stephen james

I have great respect for George Orwell and his powerful books like Animal Farm, The road to Wigan pier, Down and out in Paris and London and obviously 1984. I enjoyed Coming up for Air but for me it didn’t have the interest or impact his other books have had on me. Maybe I need to read it again. I have read The road to Wigan pier several times because my home town is only a few miles from Wigan and my Grandfather and Father worked ‘down the pit’. My Grandfather died at the age of sixty five years after a lifetime of being a coal miner. His lungs were blocked by coal dust which caused his premature death. My Father ‘only’ spent ten years ‘down pit’ as an Electrical Engineer and so he spent time on ‘the surface’ repairing machinery breathing in cleaner air.

Excellent book with strong messages to help the reader in various ways. Interesting accounts of animals, the brutal gamekeeper and hierarchy with respect for the gentle, all knowing Skymaster. A story of creatures in woodland and easily relatable to some humans in society. There is only one character that is human in the book, the rest are animals with fascinating and accurate accounts of animals - mainly birds make this short story, for me, very powerful. Well worth a read - great illustrations in the book add atmosphere!

I have read this book five times. I have found it powerful and very helpful in many ways. I rode motorcycles for fifteen years and have had various health issues too. The book is fascinating and Robert Persig's use of words and quotes have enlightened me. His observations on this amazing journey are truly deep and have a real value which has helped me to understand my own journey. Maybe I found it so interesting because I was looking for answers in a difficult time in my life when I sought calmness and contentment. Amongst a few other other books it helped a great deal. Well worth a try and I hope it helps you in some way.

Tedious. However, I will read every word just out of some interest and to apply myself as a test of perseverance and willingness to grasp something from it.