Mr. Gandy's Grand Tour

by Alan Titchmarsh

When Timothy Gandy’s wife dies suddenly, he finds himself at a bit of a loose end, unexpectedly freed from the constraints that have held him back over 40 years of marriage and employment in a job he finds profoundly tedious. To the horror of his offspring, who see their inheritance being frittered away, he decides to embark on a lifetime’s ambition; one which he has long kept to himself. He will set off on a Grand Tour, following in the footsteps of the aristocrats of the eighteenth century. Should he ever make it back home, his outlook – and his life – will be changed forever.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary, Travel, Book Club, Own, Adult

288 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2016

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his fifties, Timothy Gandy, suddenly finds himself out of a job. After forty years of a marriage that had become less than satisfying, he suddenly finds himself a widower. He decides to have an adventure, and to travel, something his wife had not liked to do, and spend some of his money on a Grand Tour of Italy. The father of three grown children, closest to his youngest daughter, he is little surprised when his son and grasping wife object to his spending, what they see as their inheritance, in such a so called selfish fashion.

We travel with him as he sets out to see the leading cities of Italy, seeing all the things he feels he should. From the beginning, starting in Paris, he finds more than he bargained for, much to his surprise. In Monaco, he makes two very good friends, and has an amusing encounter, and as he continues on he finds out more than he expected.

This is just a nice story, and one it is a pleasure to read. Life's disappointments snd life's surprises abound. The writing is clear, concise and Timothy is at times naive and at times insightful. It was fun traveling with him, seeing the things he sees, the places he stays and the food he eats. The best kind of armchsir travel, complete with a man who decided he wasn't to old to have an adventure, nor to learn some valuable lessons about life, and his family.

[Diane Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, many thanks to Diane S., whose excellent review led me to this book. It would never have come to my attention otherwise. Also, thanks to Amazon for pricing this ebook at $1.99, another enticement for taking a chance on it. I expected this story to be good, but what I got was wonderful. Just what I needed for a busy, fractured month with time at a premium.

Mr. Gandy loses his job at 55 due to downsizing. A short time later his wife suddenly dies. He has 3 adult children, only one of whom he gets along with. At a loss as to what to do at this point, he decides to take an old-fashioned grand tour of European cities, all alone, using the time to enjoy the art and culture, and decide which direction to go in his life. Of course, it wouldn't be a novel at all if it didn't become much more than that, with adventures, new experiences, and revelations along the way.

Mr. Gandy gave me what I expected: a pleasant read about a nice man whose life took an unexpected turn. It did something else, though. It made me think in ways that surprised me. About long marriages where spouses take each other for granted because you think you know all there is to know about the other person. About relationships with children, and the adults they turn into without your knowledge or input. How those same children may know more about you than you suspect. How surprising life can be if you just give it a chance.

Another added bonus for me was the inclusion of Forster's "A Room with a View". It was mentioned and quoted from several times, as Mr. Gandy used it as a general road map for his travels. There were great quotes from various sources before each chapter, like this one, my favorite: "Sometimes you have to give up your plans for life, so that life can show you what it has in store for you".

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timothy Gandy has sublimated his own ambitions for many years. After he is retrenched and his wife dies unexpectedly, Timothy decides this is the time to finally do what he has always dreamed of. To the consternation of some members of his adult offspring, Timothy, embarks on a Grand Tour of Europe. Following in the footsteps of the eighteenth century aristocracy, he sets out. He anticipates enjoying art and culture in France and Italy. However Timothy, in his mid-fifties, encounters far more than he ever expected on this trip.
This is a charming book that reveals the caring, friendly side of some people and the grasping self-interest of others, some of whom are in Timothy’s own family. His tour starts in France. It was lovely to revisit Paris, Versailles and some of the places with him and to discover other places never visited. But this book is not just a travelogue. It is about relationships.
The author was previously unknown to me, as I don’t watch gardening and home show which he apparently is known for I discovered later. I picked this book up after reviews by some GR friends and I am glad I did. Timothy is a likable, if naïve at times, character. His youngest daughter Rosie was lovely. Simon, the eldest of Timothy’s offspring is an arrogant selfish prat and middle child, Alice, ends up being more complex than Timothy ever thought. A delightful read about family and friendships as well as places.

[Julie Durnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars! I immensely enjoyed this travel book of a middle-aged man after the death of his wife. Timothy's chance encounters with people bring him out of his shell and encourage him to continue on his self-discovery trip. The pithy quotes heading each chapter are great and I loved the relevant book, music, and movie references sprinkled thoughout the book.

[Sandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free from a Goodreads giveaway.

This book was a gentle, pleasant read. Whilst it is set in the modern day, it has an old-fashioned feel about it and requires a suspension of disbelief throughout.

It is a feelgood book which made me wish that I could just pack up and travel to the Europe described where everyone you meet is lovely and helpful. Sadly, I feel the reality would not match Mr Gandy's experiences.

[Maya Panika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most people, I really only know Alan Titchmarsh as a celebrity gardener. I do know he has a second, very successful career as a well-regarded romance novelist though I’ve never read any of his novels, romance is not my genre, but this book arrived on my review list and I was curious and thought this story of a widower who decides to make a Grand Tour of Europe after the death of his unadventurous, stay-at-home wife, might be interesting and a little different from my usual reading - which it was, but not in a very entirely satisfying way. It was a smooth and pleasant enough read - not a riveter, I must say, nor any kind of twisty, turny tale. It was - with one small exception - somewhat uneventful, even a little dull. I’m afraid I found it all rather too *nice*. Most of the people (there are a few exceptions but they are not the norm) are so very kind and generous and helpful - either Alan T. leads a very charmed life or he was trying to introduce a lightly magical aspect to his tale. The writing style is a bit overblown and wordy too, and the appallingly written French accented dialogue was both comical and embarrassing and constantly reminded me of the tipsy French lady at Fawlty Towers, ‘oh Mizter Fawlty, you are Zo Nautee.’ One other thing that bothered me slightly - Mr Gandy seems awfully old for his age. I think I read that he was 52, which is really not very old these days; the upright chap in these pages felt to be nearer eighty at times. In short, there’s nothing all to object to here, it was a just a little like munching on a bag of Werther’s Originals when what you really fancied was a big bar of very good chocolate with chili. This was rather like what my Mum would always call ‘a nice cup of tea’, but I’m more of a Bombay Sapphire lass myself. I’m sure Alan’s regular readers and many more besides will love it, it just wasn’t my particular cup of ruin.

[Mandy Radley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always an enjoyable read.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a charming story! Some of my most cherished memories are those I have made while traveling. But it is not necessarily the newfound vistas that create the most memorable experiences.... the ones that sink deeply into me are more often created by the people I meet, the music I heard , or food that I savored .

Those are the things that the author invite us to share with Mr. Gandy as we travel along with him as he indulges his dream of a grand tour. And what a tour it is! Stories will be gained with laughter to be shared , handkerchiefs will be shared to wipe away tears, and wisdom will be shared that will impact lives for years to come.Relationships are discovered . And if we are lucky we may discover one of life’s greatest treasures...a new friend. If given the chance Timothy Gandy would be on my list.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Life is easy to chronicle, but bewildering to practice." E.M.Forster

Timothy Gandy has had a successful career but his personal life is moribund, estranged from two of his three children and living with a a wife with whom he has no common interests. Initially he stayed with her for the sake of the children but when they flew the coop out of fear of hurting her. At the age of 55 the company that Timothy has worked for virtually all his adult life is taken over by a larger conglomerate and rather than face a differing role within a bigger firm instead opts for early retirement. Uncertain as to how he will fill his time he is suddenly left a widower when his wife dies of a massive heart attack whilst playing tennis. After the shock of Isobel's death comes the realisation that he can now do whatever he liked.

Inspired by tales of travellers a century before and encouraged by his favourite daughter, Rosie, and her partner, Ace, he decides to embark on a Grand Tour taking a leisurely trip around the cultural sights of western Europe. His son Oliver is against Timothy's plans whereas his other daughter Alice seems indifferent.

Rosie is Timothy's youngest and favourite child so there are shades of Shakespeare's King Lear here. Similarly Timothy sets off with an ancient copy of Baedeker in hand in much the same way as Michael Portillo does in his various railway television series. His first stop is Paris where he falls in love with a younger woman, before moving on to Monaco, Florence and Rome taking in the cultural sights and generally indulging himself.

This is a fairly gentle tale with little action and no violence involving a middle aged man who discovers that it is never too late to have a little adventure. Timothy is well meaning if a little naive and is generally well drawn even if at times I wanted to shout at him not to be so soft and to man up. There isn't a particularly strong plot and I personally found the ending a touch frustrating as Timothy has seemed to settle back into a life of comfort and conformity rather than doing anything more exciting but if you are looking for something that is not too taxing for either the beach or pool, or for a long train/plane journey then you could do worse.

[DubaiReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gallivanting around Europe.
This was a book club read that I started with reservations. Although I had previously read and enjoyed three of Alan Titchmarsh's novels, I was worried that this was going to be more of a rehash of David Nicholl's 'Us'. However, while both centred around a guy touring Europe, they we actually quite different and I have to say I enjoyed this. Only the end, as sort of epilogue to the tour, grated with me and I felt the story would have been stronger without it.

Timothy Gandy suddenly finds himself with no job and no wife. So what better to do than the travel that he had longed to do for many years? Inspired by the Grand Tour of previous centuries and armed with old writings and a guide-book dated 1904, he heads towards France and Italy in search of....adventure?

I couldn't help but picture Alan Titchmarsh, himself as Timothy Gandy, he is just too well-known a face. But even that added to the narrative in a way. It's a very easy-read style, almost chick-lit, but I could quite see how the shy traveller could shake off his reservations in a new environment and meet some interesting characters along the way.

Add it to your summer beach reads :)

Also read:
Trowel and Error - Memoir (3.5 stars)
The Last Lighthouse Keeper (5 stars)
Only Dad (4 stars)

[Edgar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein wirklich netter, sehr gut unterhaltender Roman über die 'Grand Tour', die Reise durch mehrere französische und italienische Städte in der Tradition englischer Adliger des 18. Jahrhunderts, eines unlängst verwitweten, 55-jährigen Frührentners aus Sussex, der den Traum seines Lebens nachholt, als ihm die Unlust seiner verstorbenen Frau keinen Strich mehr durch die Rechnung machen konnte. Liebe, Verbrechen, Freundschaft, Tod, die Normalisierung der Verhältnisse mit einer der beiden Töchter und ein schmerzlicher Betrug - all das, neben der touristischen Bereicherung, widerfuhr ihm auf seiner Reise, auf der er pausenlos interessante Menschen kennenlernte.

Wer hätte das erwartet, dass der Fernsehgärtner der britischen Nation, auch schreiben kann! Na ja, kreativ war er ja und malen konnte er auch. Wäre nicht alles aus der Feder und Sicht eines Mannes geschrieben, könnte man das fast Chick Lit nennen, wie ich mit Erheiterung feststellte, dass das heutzutage genannt wird.

[Sina & Ilona Glimmerfee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worum geht es?
Mit den Jahren hat es Timothy Gandy gelernt, seinen Wunsch nach Reisen und Persönlichkeitsentfaltung nach hinten zu stellen. Doch nun ist er fünfundfünfzig Jahre alt und das Leben gibt ihm die Chance, seinem Leben doch noch eine neue Richtung zu geben. Erst verliert er seinen Job und dann stirbt seine Frau. Ein Ende, das einen Neuanfang in sich birgt.
Nicht ohne ein schlechtes Gewissen, traut sich Tim aus seinem Schneckenhaus und wagt erneut zu träumen. Seine drei Kinder, längst erwachsen, sehen seinen Plänen mit unterschiedlichen Sichtweisen entgegen.
Doch dann ist es soweit, Tim begibt sich auf die Grand Tour, mit einem Reiseführer aus dem Jahr 1781, zur Inspiration im Handgepäck.

Wie hat es mir gefallen?
Ich bin ein großer Fan von Alan Titchmarsch, allerdings bezog sich dies bislang auf seine Gartensendungen, die ich immer sehr gerne verfolgt habe. Erst jetzt habe ich entdeckt, dass er auch Romane schreibt. Mehr als gespannt, habe ich den Buchdeckel aufgeschlagen. Wie viel Gartenbeschreibungen würde ich auf den Seiten finden? Dies sei schon mal verraten, wüsste ich nicht, dass er ein Garten-Guru ist, wäre ich beim Lesen nicht auf den Gedanken gekommen.

Es ist ein richtiges Wohlfühlbuch, das auch so manche Frage in den Raum stellt und einlädt, sich selbst und das Leben zu reflektieren.
Es war sehr schön beim Lesen mitzuerleben, wie Tim langsam wieder aufblüht, sein fast vergessenes Talent und seine Kontaktfreudigkeit wieder entdeckt. Auf seiner Reise trifft er interessante Menschen, kommt an wunderschöne Orte, fühlt wieder Schmetterlinge im Bauch und lernt seine Prioritäten zu setzen.
Besonders gut hat mir auch die Familienkonstellation gefallen. Die Charaktere sind unterschiedlich und haben eigene Motivationen, die zu glaubhaften Konflikten und Situationen führen.
Was ich aus dem Buch mitnehmen werde, ist, sich an einem neuen Ort, erst einmal auf die Atmosphäre einzulassen und dann ins Detail zu gehen.

Drei zufällig ausgewählte Fragen zum Buch:

👉Gibt es irgendjemanden, mit dem du dich im Buch identifizieren kannst?
Ein Stück weit kann ich mich mit Tim identifizieren. Wer Kinder hat und einen dominanten Partner, vergisst leicht, die eigenen Interessen nicht völlig aus den Augen zu verlieren. Eigentlich sind es es ja meist die Frauen, die sich für das Wohl der Familie 'opfern', hier trifft es ausnahmsweise den Mann.
An die neu gewonnene Freiheit, muss Tim sich erst gewöhnen, bevor er die Reise und sein Leben wieder in vollen Zügen genießen kann, ohne dabei zum Egoisten zu mutieren.
Er bietet also sehr viel Identitifikationsfläche für alle, die sich schon einmal selbst zurückgenommen haben, damit andere sich frei entfalten können und sich wohlfühlen.

👉Wärst du mit einem der Charaktere im Buch befreundet?
Ja, ich wäre gerne mit Tim befreundet, aber auch mit seinen Töchtern und Rosamund, aber auch Archie und Serena sind Menschen, die ich gerne kennen lernen würde. Es sind einige sympathische Charaktere dabei, mit denen ich mich rundum wohlfühlte.

👉Wie gefiel mir das Setting?
Ich bin in Büchern gerne auf Reisen und wenn es dann an so schöne Orte wie Paris, die französische Riviera und Florenz geht, packe ich gerne meinen virtuellen Koffer, noch dazu, wenn die Reisebegleitung so sympathisch, wie Tim ist.

Fazit:
Ein eher ruhiges Buch, dass mir ein wenig Reisefeeling in den Alltag gezaubert hat. Eine Geschichte, die ich als sehr wohltuend empfunden habe, die aber nicht nur zuckersüß daherkommt, sondern auch den einen oder anderen bitteren Tropfen bereithält.

Wichtige Infos:
Dieses Buch wurde mir vom Verlag als kostenloses REZENSIONSEXEMPLAR zur Verfügung gestellt. Diese Buchvorstellung spiegelt allein meine persönliche Meinung wieder.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Quite pleasant and very undemanding; that just about sums it up for me.

I imagine Mr Gandy is at least partly based on Mr Titchmarsh himself, because he has always seemed to be Mr Nice Guy to me. It is the story of a kind, ordinary and somewhat naive man trying to find himself after becoming suddenly widowed, by going on a Grand Tour in the style of early 20th century British tourists.

This novel is certainly not one of Alan Titchmarsh's best, nor something to rave about, but he narrates it beautifully.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed something easy going and not overly-dramatic to read on a short holiday break and this was a recent purchase in a charity shop so I slung it in my rucksack hoping it would fit the bill.

It did, perfectly. Likeable characters who were believable, a 'plot' that was realistic and, more importantly, competent writing by the author.

There were a couple of minor niggles, but I was more than prepared to overlook those for the quality of the prose. I suppose you could call it 'old-fashioned' writing - the man is not a macho hero, the women are not sassy or steamy, there's no real tension, just a quietly flowing story about finding one's way in the world and discovering yourself.

I finished reading it with a sense of real satisfaction. Everything rang 'true', if you get my drift. And Tom Gandy is just lovely. One of those characters in a novel that I would really like to meet one day.

[Gill T · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful and charming novel . Loved reading about Paris as it reminded me of a visit there. Wish that he’d gone to Venice as Venice is one of my favourite places.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read. Enjoyed the descriptions of places visited. Characters were believable. Laugh out moments.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that caught my eye on a recent library visit. It looked like good summer reading, so I thought I'd give it a try. And it was just that, good summer reading. Not too complex, well written, with enough questions to be answered that it kept me reading at a steady pace, but not so suspenseful I couldn't put it down. Very well drawn characters that I came to care about over the course of the novel. Enjoyable.

[Mike Sumner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another heartwarming story from Alan Titchmarsh. Timothy Gandy has had a successful career, has three grown up children and a marriage that has become somewhat moribund; he and his wife tolerate each other and Gandy has resigned himself to a life without much to look forward to. That is until he is suddenly (if tragically) released from his hen-pecked existence. He will embark on something many of us might have considered at some time - a Grand Tour of Europe - much to the dismay of his children, particularly his son and daughter-in-law Oliver and Vita who see their inheritance being put in jeopardy.

He sets off with the full support of his favourite daughter and her partner Ace and grand-daughter Alice - first stop Paris. His encounters on this journey of a lifetime are unexpected and endearing. He might be somewhat naive when it comes to new relationships but he has a heart of gold, which leads him to an event that will change his whole outlook on life.

A charming tale of a man following his lifetime's ambition on the Grand Tour....

[Beesummers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very easy reading and refreshing to read a book from a man's perspective as he enters a new phase of life.

[Denise Tarasuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr Gandy’s Grand Tour was a great read! I turned page after page as all of the surprising events evolved. Fun, fantastic, and certainly entertaining. Thank you Alan Titchmarch for the pleasure!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read any of Mr Titchmarsh's books before, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this one up.
The blurb tells me that Tim Gandy takes a tour of Europe in the style of the young men and women of the past. He even has an old guidebook to travel with him. In addition, Timothy decides to travel by train and already I have a feeling that someone else has done this before. However, this is a modern take on that old indulgence and there are some amusing scenes as a result.
Tim's journey takes him from home to Paris for the first part of his journey. He visits Versailles, museums and rediscovers his lost love of painting. Enter Francine, owner of a small gallery in the city. In Francine's company Tim discovers something else about himself. He eventually moves on to Monaco and finally Italy. Whilst in Italy, all of Tim's plans are discarded when the issue of family crops up unexpectedly and from that point the story takes a very different path.
I found this book to be a very light and easy read. It is amusing at times and the characters that Timothy meets on his travels provide interest and variations in the pace of the story. I liked the detail of each location and could picture the places Tim visited. However, I thought the conversations between Tim and the characters in France, Francine in particular, read more like the script of a Whitehall farce than real life. Even modern theatres have consigned Whitehall farces to the archives and personally, I think that is exactly where they need to remain.
Overall, this book is a good, very light and entertaining read.

[Leonie Hinch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always had a (not so) secret love for Alan Titchmarsh's novel ever since I read Only Dad many years ago. Mr Gandy's Grand Tour is such a lovely little read and very refreshing after the two tomes I've read recently!

Mr Gandy is suddenly (if tragically) released from his unhappy marriage around the same time as he is forced into early retirement. Inspired by a book he finds about 18th century young gentleman going on the Grand Tour (modern day gap year), he decides to embark on a tour of Europe of his own, much to the disgust of his eldest son who views it as him squandering his inheritance.



What Mr Gandy finds, is not only beautiful hotels, culture filled cities and art, but also friendships and love. Alan Titchmarsh writes surprisingly profound messages about love and life and often gives you a good laugh as you go along!

I really enjoyed this short novel particularly the travel parts, as I'm in Italy myself at the moment it was great to see Mr Gandy's views and actually be able to picture them myself!

[Catherine Makin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book!!! Such an entertaining read.

[Rhonda DuPree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Gandy tours Europe as students did in the past. His experiences with the people he meets is an adventure in itself. The places he tours make me want to go on a Grand Tour also.

[Faye Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, although I felt the main character was a bit naive at times.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant and thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Valerie Wicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ This was the nice easy reading that you can expect from Alan Titchmarsh. Rather quaint characters, a will-they-won’t-they storyline and no loose ends left untied.

[Renata · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much to say about this one.

[Josephine Tregear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this as it really made be do some self reflection.

[Kate McCourt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun beach book.