Me Before You : Jojo Moyes

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I don't read romance novels. I have stayed a safe distance from the wonderful sounding new genre called 'mommy porn' that the New York Times came up with. So, it might come as a bit of surprise that I read this artfully delicious romantic read : Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

And I confess I was surprised that I liked it so much. It wasn't remotely silly. There was wonderful wit, sarcasm, a slow and warm friendship (more than starry-eyed 'love') and the elimination of cliches that abound in romantic novels. In fact, I hesitate to call Me Before You a romantic novel. This was a book that was brimming with life and its immense scope, even as it dealt with the right to die.

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

You know the inevitable - despite all odds, Lou and Will are attracted to each other. But I admire Jojo Moyes for not sticking to a formulaic path. Will Traynor probably speaks the way I do half the time - brittle with sarcasm. And yet he has something that I don't use that much - gentleness that isn't obvious, and a fight that I admire. His fight is not formulaic either. Tied to a wheelchair as quadriplegic and dependent on others for everything, Will doesn't want to live. To me that's a fight, strange as it sounds. To understand that it's better to die than lead life the way you have envisaged it. I think I would do the same.

There is no patronizing of Will's condition here - Lou, as his caretaker tries her best to show him that life can be enjoyed - but it's not the same enjoyment for Will as before. Moyes is relentless in describing Will's resolution to die - you hate him for what he wants to do, but can't help but admire his courage in doing so. This ain't no ordinary love story. In the process, you see Will pass on a little bit of his life's learning to Lou - travel, he urges. Listen to music. Read. All of which I love to do. Yes, I am a fan of Will, even as I feel he was a bit too cold-hearted. But that's something I can easily identify with. One of my favorite lines, both Will's:

“Some mistakes... Just have greater consequences than others. But you don't have to let the result of one mistake be the thing that defines you. You, Clark, have the choice not to let that happen.”

“I see all this talent, all this...this energy and brightness and...potential. Yes. Potential. And I cannot for the life of me see how you can be content to live this tiny life. This life that will take place almost entirely within a five mile radius and contain nobody who will ever surprise you or push you or show you things that will leave your head spinning and unable to sleep at night.”

I don't recommend books easily. But this one I do. This is a poignant read. One of the best of this year.

Verdict : A warm little surprise package that is so compulsively readable. 

Rating : 5/5 (Especially for the non cliched-ending)