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There There
A novel in two parts. The first is set in the Polish city of Krakow, as a wedding photographer prepares for his latest job. The second takes us to Lyon, France, where a would-be writer is trying to enjoy a brief holiday on a shoestring budget.'There There' is as much about the sense of place as it is of character or action. Krakow and Lyon become two characters in the dramas that unfold; this is 'travel fiction' in the truest sense.
231 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 27, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 8, 2020
Some time ago I had the pleasure of admiring several photographs of cities in Poland taken by Mr.Walker. What struck me in those beautiful photos - and what I can also see in the two novellas in this book - was the rare ability of seeing and capturing beauty in places that may not strike the casual observes as beautiful. What I enjoy in this book is the narrators' attentiveness to the cities in which they find themselves - they are both drawn to what they see and hear, and, at the same time, at an ironical (writerly?) distance from it. Christopher Walker's style is an extrovert one: as one of his narrators observes, it's no use sitting in one's room and waiting for the muse to speak - what one should do instead is to go out and experience everyday events as they happen. What one needs - to mention Virginia Woolf's famous essay (one of many literary references in Mr. Walker's book), is not "a room of one's own", but a city to call one's own (even if only for the weekend).
January 19, 2025
"There There" by Christopher Walker is a beautifully introspective novel that captures the quiet complexities of travel, identity, and fleeting human connection. Set between the atmospheric streets of Kraków and the sunlit corners of Lyon, the book turns each city into a living, breathing character, shaping the emotional landscape of the story.
In the Kraków chapters, we follow a tired wedding photographer struggling through the oppressive summer heat and his own physical exhaustion. Walker’s attention to small, mundane details—the smear of honey on his thumb, the failed attempt to photograph Saint Joseph’s Church due to harsh sunlight—grounds the narrative in realism. His brief, awkward exchanges, like the encounter with an American couple at a café, subtly reflect themes of isolation and the challenge of fitting into unfamiliar spaces.
The Lyon sections offer a contrasting yet equally reflective experience, following a would-be writer drifting through his budget holiday. The interactions with characters like Guy and Celeste highlight the transient and often bittersweet nature of relationships formed while traveling. Walker masterfully captures the feeling of impermanence, as seen in the understated yet poignant ending when the protagonist is pulled back to reality by something as mundane as paying a tourist tax.
Walker’s writing is immersive and richly detailed, focusing on moments where seemingly little happens, yet so much is felt. "There There" is less about action and more about atmosphere, memory, and the subtle ways places shape us. It’s a thoughtful, quietly powerful novel that stays with you long after the final page.
In the Kraków chapters, we follow a tired wedding photographer struggling through the oppressive summer heat and his own physical exhaustion. Walker’s attention to small, mundane details—the smear of honey on his thumb, the failed attempt to photograph Saint Joseph’s Church due to harsh sunlight—grounds the narrative in realism. His brief, awkward exchanges, like the encounter with an American couple at a café, subtly reflect themes of isolation and the challenge of fitting into unfamiliar spaces.
The Lyon sections offer a contrasting yet equally reflective experience, following a would-be writer drifting through his budget holiday. The interactions with characters like Guy and Celeste highlight the transient and often bittersweet nature of relationships formed while traveling. Walker masterfully captures the feeling of impermanence, as seen in the understated yet poignant ending when the protagonist is pulled back to reality by something as mundane as paying a tourist tax.
Walker’s writing is immersive and richly detailed, focusing on moments where seemingly little happens, yet so much is felt. "There There" is less about action and more about atmosphere, memory, and the subtle ways places shape us. It’s a thoughtful, quietly powerful novel that stays with you long after the final page.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews