OCTOBER ~ Ian McEwan

This month members of the Book Club were asked to read one of the novels written by English author, Ian McEwan.

Atonement

ED found the first 1/3 of the book difficult to read, citing the lengthy character development and over descriptive writing. This was a common comment by others who also read the book.

13-year-old Briony Tallis misinterprets her older sister’s love affair with their family’s gardener to be something much worse than what it is. Her innocence and partial understanding of the world begins a chain of events that tears the family apart and alters the course of the rest of the girl’s life.

DIANE thought the title was very apt – others had committed the crime but no one had received any comeuppance.

She also couldn’t work out the ending and described the story as not very satisfying. She thought the author ‘puts down old age’.

MAREE also thought the book had a slow start, but that the middle was a really good story. She loved that part but thought it was let down by the ending.

She also commented that the film was quite different.

KRIS loved the book, so much so that she couldn’t put it down.

She thought the author had a great understanding of teenage girl’s emotions and that some of what happened did so because of class differences. There was a great build up of tension and the use of the 3 time periods worked well.

But she also was disappointed with the ending, thinking that it was too easy.

TAM made similar comments, enjoying the book but disappointed with the ending. But she thought she would read more of McEwan’s books.

The Children Act

WENDY loved the book! The plot involves a 60 year old woman who is a highly respected Supreme Court Judge. Every day she must make major decisions and moral judgements on other people’s lives. At the same time her marriage is becoming a bit shaky. Her husband believes life is passing him by; he wants to have an affair with a younger colleague.

ANN found the book to be gripping and moving. The author writes well and covers several ethical issues in the cases, many of them very relevant today.

BEV thought the ending was soppy and allowed the story to ‘peter off’.

JUDY J really enjoyed the book admiring the author for his thorough research not just on the legal details, but medical and musical facts he used. The author explained he had read many judgements and used the experience of his own divorce as part of his research.

LESLIE described it as an engrossing and clever book. She thought the author really got into the head of this 60 year old woman, hugely intelligent, cultured, in full control of her life. But even she could sometimes do irrational things.

Leslie also thought the ending was rushed and not satisfying. But maybe that’s how it was in her life; move on to the next stage, the natural progression of life.

 

ROSEMARY read from a passage at the end of the book with McEwan’s description of divorce. His own was particularly acrimonious.

DIANN F thought that the story line was good but overall she didn’t like the book. She struggled to read a book written by a man who was thinking like a woman!

JO likes to read for enjoyment and to pass the time. She loved it particularly as the book gave you a perspective of how the judge came to a decision.

Saturday

PAT’s first comment was that this book also had a slow beginning. In great detail the author describes the family of a very successful surgeon, the wife, daughter and son. For Pat there was too much vivid description of aspects of the surgeon’s work!

The story takes place on one horrendous Saturday, and tries to show why some people behave the way they do and those who show compassion. The surgeon is faced with a moral decision deciding whether he can treat someone who is likely to harm his family.

Pat enjoyed the book, thought it was clever and made you think. Worth reading!

Sweet Tooth

JUDY D  

The main character and narrator is an attractive young student at Cambridge University who after a brief affair with a History Professor is recruited to join MI5 as a spy in the Cold War.

There was some thought that parts of the book were based on the author’s own life experiences.

Again the ending to this book was commented on: Judy thinking it was contrived and convoluted. She reread it several times before reaching some sort of understanding.

TERESA also read the book, describing it as ‘weird’. She also reread the final chapter several times but still couldn’t grasp it.

DENISE found it easy to get into the book but described the young girl (the heroine) to be annoying and inconsequential, so much so that she didn’t finish the book.

Black Dogs

JOAN

 Published in 1992, Jeremy is the narrator. After his parents died in a car accident when he was 8 years old, his sisters raised him. He develops an obsession with other people’s families.

When he marries he gets his own family and in-laws etc and is determined to write their family history and memoirs. He discovers in their past devastating events which continue to shape their lives.

Joan described the book as intricate, symbol laden and ‘too deep’ for her and found the story very depressing!

 

Nutshell

PAMELA

 This short novel, narrated by a foetus, is loosely based onShakespeare’s Hamlet. The unborn child listens to his mother plotting to kill his father in partnership with her lover. The title ‘Nutshell’ refers to the unborn child. The writing was very good and included quotes from Hamlet.

PAULINE

Continuing with the plot, Pauline explains that the wife wants to kill her husband to get the house, an old Georgian town house in central London. The murder weapon was to be a smoothie!

The foetus is subjected to many amusing situations and muses over issues such as climate change and refugees. He also becomes a bit of a wine snob.

She thought it a simple idea for a book, cleverly written and very entertaining.

Solo

CONNIE

A brilliant scientist develops a way to harness the sun’s rays to create an amazing amount of power.

For his experiments he wins the Nobel Prize for Physics.

The book is solely about him, his marriages, his mistresses, his lack of respect for others, his fear of commitment, and his inability to relate with his children. He is not a likeable man.

Connie found the technical information was too much for her.

She praised his writing, but didn’t really enjoy the book.

LAURA liked it more but didn’t love it.

She thought it an interesting character study of a man who thinks he is the ‘bee’s knees’ and not unbelievable. This man was brilliant and focused. He won the Nobel Prize when he was quite young and then coasts along. He continues to go to conferences, to write and becomes totally self –obsessed. His career stagnates.

It is not a page-turner but Laura thought it had the right ending.

PRUE enjoyed the book and thought the author continued to create suspense through out.

His research regarding climate change was very good and he came up with a feasible idea.

Although much of the book was made up of long paragraphs, she had to keep reading. The sign of a good writing!