David Lodge (1935) is a British author who has got several awards and titles. He has taught in the English department of University of Birmingham from 1960 until 1987, when he retired to become a full – time writer. His books are often about the lives and relationships of university teachers. Some of them have been adopted into TV programmes. As D. Lodge was brought up in a Catholic family, theological themes are discussed in his novel Paradise News that was published in 1991.
The novel consists of three parts. It tells about the protagonist Bernard Walsh (44), who has ceased to believe in God, but still teaches theology in the South Rummidge College. He takes his father Jack Walsh, retired chief shipper, to visit father’s ill sister Ursula, who has married an American and has lived in Waikiki, Honolulu for nearly forty years. She is suffering from cancer now. There are also other characters – British tourists that cooperate with Bernard and his family during the whole novel, for example, honeymoon couple, other holiday makers etc.
Part one.
I like the first chapter of the book when all passengers go through the passport control and check – in for the flight to Honolulu including change of planes at Los Angeles. The way how the author puts every character in a particular episode thus revealing his situation, is very successful and curious way to attract the reader. …
