Reviewed by Gaius Konstantine for Readers' Favorite

“Days of delight, are you almost here?” According to Hayden Thompson's novel Marvelous Days, if you seek delight, it may be best to create it, for it seldom appears on its own. Kevin Brunner is facing his last day at work before retirement. He realizes life will now lose the comfort of routine and its superficial meaning, leaving him wondering what to do with his time. As a widower with a grown and married son, Kevin does not have family or friends close to him, so his solution is to travel and indulge his wanderlust. For Kevin, it seems easier to relate to strangers as they offer the comfort of anonymity, yet this is a poor substitute for meaningful relationships. During his travels, Kevin will rediscover that it is not what we do and where we go that makes us happy; it is who we share those moments with.  
 
In one sense, Marvelous Days by Hayden Thompson is a peculiar yet appealing book. Reading it felt like peeking into a lonely man's diary. Yet the overall style was charming and came across as a chain of thoughts, making the entire premise and depicted events very real. The novel has a basic plot centered on a man using travel to occupy his time. However, the theme is far more profound, focusing on the subtle yet tragic loneliness of a man whose ability to connect with people is akin to a spoon's ability to taste food. Marvelous Days is both an immersive read and a cautionary tale, but more importantly, it is a reminder that it is never too late to become a better human being.