The Keeper of Lost Things: The feel-good novel of the year

St Just Monday Morning Reading Group 24th October 2022.

The Keeper of Lost Things. Ruth Hogan.

Some of the reading group enjoyed this book; others said they didn’t really engage with it. Very much a ‘light read’, we thought – but an interesting subject, well written, and the characters were good, Sunshine and Laura especially. Several readers liked the way the people and connections were woven together, particularly in the opening and closing sections. The descriptions of Alzheimers were appreciated as being ‘beautifully done though not avoiding the sadness and misery it causes to both sufferer and loved ones’. One reader suggested that as well as ‘lost things’, the people who arrived at the house were also lost in some aspect of their lives and were looking for new beginnings.

The chief criticism was that there were too many issues thrown into the narrative: Down syndrome, Alzheimers, violent husbands, lost partners, hauntings, and many others as well as the principal subject of lost items. Possibly this was due to it being the author’s first novel. The character of Sunshine, though endearing, was maybe a ‘token disabled person’ in the story; and the hauntings of Anthony and Laura by Anthony’s late wife were seen as probably superfluous.

There followed a general discussion about other titles this group has read, and how some books promote debate while others, though well written and readable, do not. We also talked about what we like reading, how and when we read, and how important it is to us. Some of us, we thought, were brought up to think that reading is something to be done only when work and chores and ‘more important things’ have been completed; others said that they found it hard to sit down and read when more active pursuits called them. We agreed, however, that reading is best done in bigger chunks of time than half an hour before bed; that reading is highly important to us however we do it, especially as now (being mostly a retired community) we have more time to concentrate on it; and that a reading group has the advantage of presenting us with books we might not have chosen for ourselves, thus opening up new windows onto the world.

Just as it says, a feel good book. Easy to read, characters to both love and hate with a few twists weaved in for good measure.

I found it to have a slow story line and then within 3 chapters of the end the 2 storylines merged together quite quickly. I liked the concept but I feel the “supernatural” elements felt out of place.

This was a lovely and unusual story of a man who collects lost property and stores it in his home. Can he reunite the thousands of objects with their rightful owners

We all looked forward to reading The Keeper Of Lost Things as the concept of the story sounded interesting, however the majority of the group felt disappointed by this novel for different reasons.

The main issue that was discussed was the struggle to juggle the numerous characters and storylines. The consensus was that Eunice and Bombers storylines were unnecessary and didn't really add to the story of the main protagonist (Laura). We found the narratives difficult to navigate due to the vast amount of story strands in the novel which the connections to one another felt far fetched.

Having said that, the group did enjoy Anthony's imagined stories for each lost item and found them very creative (the ones highlighted in the discussion were the jigsaw piece and the umbrella). Though Anthony's compulsion for collecting lost things to find peace and work through his grief did seem a bit over exaggerated eg a button isn't something people might even remember losing let alone try to find again. This seemed a little too bizarre.

The story of lost things was intended to be an insight into lost souls and self discovery but we felt that it was a very shallow exploration of this theme. An example of where we felt there could have been more depth was with Laura and Vince's confrontation. It seemed rushed and irrelevant when it should have been a big moment for the character. We also felt that the characters weren't very relatable - all middle class with mainly quite elitist issues - and the serious issues were brushed under the carpet and had less focus on them. The group felt that Laura in particular wasn't a very likeable character as she was quite self absorbed and self pitying. However the group loved Sunshine and found her character quite sensitive and funny in an endearing way (though it was noted that it seemed a bit odd that her parents let her spend so much time with complete strangers for so long). The dogs too were particularly adorable.

The style of writing was enjoyed by the readers , it was just the storylines that left people feeling confused and irritated, though we felt it got better towards the second half of the book - even if it did end a bit too conveniently.

Overall we gave this book 6 out of 10. We would pick up other books by this author.

Posted on Behalf of Alan Greenwell
"I am Alan Greenwell, aged 66, sole male member of Hartlepool Central Library Reading Group. My usual reading matter is military history, techno thrillers and fantasy.
A Great Book
This is a lovely read, I laughed till I cried all the way through. The characters were great; the writing was beautifully descriptive around a great plot. Whilst all the characters were really well portrayed and the minor characters were given enough scope to support the main characters and add to the narrative - Sunshine was something else - a beautifully written girl whose character developed through the story; every time she appeared I could see her in my mind. Her lovely obsessive, compulsive nature and naivety combined with her sixth sense made her so lovable.
My favourite parts of the book:
Chapter 21 - the Funeral/marriage - this was pure joy! What an imagination. Holy macaroni Major tom's a monkey
What God and Sunshine put together let no man put asunder
And it's goodnight from me and it's goodnight from him
And it still rhymes
Chapter 47 - Bomber's Memorial
Want a way to go - Drag Queens and a box of biscuits

This was a joy to read - I haven't enjoyed a book this much since I first read Lord of the Rings back in the 70s. It's a book I intend to buy and re-read when I feel down or simpy want a bit of fun."

Excellent. A charming story that will have you interested in the plot and liking the characters immediately!

I really enjoyed this book. Whimsical and gentle, it is a tale and of life and loss and resolves easily, if a little predictably. The working of the characters is believable and it deals with Downs syndrome very well. Sunshine places herself at the centre of the action and in many ways she is the inheritor of the title Keeper of Lost Things. Recommended.

A good holiday read with some depth. Ruth Hogan successfully intertwined a number of different stories, including a selection of short stories. there were a variety of interesting characters that move the story forward. Whilst most of the book feels real e.g. the portrayal of dementia, the supernatural element is less believable. The ending was a bit predictable but a nice feel-good factor about it.

Sunny Hill Book Club

A very enjoyable read. It is a gentle tale and you feel a genuine interest in and affection for the main characters.
Sunshine's refreshing honesty was a source of joy and amusement. I laughed out loud when she declared to the Christmas dinner gathering"Freddy's crap in the sack". Sunshine cried out for respect and eventually achieved it.
Although the story has a definite"feel good" factor it is not sugary sweet and your feet are kept firmly on the ground by the rawness of some of the memory stories.
Therese has been dead for 40 years but has a presence and I had a sympathy for her actions.
I do have reservations about Portia and Felicity. Would sudden wealth really have turned Portia into a monster. She has her friends but surely she would still love her family as well. Similarly I didn't feel that I knew enough about Felicity to simply dismiss her.

Cheers Anne P.

This 'first novel' is a good choice for a book group. It invites curiosity about the characters and subject matter, dazzles with ironic observations, extends empathy to even the most unlikeable human beings, and gives dog-lovers a literary outing. Also, it should stimulate discussion.

Is anyone in the book group sure about the story, its construction, development, proportion of sound reason to logical fantasy? Perhaps opinions will depend on how much magic the group members have experienced in their lives, how often they have been startled by sheer coincidence and impossible explanations, or whether they went through the looking-glass to Wonderland, or through the wardrobe to Narnia, and never came back.

There's much to love in this prompting towards kind-hearted caring for lost things, accidentally lost, leaving gaps in lives, or clues to significant moments. Dipping into different decades can be confusing, and short stories without sequels can be annoying; (there should have been a satisfying nemesis for the confidence tricksters who killed elderly, vulnerable Edna, in order to get her house). But somehow, it all works!

We move into Anthony's house, where lost things are kept, with Laura, who is to fall in love with Freddy the gardener. We move into publisher Bomber's office with Eunice, who falls in love with him as she arrives to become his assistant. Each evolving 'romance' has a small cast of characters, some with links to the 'lost things'. Of these portrayals, the outstanding success is Sunshine, who has Down's Syndrome. Her wise, affectionate contributions to the story, in addition to 'the lovely cup of tea', have the grace and dexterity of the Anjali Dancers.

You may laugh out loud at the comedies waiting for Laura and Eunice; so don't read this book on a train. Or, what if events disrupt your journey, and you leave it there?

This book is not to be lost, but shared.

Freda K.

Crafted in an unusual way, this was a lovely book to read. I enjoyed the little stories about the lost items which were often bittersweet, such as Maud and Gladys' tale and Eliza's wedding.

These reflected a sadness in the main characters' lives.

I really sniggered at many of the humorous passages: the WI lady's knowledge of something Italian she'd had in a restaurant, incidents with Portia and Sunshine's honesty. I also found the treatment of old age and Alzheimer's sympathetic.

All in all it was a very enjoyable read -and I will certainly look out for other titles from Ruth Hogan - who I assume is a fellow dog-lover, judging by the pride of place given to Douglas and Carrott!

Richard P.

RAM READERS

A very unique and clever premise for a book. Anthony is the “keeper of lost things”, the eponymous hero. He collects items which he finds and which he believes to have been lost. He carefully catalogues them all with the hope that he will one day be able to restore them to their owners and bring them happiness. When Anthony dies he leaves both his estate and the responsibility for completing his life’s work to Laura, his housekeeper/secretary.

It is a charming book which I really enjoyed, as did the rest of the Book Group. All the characters are entirely plausible and largely likeable (which always helps!). It is very easy to read and a great story, both from the point of view of the “lost things” and also from the way the lives of the characters in the book develop. I found myself creating opportunities to read because I wanted to find out what happened next. It is “holiday read” material rather than a deep and meaningful work of literature, but I don’t have a problem with that.

My only criticism is that there are a few instances of curious things happening and these are never explained. This takes parts of the book into the realm of the paranormal. The whole concept of the book was so wonderful that I really wanted to be transported into a world which I believed was real. I think these minor deviations from reality were unnecessary and, for me, detracted from the perfection of the book.

My only disappointment is that it is a debut novel. Ruth - please keep writing as I can’t wait for your next one! This really was a very good first book.

I am just demonstrating to my class. This not a book recommended for children, but a lovely book for adults or teens