Purchased at Arlington Gets Cajun

I was very lucky to pick up a practically new copy of this novella when a local village library was closing down. It is set in French Canada which makes a nice change from Toronto-based books (If you've read my WorldReads - Canada blog post, that comment will make more sense!) and I love that it also draws together themes from two other books I have read fairly recently. Our eponymous Lonely Postman, Bilodo, teaches himself to write the Japanese poetry form, haiku, which I enjoyed in Caroline Gourlay's haiku collection, Across The Silence. Plus, I learned about master poet Matsuo Basho when following Lesley Downer's travels across rural Japan in On The Narrow Road To The Deep North.

Theriault evokes Japanese philosophy and literary style in what felt to me to be a very French book so I liked the blend of cultures. His portrayal of Bilodo is wonderfully complete considering the complexity of his character and the short length of this novella. I found myself sympathising with the man despite his rather creepy behaviour. The Peculiar Life is a beautifully emotional read and the poetry exchange has to be one of the best interpretations of passionate sex I have ever read! Obsessional behaviour often makes for a fascinating novel and The Peculiar Life Of A Lonely Postman is a great example of this genre.

See more of my book reviews on my blog, Literary Flits

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