The Reader On The 6:27

OMG I fell in love with this short novel. It’s quirky, special and unique.

This is the story of Guylain, who everyday takes the train to his miserable job in a recycling factory where books are shredded and made into a pulp by ‘The Thing’. Each day, Guylain must service this huge shredder and in the process, he’s able to free some surviving sheets and these sheets are what he reads to the commuters on the 6:27 the following morning…. sitting in the same seat each day delighting his audience… wish someone did this on my train!

One morning, he finds his train seat jammed by a red USB stick, when Guylain returns home he discovers files full of the thoughts of a lavatory attendant named Julie. Swapping the random saved sheets for Julie’s thoughts, Guylain captivates his fellow commuters with Julie’s world and the more he reads, the more he falls in love with her. With the help of his friend; Giuseppe, Julie’s words are scrutinised for clues so that Guylain can find his Cinderella.

This is a little book which leaves a lasting impression, the characters are enticing and unusual – my particular favourite was Giuseppe, who after having a disastrous injury with ‘The Thing’; which left him without his legs, now spends his days finding the books which were made with the recycled pulp from the day of his accident… you can’t get much more unique and quirky than that!

In a nutshell, this is a beautifully written modern love story.

Until next time, Chloé x