Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand

Helen Simonson
You know those books where your friends tell you that you should read it and when you do, you wonder if your friends know you at all. Well, that was Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand for me. This slow meandering story of a spineless wishy-washy man had me wondering when this book would ever be over.

It started slow with the introduction of retired Major Ernest Pettigrew. A lonely older gentleman who is overly fastidious about all the proper ways of the English. Ernest’s life is thrown into a downright tizzy when upon the death of his brother, the family heirloom is not returned to him in the way that he was lead to believe it would be and therefore all is not right in his world. While in the midst of this life changer, Major Pettigrew develops a friendship with the Pakistani shopkeeper, Mrs. Ali that is frowned upon by the community because in proper culture and tradition this is just not done.

I know a boring synopsis, but when the book is boring, there is not much chance of an enthralling summary.

Oh, and the cover picture. My mind kept seeing it as an embracing couple, when it fact, I now see it as two coats on a rack. Really, I think I spent more time looking at this picture then I did concentrating on the plotline and wondered what story they were trying to tell with the art.

Why finish the book when I obviously did not like it very much – British humor. From time to time, there is a sudden zinger that had me chuckling. It was the token silver lining to this slow moving monotonous tale.

Would I recommend it, personally No; but there does seem to be a large contingent that adored this book, I just did not see it.