NOT GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL

What I Read on My Holidays

As the situation in Gaza becomes more horrendous by the day, it feels surreal to be watching the news while on holidaying on a small Greek island where there is gloriously little to worry about. The sea is lapis blue, the beer is cold, figs are ripening on the trees and all feels right with the world. And yet my sunbed isn’t an entirely comfortable place, and neither should it be.

I’ve always been fascinated by what people choose to read on holiday. Our fellow guests here are mostly Scandinavian and so perhaps predictably, Scandi-noir novels are popular round this pool. The hotel’s large library (see my previous post for a photo) of pre-loved holiday paperbacks - the vast majority fiction - is testament to the fact that stories of crime, romance and history are what most previous guests have chosen for their holiday reading. The type of books you could, in short, describe as escapist.

I too love reading fiction on holiday as it’s one of the few times of year I get around to doing so. And if I didn’t also have a desire to escape - well I wouldn’t have chosen to come to a remote Greek island that is tricky to get to. But in these parlous times, I’m finding it difficult to read books which take me away from ‘it all’. I want books that will concentrate and sharpen my mind; that will repay the head space I can give to them.

The photo above shows the reading pile that made it into my hand luggage this year. It includes books I needed (and wanted) to read for work; a proof of an awesomely good new novel by a friend; and a 19th century classic because I rarely re-read books and really should. With themes including resistance to fascism, social upheaval, the importance of paying close attention, war, oppression and the climate emergency resounding through these books, they aren’t going to help me get away from it all. And for that, and my uncomfortable sunbed, I’m glad.