I loved this book the first time through -- the language was often eloquent, with subtle humor intertwined with profound observations on the human condition. I recommended it for my book group, so I read it again, and loved it even more. I was therefore surprised and disappointed to find that no one -- not one -- in my book group liked it; in fact, there seemed to be an element of active hostility toward it.

The main problem seemed to be getting past the unlikely premise of Harold taking off to walk without any forethought or planning -- but what a shame then to miss the sweet journey as Harold learns about himself and others he meets along the way. While this book can be read superficially as a simple tale of a man walking, I personally think there are a lot of very thought-provoking themes -- love, faith, honesty among them -- to be explored. I'm sorry the rest in my book group didn't enjoy this book, but, for myself, I'll be thinking about Harold, Maureen, and Queenie for some time to come.