After a rather trying novel, albeit very interesting, it was a delight to read The Pied Piper by Nevil Shute.
It's a very accessible novel about an interesting event during WWII.
In short, this novel is about an Englishman who wounds up escorting several children out of German besieged France. This doesn't go without a hitch and as his exasperation grows, so does his group of children. That's where the link with the title lies.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin was a folk tale about a man who could whistle that well that children followed him everywhere. It's a story with a bit of a twist as the reason he lures the children away is because the villagers won't pay him for relieving them of a rat infestation.
Nevil Shute's The Pied Piper is told very straightforward but with enough emotion that you genuinely share the same feelings. There aren't any twists or double story lines, it's so easy that it felt cosy reading it. I never felt I had to pay attention to anything I might miss, while the writer tries to prove himself worthy of producing Literature. This novel wasn't mindbogglingly creative, but it was honest and that in itself is a merit a lot of novels miss out on these days.
Beside everything else, I could hardly put it down, the story pulled me in from the very start. I can't tell much about the story itself, because that would be telling too much. It's fairly short and very enjoyable. I recommend it to anyone who has a few hours to spare and doesn't mind a bit of footwork.
