Shelf Life: How I Found The Meaning of Life Stacking Supermarket Shelves Kindle Edition

On the face of it this is just life behind the scenes at a supermarket but it is actually very much more than this. After 20 years as a priest Simon Parke decided the life is not for him. But is life as a supermarket worker any better? Incidents involving staff and customers are related with humour and insight. Even trivial happenings tell us something about life in general. The biggest insight I got from this book is that life is what you make it - if you're miserable - like Winston - then your life will be miserable.Having worked in a supermarket myself I found this book fascinating and very true to life. Drawing a moral from each story might seem a little pious but Simon Parke's writing style and his self deprecating humour lifts it onto another plain entirely. I loved the supermarket workers themselves - Winston, Sapphy, Faith, Caspar and the managers Pinochio - because he never tells the truth, Kong - because he looks like the film character. All have their own hopes and fears and outside interests. Together the staff are from the four corners of the world and many different religions but in the main they work together reasonably harmoniously.This is an interesting little book and easy to read and it may just make you see your life differently. I enjoyed it.

What an unexpectedly great book. I ended up reading it twice, the second time just so I could revisit the wonderful characters (well, people). Funny and sad and very well written. What more could you want?

Everything by Simon Parke is worth reading and re-reading. This is no exception.

Secret santa present.

Looks good - will read first before review - bis I've seen are funny