to leave the monastery after twenty years. After being away from the outside world for so long, he doesn't feel qualified or ready to take on a demanding job and a place of his own. He gets a job at McDonalds and rents a room--downstairs--from a single mother looking for a supplemental income.
In general, I try not to find out too much about a book before reading it. If the back cover blurb contains eight sentences, I'll probably read the first two. Rather than finding out half the plot, I like to read the first chapter to get a feel for the writing style. Not only was Tim Farrington's prose easy and pleasant to read, but with an opening premise so intriguing, I couldn't resist purchasing the book and immediately diving in.
At times a little corny, and some of the minor characters took up a little more page time than I would have cared for, but overall, The Monk Downstairs was thought-provoking and enjoyable. Many books aimed at women are both written by women and have a woman protagonist, and I really liked the differences a male perspective brought to this story. My favorite passage in the book is almost lyrical; Farrington shows an understanding of a woman's confusions and motivations:
She started to reach for her wine, then stopped herself, feeling that it would be rude to drink in front of him without offering him a glass, but not wanting to offer him a glass, no wanting to go any deeper, not wanting the responsibility of that. [...] There was something very appealing in Christopher's hair-trigger sensitivity to thoughts she hadn't even voiced. But she felt no urge to run after him and apologize for what was after all a relatively subliminal rudeness. All she'd done, really, was draw a little line.
If you're in the market for a rainy afternoon read, or a book to read on the commute to work (assuming you're not driving), check out The Monk Downstairs.
In general, I try not to find out too much about a book before reading it. If the back cover blurb contains eight sentences, I'll probably read the first two. Rather than finding out half the plot, I like to read the first chapter to get a feel for the writing style. Not only was Tim Farrington's prose easy and pleasant to read, but with an opening premise so intriguing, I couldn't resist purchasing the book and immediately diving in.
At times a little corny, and some of the minor characters took up a little more page time than I would have cared for, but overall, The Monk Downstairs was thought-provoking and enjoyable. Many books aimed at women are both written by women and have a woman protagonist, and I really liked the differences a male perspective brought to this story. My favorite passage in the book is almost lyrical; Farrington shows an understanding of a woman's confusions and motivations:
She started to reach for her wine, then stopped herself, feeling that it would be rude to drink in front of him without offering him a glass, but not wanting to offer him a glass, no wanting to go any deeper, not wanting the responsibility of that. [...] There was something very appealing in Christopher's hair-trigger sensitivity to thoughts she hadn't even voiced. But she felt no urge to run after him and apologize for what was after all a relatively subliminal rudeness. All she'd done, really, was draw a little line.
If you're in the market for a rainy afternoon read, or a book to read on the commute to work (assuming you're not driving), check out The Monk Downstairs.