The only writing by Faulks that I can recall reading before this one was "Devil May Care", his Ian Fleming/James Bond pastiche from several years back. Needless to say this book is quite a change of pace from that one. I was lured in by publicity saying that this would suit readers who loved Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas", I thought oh yes...
Basically this is a collection of 5 short stories (or novellas) which share only very subtle connections. We start in England during the late 1930s. Cricket-loving linguist Geoffery Talbolt gains a job at a small private school, gets involved in the war effort and eventually finds himself in a Nazi death camp. From there we leap back to Victorian times and follow the struggles of Billy, a young lad sent by his poor family to a workhouse. He pulls himself up the social ladder eventually becoming a wealthy property owner and ends up treating his own tennants ruthlessly.
The next story starts in a near-future Italy and concerns a young introverted girl who finds, then loses a soul mate. She grows up to become a famous scientist who makes an important discovery related to the brain and memory..but she can she find happiness?
Back to the 19th century for the next section which chronicles a the bleak daily life of a simple maid and the family she works for in rural France.
The final story follows the life of Jack Wyatt, a music industry insider in the 1970s and how he falls in love with a young up-and-coming singer-songwriter as she records her first album.
The over-arcing theme, if there is one, seems to be the unpredictable nature of life and how we never end up where we expected to be. There's a slight hint of something spiritual in there but its very understated. One or two minor characters are shared between stories as well as locations mentioned in passing.
I enjoyed reading it but it didn't really 'soar' or offer anything particularly uplifting or thought-provoking.
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