These are the suggested topics for our reading and discussion over the next 6 months.
JULY: the author Graham Greene
AUGUST: Stories about the sea
SEPTEMBER: Fathers
OCTOBER: Australian History
NOVEMBER: Books from our childhood
DECEMBER: Christmas theme
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
MAY: Animal stories
This month our task was to read a book that in some way featured animal/s.
Joan & Judy: Foal's bread by Gillian Meers
The book has a gorgeous wrap around cover featuring the head of a horse. It is set in rural NSW between the 2 wars and takes you into the harsh world of horse high jumping.This was evidently very popular after WW1 when there was quite an extensive circuit of the country agricultural shows, with some good prize money and few regulations.
The main characters are the Child's family, including Cecil and his daughter Noah. They are itinerant workers but also involved with horses and the jumping circuit. We also have the Nancarrows including their son Roley who is generally recognised as the best high jumper.
Norah and Roley meet and fall in love. The story follows several generations of their lives as they struggle to raise a team of jumping horses. Personal conflict and tragedy plus the vagaries of weather and life of the land add to the colour of the story.
It is a wonderfully evocative story of love, life and hardship in the bush.
Judy commented that it is ironic that the author describes so beautifully the sensation of freedom to go higher and higher over the jumps while she herself is confined to a wheelchair due to MS.
The author has a unique style of writing using a mixture of the rough ungrammatical country speak of the locals and then her flowing descriptions of the trees, flowers, and the colours of the countryside.
Connie: Silver Brumby's Daughter and White Fang by Jack London
Connie's grand daughter loved the Silver Brumby series but after reading this book, Connie saw it as a children's book about horses. The horses speak to each other which Connie can't cope with. She thought she had left it too late to enjoy it.
Her grandson had recommended White Fang by Jack London and while she had previously been reluctant to read a London book, she loved this one.
Set in the cold northern wilderness of North America in 1906, White Fang is 1/4 dog and 3/4 wolf. The author describes the dog's feelings so well, you feel for him as he forages for food and is captured and cruelly treated by people. There are great descriptions about the wolf pack and how they breed.
Connie really enjoyed it much to her surprise.
Anne: Red Dog by Louis de Bernieres
The dog is born a wanderer but even though he had been adopted by John, he still wanders off occasionally. He was able to hitch rides on trains and trucks etc because people recognised him. The dog is distraught when John dies and spends most of his life looking for him, having his adventures along the way.
Based on a real dog, several other books have been written about him, and recently a very successful film was released.
Jane & Dianne: Marley and Me by John Grogan
John Grogan writes a weekly column for a suburban newspaper. When he and his wife Jenny get a new puppy, he decides to write about the highs and lows of looking after this dog. Jenny is worried whether she will be able cope with a baby, so the pup is almost a trial for raising a child.
The dog gets into the heart of the family and they do go on to have children. Its a true story, light hearted about a loveable dog you could throttle. They were a lovely couple, had a lovely house and lovely children. It is all about loving the dog.
Dianne thought it a bit schmaltzy and sentimental. The dog was the runt of the litter but quite neurotic, terrified of thunderstorms, almost destroying the house when left alone.
Rosemary: The Donkey Who Carried the Wounded by Jackie French
While she has only read about 1/4 of this book, she thought it would be a good way for children to learn more of our history.
Sometimes the story is told through the eyes of the donkey, sometimes through the eyes of Jack.
Wendy: Horrie the Wog Dog by Ion Idriess
Wendy reread this old book set in the Egypt in 1941. Horrie was a dog found in the dessert by an Australian soldier James Moody. The dog was adopted by the soldiers, going into battle with them in Egypt, Crete, Palestine and Syria.
When the war was over, all animal mascots were ordered to be euthanized. Not wanting this to happen, Moody smuggled Horrie back into Australia. There is some confusion as to what happened then, although it seems likely that when the law caught up with Moody, another dog was surrendered in Horrie's place.
Pamela: Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowatt
A young biologist is sent to the Northern Canadian wilderness in 1948/9 to investigate the decline in the caribou population, believed to have been from attacks by wolf packs.
He discovers that it is not the wolves as they eat small vermin, rodents and fish. They aren't generally aggressive animals and are more likely to run away than attack.
Pamela lost some confidence in the author after his descriptions of his interaction with some wolves.
Further research showed that much of the book is fiction and that he had plagiarized 2 very important science books.
But by chance the book got an unexpected result.....it reduced the negative prejudice against wolves. The caribou numbers were decreasing because they were used as food by humans and were being killed by recreational hunters.
Lesley: My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
He was born in 1925 in India, and came back to live in England in 1928 after his father died. The family was very eccentric in a lovely British way. Being totally obsessed with animals and a great observer of their habits, Durrell became a well known conservationist beginning the Jersey Zoo. Many of his principles were in contrast to generally held beliefs of those times.
He only began to write during the war, because he was poor. His writing is laid back, gentle and easy to read. He meanders through life treating everyone equally.
It is a lovely, gentle story full of animals, and a lovely family who didn't see themselves as eccentric, but fascinated by everything and anything,
Kris: A Friend Like Henry by Nuala Gardner
The author is a midwife, and when her son was born he didn't communicate in any way with the family. There was not a lot of professional help around in the 1980s. In desperation they acquired a dog, a golden retriever named Henry and it was through this dog that their son began to communicate. He was eventually able to attend a special class within a normal high school.
A very inspiring book!
Kris also read Life of Pi by Yann Martell.
Her comments...interesting, very descriptive but a bit gruesome.
Tammy: Blind Hope, an unwanted dog and the woman she rescued Kim Meeder
This true story is set in Oregon on a ranch for abused animals mainly horses. They also rescue people who are broken by pairing them with suitable animals.
The author is telling Laurie's story. She has had a troubled childhood, dabbled in drugs etc and eventually ended up on the ranch. When Laurie is paired with a rescue dog who has many problems including blindness and diabetes, she learns to trust, to love, to be dependable and they grow together. There is a Christian emphasis through out the book and many parallels with God in behavior and attitude.
Tammy thought it was a lovely book, a real tear jerker!
Jules: Jonathon Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach
A classic book first published in 1970. It is a fable of a seagull who learns about life and flight and is told in 3 parts. The 4th part is only now (this year) available having been written by the author.
The pictures are really inspiring and the book has been referenced in many other films and books.
A timeless, spiritual classic said Jules.
Joan & Judy: Foal's bread by Gillian Meers
The book has a gorgeous wrap around cover featuring the head of a horse. It is set in rural NSW between the 2 wars and takes you into the harsh world of horse high jumping.This was evidently very popular after WW1 when there was quite an extensive circuit of the country agricultural shows, with some good prize money and few regulations.
The main characters are the Child's family, including Cecil and his daughter Noah. They are itinerant workers but also involved with horses and the jumping circuit. We also have the Nancarrows including their son Roley who is generally recognised as the best high jumper.
Norah and Roley meet and fall in love. The story follows several generations of their lives as they struggle to raise a team of jumping horses. Personal conflict and tragedy plus the vagaries of weather and life of the land add to the colour of the story.
It is a wonderfully evocative story of love, life and hardship in the bush.
Judy commented that it is ironic that the author describes so beautifully the sensation of freedom to go higher and higher over the jumps while she herself is confined to a wheelchair due to MS.
The author has a unique style of writing using a mixture of the rough ungrammatical country speak of the locals and then her flowing descriptions of the trees, flowers, and the colours of the countryside.
Connie: Silver Brumby's Daughter and White Fang by Jack London
Connie's grand daughter loved the Silver Brumby series but after reading this book, Connie saw it as a children's book about horses. The horses speak to each other which Connie can't cope with. She thought she had left it too late to enjoy it.
Her grandson had recommended White Fang by Jack London and while she had previously been reluctant to read a London book, she loved this one.
Set in the cold northern wilderness of North America in 1906, White Fang is 1/4 dog and 3/4 wolf. The author describes the dog's feelings so well, you feel for him as he forages for food and is captured and cruelly treated by people. There are great descriptions about the wolf pack and how they breed.
Connie really enjoyed it much to her surprise.
Anne: Red Dog by Louis de Bernieres
The dog is born a wanderer but even though he had been adopted by John, he still wanders off occasionally. He was able to hitch rides on trains and trucks etc because people recognised him. The dog is distraught when John dies and spends most of his life looking for him, having his adventures along the way.
Based on a real dog, several other books have been written about him, and recently a very successful film was released.
Jane & Dianne: Marley and Me by John Grogan
John Grogan writes a weekly column for a suburban newspaper. When he and his wife Jenny get a new puppy, he decides to write about the highs and lows of looking after this dog. Jenny is worried whether she will be able cope with a baby, so the pup is almost a trial for raising a child.
The dog gets into the heart of the family and they do go on to have children. Its a true story, light hearted about a loveable dog you could throttle. They were a lovely couple, had a lovely house and lovely children. It is all about loving the dog.
Dianne thought it a bit schmaltzy and sentimental. The dog was the runt of the litter but quite neurotic, terrified of thunderstorms, almost destroying the house when left alone.
Rosemary: The Donkey Who Carried the Wounded by Jackie French
While she has only read about 1/4 of this book, she thought it would be a good way for children to learn more of our history.
Sometimes the story is told through the eyes of the donkey, sometimes through the eyes of Jack.
Wendy: Horrie the Wog Dog by Ion Idriess
Wendy reread this old book set in the Egypt in 1941. Horrie was a dog found in the dessert by an Australian soldier James Moody. The dog was adopted by the soldiers, going into battle with them in Egypt, Crete, Palestine and Syria.
When the war was over, all animal mascots were ordered to be euthanized. Not wanting this to happen, Moody smuggled Horrie back into Australia. There is some confusion as to what happened then, although it seems likely that when the law caught up with Moody, another dog was surrendered in Horrie's place.
Pamela: Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowatt
A young biologist is sent to the Northern Canadian wilderness in 1948/9 to investigate the decline in the caribou population, believed to have been from attacks by wolf packs.
He discovers that it is not the wolves as they eat small vermin, rodents and fish. They aren't generally aggressive animals and are more likely to run away than attack.
Pamela lost some confidence in the author after his descriptions of his interaction with some wolves.
Further research showed that much of the book is fiction and that he had plagiarized 2 very important science books.
But by chance the book got an unexpected result.....it reduced the negative prejudice against wolves. The caribou numbers were decreasing because they were used as food by humans and were being killed by recreational hunters.
Lesley: My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
He was born in 1925 in India, and came back to live in England in 1928 after his father died. The family was very eccentric in a lovely British way. Being totally obsessed with animals and a great observer of their habits, Durrell became a well known conservationist beginning the Jersey Zoo. Many of his principles were in contrast to generally held beliefs of those times.
He only began to write during the war, because he was poor. His writing is laid back, gentle and easy to read. He meanders through life treating everyone equally.
It is a lovely, gentle story full of animals, and a lovely family who didn't see themselves as eccentric, but fascinated by everything and anything,
Kris: A Friend Like Henry by Nuala Gardner
The author is a midwife, and when her son was born he didn't communicate in any way with the family. There was not a lot of professional help around in the 1980s. In desperation they acquired a dog, a golden retriever named Henry and it was through this dog that their son began to communicate. He was eventually able to attend a special class within a normal high school.
A very inspiring book!
Kris also read Life of Pi by Yann Martell.
Her comments...interesting, very descriptive but a bit gruesome.
Tammy: Blind Hope, an unwanted dog and the woman she rescued Kim Meeder
This true story is set in Oregon on a ranch for abused animals mainly horses. They also rescue people who are broken by pairing them with suitable animals.
The author is telling Laurie's story. She has had a troubled childhood, dabbled in drugs etc and eventually ended up on the ranch. When Laurie is paired with a rescue dog who has many problems including blindness and diabetes, she learns to trust, to love, to be dependable and they grow together. There is a Christian emphasis through out the book and many parallels with God in behavior and attitude.
Tammy thought it was a lovely book, a real tear jerker!
Jules: Jonathon Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach
A classic book first published in 1970. It is a fable of a seagull who learns about life and flight and is told in 3 parts. The 4th part is only now (this year) available having been written by the author.
The pictures are really inspiring and the book has been referenced in many other films and books.
A timeless, spiritual classic said Jules.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
APRIL: Booker Prize Winners
This month Book Club members were required to read a Booker Prize winner.
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe.
Joan & Ann: Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabrala
This book was the winner in 1975. Set in India a young woman arrives to find out more about the life of her grandfather and his wife Olivia. Her interest is based on letters written by Olivia to her sister Joan who lived in England. Her marriage had been boring , and fed up with the stuffy English traditions she has an affair with a charming Indian prince. When she becomes pregnant, her mother-in-law arranges an abortion and she retreats to live in the mountains.
When the narrator arrives in India, she too falls in love with an Indian man.
Joan didn't think it was up to the standard of a true Booker Prize winner, commenting that it was short, but not a quick read. Ann agreed with these comments and enjoyed the film more than the book.
Judy: True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
2001 winner of the Booker Prize
The author has presented us with a very sympathetic picture of the life and times of Ned Kelly. The novel is divided into 13 sections, all supposedly written by Kelly to tell the real story of his life to his 'fictional' daughter.
Judy thought it would be hard for someone who has never heard of the Kelly story before to really get into this book and to truly appreciate it, some history has to be studied.
While the general story is well known by most people, a couple of points that interested Judy were;
Ned claimed he only began robbing banks to enable him to "spread money through the community" after police began offering a reward for his capture. He justified it by claiming that the locals would protect him as long as he could help them.
Secondly, following the killing of Aaron Sherritt, Ned designs the pattern for a suit of armour to protect his friend Joe Byrnes as well as others. Several of these suits are made and buried for future use. This happened several months before and many miles from the eventual siege at Glenrowan.
Through Kelly's eyes we see the rural landscape of the 19th century Australia, the harshness and the unfairness of it. And Peter Carey makes us see Ned Kelly as an outstanding victim of that great unfairness.
Jewels and Jo: The Remains of the Day by Kazuro Ishiguro
1989 winner of the Booker Prize
Set in the 1950s, the story begins with the death of the owner of Darlington Hall, and its sale to American owners. When they return home, the aging butler embarks on a trip around the UK for 5 days. Each place that he visits is a flashback of his times spent with Lord Darlington.
While Jewels doesn't normally like reading 'flashbacks', she did enjoy this.
Jo didn't enjoy it as much, but did like the references and descriptions of life during the war.
She found it interesting to read about the life of a butler, the class system and the prestige and opportunities available to the 'upper class'.
Kris: The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
2010 Booker Prize winner
Kris really enjoyed this anti-Semitic comedy although she did find it difficult to get into it because of the neuroses of some of the characters.
The 3 main characters are old school friends, Julian Treslove (a former radio producer) and Sam Finkler (Jewish philosopher, writer and TV personality). They keep in touch with their old teacher Libor Sevcik, a Jewish Czech who had tutored them in Czech history and had also been a part time Hollywood gossip columnist.
The story revolves around Jewish people living in England and what it means to be Jewish. It had both comical as well as a tragic elements to the story.
Rosemary and Wendy: Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
1984 Booker Prize winner
Rosemary found this story very boring and wondered how it could have won the prize.
Edith Hpoe is a writer of romantic novels who has been sent, in disgrace, to a hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva. As she tries to finish her novel she observes the other guests around her.
Rosemary thought that none of the characters were exciting, all they did was eat, shop and gossip!
Wendy too found the main character boring, prepared to accept her life and not willing or wanting to change it.
Dianne and Jane: Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
Book prize winner in 1998
The story begins with the funeral of Molly Lane. Guests include not only her husband but a composer, a journalist and a transvestite MP. These last 3 know each other as well as having been Molly's lover at some time. All these lovers have flaws as well as being very egotistical.
It is not until the end do you realise why the book is called Amsterdam and neither Dianne or Jane would give any clues.
Both really enjoyed the book.
Tammy: Paddy Clarke Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle
1993 Booker Prize winner
Set in Dublin in the 1950s, it tells the story of a 10year old boy growing up, and his perception of the pretty tough life that he leads.
There were 2 things going on
* His parents were breaking up. He can feel the tension and reacts to it.
* The town is changing too. There is much building going on, and turning parts of it into a modern estate.
Tammy thought it was amazing how the author got into the shoes and eyes of a 10 year old. Maybe it was semi-autobiographical! The language was perfect for a 10 year old.
Tammy's final comments were that although it didn't have any chapters she loved it, a really sweet story, a gem!
Sheila: The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
2006 Booker Prize winner
Sheila thought that this book may have lost something in its translation as she only read half of it.
A retired judge returned to the hills with his granddaughter. He had fallen on hard times but never lost the feelings of superiority of the Raj. Another theme was people's connection to white relatives and therefore their presumption of superiority.
Sheila also read In Another Light by Andrew Grigg.
A man in his late 40's wants to understand his dead father. He had been a doctor in Penang during the war, while his son was left in England. He takes a sea journey to the east to find out more about his father's mysterious life. The more he learns, the more his life seems to parallel that of his father's.
Pamela: Possession: A Romance by A S Bryatt
1990 Booker prize winner
An absolutely brilliant book, but don't be fooled, it is not a romantic story.
The novel concerns the relationship between two fictional Victorian poets, Randolph Henry Ash (whose life and work are loosely based on those of the English poet Robert Browning) and Christabel LaMotte (similarly based on Christina Rosetti), as revealed to present day academics Roland Michell and Maud Bailey. Following a trail of clues from various letters and journals, they attempt to uncover the truth about Ash and LaMotte's past before it is discovered by rival colleagues.
The competition and race is between researchers (UK & USA) and possession is in regards to relationship.
Pamela also read The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, Booker prize winner in 1997.
Pamela thought it was one of the most brilliant books she had read. But a reader would need to have knowledge of Hindu literature as the structure is kaleidoscopic.
Connie: The Sense of Ending by Julian Barnes
Winner of 2011 Booker Prize.
Connie doesn't normally read prize winning books, but unexpectedly, enjoyed this one.
The first third of the book tells of 4 boys in their final year of school. One is far more intellectual, but they all get on well, particularly enjoying their History class.
The rest of the book (the next 40 years) is told by one of the boys, now retired, retelling what happened after they left school. His memory is not exactly reliable, ofter asking"is it the truth?"
It was becoming very confusing, but saved by a great ending. Connie's comment was that it 'satisfied' her and meant the rest of the book made sense.
Clarine: The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
1992 Booker Prize winner
The story is set in a bombed Italian villa at the end of World War 11.
The main characters are - Hana, a young Canadian nurse,
her English patient with critical burns,
Caravaggio, a Canadian thief
an Indian sapper in the army who is also a bomb disposal expert.
These are all wonderful characters who interconnect in ways you wouldn't expect but it is all explained as they talk to each other. The language was beautiful and the story gripping.
Clarine thought it was wonderful book, she loved it. In fact, she read it twice and found so much more to like the second time through.
Welcome Marina a new member.
The book that Marina had recently read..... To Kill a Tsar by Andrew Williams
This a historical novel that is very easy to read. The historical facts are clearly spelt out and these are underlying the love story between an English doctor and a Russian girl helping in the clinic.
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe.
Joan & Ann: Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabrala
This book was the winner in 1975. Set in India a young woman arrives to find out more about the life of her grandfather and his wife Olivia. Her interest is based on letters written by Olivia to her sister Joan who lived in England. Her marriage had been boring , and fed up with the stuffy English traditions she has an affair with a charming Indian prince. When she becomes pregnant, her mother-in-law arranges an abortion and she retreats to live in the mountains.
When the narrator arrives in India, she too falls in love with an Indian man.
Joan didn't think it was up to the standard of a true Booker Prize winner, commenting that it was short, but not a quick read. Ann agreed with these comments and enjoyed the film more than the book.
Judy: True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
2001 winner of the Booker Prize
The author has presented us with a very sympathetic picture of the life and times of Ned Kelly. The novel is divided into 13 sections, all supposedly written by Kelly to tell the real story of his life to his 'fictional' daughter.
Judy thought it would be hard for someone who has never heard of the Kelly story before to really get into this book and to truly appreciate it, some history has to be studied.
While the general story is well known by most people, a couple of points that interested Judy were;
Ned claimed he only began robbing banks to enable him to "spread money through the community" after police began offering a reward for his capture. He justified it by claiming that the locals would protect him as long as he could help them.
Secondly, following the killing of Aaron Sherritt, Ned designs the pattern for a suit of armour to protect his friend Joe Byrnes as well as others. Several of these suits are made and buried for future use. This happened several months before and many miles from the eventual siege at Glenrowan.
Through Kelly's eyes we see the rural landscape of the 19th century Australia, the harshness and the unfairness of it. And Peter Carey makes us see Ned Kelly as an outstanding victim of that great unfairness.
Jewels and Jo: The Remains of the Day by Kazuro Ishiguro
1989 winner of the Booker Prize
Set in the 1950s, the story begins with the death of the owner of Darlington Hall, and its sale to American owners. When they return home, the aging butler embarks on a trip around the UK for 5 days. Each place that he visits is a flashback of his times spent with Lord Darlington.
While Jewels doesn't normally like reading 'flashbacks', she did enjoy this.
Jo didn't enjoy it as much, but did like the references and descriptions of life during the war.
She found it interesting to read about the life of a butler, the class system and the prestige and opportunities available to the 'upper class'.
Kris: The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
2010 Booker Prize winner
Kris really enjoyed this anti-Semitic comedy although she did find it difficult to get into it because of the neuroses of some of the characters.
The 3 main characters are old school friends, Julian Treslove (a former radio producer) and Sam Finkler (Jewish philosopher, writer and TV personality). They keep in touch with their old teacher Libor Sevcik, a Jewish Czech who had tutored them in Czech history and had also been a part time Hollywood gossip columnist.
The story revolves around Jewish people living in England and what it means to be Jewish. It had both comical as well as a tragic elements to the story.
Rosemary and Wendy: Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
1984 Booker Prize winner
Rosemary found this story very boring and wondered how it could have won the prize.
Edith Hpoe is a writer of romantic novels who has been sent, in disgrace, to a hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva. As she tries to finish her novel she observes the other guests around her.
Rosemary thought that none of the characters were exciting, all they did was eat, shop and gossip!
Wendy too found the main character boring, prepared to accept her life and not willing or wanting to change it.
Dianne and Jane: Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
Book prize winner in 1998
The story begins with the funeral of Molly Lane. Guests include not only her husband but a composer, a journalist and a transvestite MP. These last 3 know each other as well as having been Molly's lover at some time. All these lovers have flaws as well as being very egotistical.
It is not until the end do you realise why the book is called Amsterdam and neither Dianne or Jane would give any clues.
Both really enjoyed the book.
Tammy: Paddy Clarke Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle
1993 Booker Prize winner
Set in Dublin in the 1950s, it tells the story of a 10year old boy growing up, and his perception of the pretty tough life that he leads.
There were 2 things going on
* His parents were breaking up. He can feel the tension and reacts to it.
* The town is changing too. There is much building going on, and turning parts of it into a modern estate.
Tammy thought it was amazing how the author got into the shoes and eyes of a 10 year old. Maybe it was semi-autobiographical! The language was perfect for a 10 year old.
Tammy's final comments were that although it didn't have any chapters she loved it, a really sweet story, a gem!
Sheila: The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
2006 Booker Prize winner
Sheila thought that this book may have lost something in its translation as she only read half of it.
A retired judge returned to the hills with his granddaughter. He had fallen on hard times but never lost the feelings of superiority of the Raj. Another theme was people's connection to white relatives and therefore their presumption of superiority.
Sheila also read In Another Light by Andrew Grigg.
A man in his late 40's wants to understand his dead father. He had been a doctor in Penang during the war, while his son was left in England. He takes a sea journey to the east to find out more about his father's mysterious life. The more he learns, the more his life seems to parallel that of his father's.
Pamela: Possession: A Romance by A S Bryatt
1990 Booker prize winner
An absolutely brilliant book, but don't be fooled, it is not a romantic story.
The novel concerns the relationship between two fictional Victorian poets, Randolph Henry Ash (whose life and work are loosely based on those of the English poet Robert Browning) and Christabel LaMotte (similarly based on Christina Rosetti), as revealed to present day academics Roland Michell and Maud Bailey. Following a trail of clues from various letters and journals, they attempt to uncover the truth about Ash and LaMotte's past before it is discovered by rival colleagues.
The competition and race is between researchers (UK & USA) and possession is in regards to relationship.
Pamela also read The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, Booker prize winner in 1997.
Pamela thought it was one of the most brilliant books she had read. But a reader would need to have knowledge of Hindu literature as the structure is kaleidoscopic.
Connie: The Sense of Ending by Julian Barnes
Winner of 2011 Booker Prize.
Connie doesn't normally read prize winning books, but unexpectedly, enjoyed this one.
The first third of the book tells of 4 boys in their final year of school. One is far more intellectual, but they all get on well, particularly enjoying their History class.
The rest of the book (the next 40 years) is told by one of the boys, now retired, retelling what happened after they left school. His memory is not exactly reliable, ofter asking"is it the truth?"
It was becoming very confusing, but saved by a great ending. Connie's comment was that it 'satisfied' her and meant the rest of the book made sense.
Clarine: The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
1992 Booker Prize winner
The story is set in a bombed Italian villa at the end of World War 11.
The main characters are - Hana, a young Canadian nurse,
her English patient with critical burns,
Caravaggio, a Canadian thief
an Indian sapper in the army who is also a bomb disposal expert.
These are all wonderful characters who interconnect in ways you wouldn't expect but it is all explained as they talk to each other. The language was beautiful and the story gripping.
Clarine thought it was wonderful book, she loved it. In fact, she read it twice and found so much more to like the second time through.
Welcome Marina a new member.
The book that Marina had recently read..... To Kill a Tsar by Andrew Williams
This a historical novel that is very easy to read. The historical facts are clearly spelt out and these are underlying the love story between an English doctor and a Russian girl helping in the clinic.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
March - Jeanette Winterson
Kris: Gut Symmetries
The story is a love triangle....a British scientist traveling by ship on her way to a job in the USA meets another scientist who turns out to be a Lothario. They begin an affair. When they arrive in New York she meets his wife, and they fall in love. There were also side stories about her families.
Kris thought her writing was very poetic, and very metaphoric but it was hard to understand. She is not sure if she enjoyed it but she did finish it.
Connie & Wendy: Lighthousekeeping
Connie was not sure whether we she liked it or not, and some of it was too weird.
She thought she was an extraordinary and original writer, her writing being very lyrical, like a long song. She got lost a few times with 2 characters with the same name.
Wendy loved it. The lighthouse is set in Scotland. Silver, a young child is left alone after her mother dies. She is given into the care of the old blind lighthouse keeper.
Pamela: Written on the Body
Pamela read 4 pages, and didn't understand it so she didn't persist. She found the writing extremely lush and extravagant. She hated it!
Rosemary: Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit
This was written in 1985 and later (1990) successfully adapted for television. It seems to be semi-autobiographical, or so the author says.
Rosemary thinks the novel is about formation, the coming of age, moving from the age of youth through to old age. The stories are told through the eyes of a young girl who is home schooled and her mother is obsessed by the Pentecostal beliefs. As she matures and gets a part time job she takes a lover, a woman. The church intervenes and tries to make her repent. Returning to the church, she forms a relationship with another woman also from the church. This time she is forced to leave the church.
Rosemary finished the book, but said that she didn't really enjoy it.
Ann watched the DVD of the book and enjoyed this media much more.
Dianne: Tanglewreck
Dianne started to read this book but couldn't get into it. Her comment was that she found her a 'spiral writer'.
She has now begun Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit. She is starting to enjoy it and following the comments by others who had read the book, she will finish it!
Jo: The Daylight Gate
This book is the author's most recent, being published only last year. It is set in the 17th century, King James is a Protestant. They killed all the Catholics and threw them in the dungeons. It was horrible and very violent.
Lesley: Why be Happy When You Can be Normal
This book corrects the facts from Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit and updates the author's life.
She was complicated little girl, adopted by her cruel mother at the age of 6 months. Her mother is bizarre, twisted but she accepts this life and doesn't know anything else.
She is strong-willed, intelligent and has a sense of humour. Her world opens up through literature despite only having the Bible at home, but she manages to expand her reading at the local Library.
She leaves home at 16 and goes to Oxford, discovering along the way that she is gay. Her father is an ineffective and weak man.
Later when she returns to the small town she was born in, nothing has changed. Everyone still does the same things, at the same time and for the same reason.
In Lesley's opinion, her life consisted of a series of battles....overcoming poverty, overcoming lack of love and friends, and overcoming a lack of sensory stimulation.
She didn't like her as a person, but admired her as an author.
Jules: Weight
Jules chose this book because the blurb indicated it would be about Greek Mythology and in particular the 12 Labours of Hercules, a subject she is familiar with and enjoys reading about. But she could only manage 4 pages before resorting to Agatha Christie's Labours of Hercules. Much more satisfying reading.
Judy: Art and Lies
Judy was another one who was not able to finish the book, in fact she struggled to read 45 pages.
So instead she read from the author's website where she talked about the book. Even this was difficult to follow or understand. The author's comment to the question "Some people find this book very difficult. What do you say to that?" "But it's a book not a crime. If you don't like it, don't read it."
Tammy: The Power Book
Tammy is a new member to the group, so she conscientiously read the book twice to make sure she could understand it despite being bogged down with it on the first reading.
It is set in the 21st Century where Ali by day runs a shop for people who want to change or transform themselves. But at night she/he writes stories in cyberspace in answer to other people's problems but maybe she is writing to her inner self through the computer, allowing her to escape and stay on the run.
Tammy found the book fascinating, it challenged her but she didn't like the characters.
Joan: The World and Other Places
This is a book of short stories published in 1988.
The themes that have been mentioned in other books are here - love, death, betrayal, the nature of time, the beauty of risk, the quest.
The 24 Hour Dog... it is taken from the Rescue Home by people intending to love and train it. But with the dog they no longer have their freedom and so the dog must be returned.
Atlantic Crossing describes a sea journey to New York. With an error in the ticketing system, 2 passengers find themselves in the same cabin. As this is 1956 it is not appropriate for a man and a woman, who are strangers, to share the cabin.
Other books recommended during the morning
* Before I go to Sleep by S J Watson. Each night when Christine Lucas goes to sleep her mind erases the day. Each day when she wakes up she tries to put the puzzle of her life together.
This book is now available in the Library, and recommended by Jules who couldn't put it down.
*Ratlines by Stuart Neville. Set in Ireland 1963, 18 years after the end of WWII but 18 years is hardly enough time for people to forget the horrors that occurred in and by Nazi Germany. During the war Ireland stayed neutral not wanting to get pulled into another one of Britain's fights, though some like the main character Ryan, did fight with the British. Many Nazi's sought refugee in Ireland after the war to try and save themselves.
This was recommended by Dianne, who commented that it was well written but very violent.
The story is a love triangle....a British scientist traveling by ship on her way to a job in the USA meets another scientist who turns out to be a Lothario. They begin an affair. When they arrive in New York she meets his wife, and they fall in love. There were also side stories about her families.
Kris thought her writing was very poetic, and very metaphoric but it was hard to understand. She is not sure if she enjoyed it but she did finish it.
Connie & Wendy: Lighthousekeeping
Connie was not sure whether we she liked it or not, and some of it was too weird.
She thought she was an extraordinary and original writer, her writing being very lyrical, like a long song. She got lost a few times with 2 characters with the same name.
Wendy loved it. The lighthouse is set in Scotland. Silver, a young child is left alone after her mother dies. She is given into the care of the old blind lighthouse keeper.
Pamela: Written on the Body
Pamela read 4 pages, and didn't understand it so she didn't persist. She found the writing extremely lush and extravagant. She hated it!
Rosemary: Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit
This was written in 1985 and later (1990) successfully adapted for television. It seems to be semi-autobiographical, or so the author says.
Rosemary thinks the novel is about formation, the coming of age, moving from the age of youth through to old age. The stories are told through the eyes of a young girl who is home schooled and her mother is obsessed by the Pentecostal beliefs. As she matures and gets a part time job she takes a lover, a woman. The church intervenes and tries to make her repent. Returning to the church, she forms a relationship with another woman also from the church. This time she is forced to leave the church.
Rosemary finished the book, but said that she didn't really enjoy it.
Ann watched the DVD of the book and enjoyed this media much more.
Dianne: Tanglewreck
Dianne started to read this book but couldn't get into it. Her comment was that she found her a 'spiral writer'.
She has now begun Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit. She is starting to enjoy it and following the comments by others who had read the book, she will finish it!
Jo: The Daylight Gate
This book is the author's most recent, being published only last year. It is set in the 17th century, King James is a Protestant. They killed all the Catholics and threw them in the dungeons. It was horrible and very violent.
Lesley: Why be Happy When You Can be Normal
This book corrects the facts from Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit and updates the author's life.
She was complicated little girl, adopted by her cruel mother at the age of 6 months. Her mother is bizarre, twisted but she accepts this life and doesn't know anything else.
She is strong-willed, intelligent and has a sense of humour. Her world opens up through literature despite only having the Bible at home, but she manages to expand her reading at the local Library.
She leaves home at 16 and goes to Oxford, discovering along the way that she is gay. Her father is an ineffective and weak man.
Later when she returns to the small town she was born in, nothing has changed. Everyone still does the same things, at the same time and for the same reason.
In Lesley's opinion, her life consisted of a series of battles....overcoming poverty, overcoming lack of love and friends, and overcoming a lack of sensory stimulation.
She didn't like her as a person, but admired her as an author.
Jules: Weight
Jules chose this book because the blurb indicated it would be about Greek Mythology and in particular the 12 Labours of Hercules, a subject she is familiar with and enjoys reading about. But she could only manage 4 pages before resorting to Agatha Christie's Labours of Hercules. Much more satisfying reading.
Judy: Art and Lies
Judy was another one who was not able to finish the book, in fact she struggled to read 45 pages.
So instead she read from the author's website where she talked about the book. Even this was difficult to follow or understand. The author's comment to the question "Some people find this book very difficult. What do you say to that?" "But it's a book not a crime. If you don't like it, don't read it."
Tammy: The Power Book
Tammy is a new member to the group, so she conscientiously read the book twice to make sure she could understand it despite being bogged down with it on the first reading.
It is set in the 21st Century where Ali by day runs a shop for people who want to change or transform themselves. But at night she/he writes stories in cyberspace in answer to other people's problems but maybe she is writing to her inner self through the computer, allowing her to escape and stay on the run.
Tammy found the book fascinating, it challenged her but she didn't like the characters.
Joan: The World and Other Places
This is a book of short stories published in 1988.
The themes that have been mentioned in other books are here - love, death, betrayal, the nature of time, the beauty of risk, the quest.
The 24 Hour Dog... it is taken from the Rescue Home by people intending to love and train it. But with the dog they no longer have their freedom and so the dog must be returned.
Atlantic Crossing describes a sea journey to New York. With an error in the ticketing system, 2 passengers find themselves in the same cabin. As this is 1956 it is not appropriate for a man and a woman, who are strangers, to share the cabin.
Other books recommended during the morning
* Before I go to Sleep by S J Watson. Each night when Christine Lucas goes to sleep her mind erases the day. Each day when she wakes up she tries to put the puzzle of her life together.
This book is now available in the Library, and recommended by Jules who couldn't put it down.
*Ratlines by Stuart Neville. Set in Ireland 1963, 18 years after the end of WWII but 18 years is hardly enough time for people to forget the horrors that occurred in and by Nazi Germany. During the war Ireland stayed neutral not wanting to get pulled into another one of Britain's fights, though some like the main character Ryan, did fight with the British. Many Nazi's sought refugee in Ireland after the war to try and save themselves.
This was recommended by Dianne, who commented that it was well written but very violent.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Blog is looking great!
Forgot to mention how good the blog is looking. Very interesting to read your reviews.
Marie
Marie
Book topics listed for April to July
Hi everyone,
Just letting you know I have added the topics for the next few months to the "Third Thursday Book Club" page in case anyone wants to see what is coming up.
All the best,
Marie
Just letting you know I have added the topics for the next few months to the "Third Thursday Book Club" page in case anyone wants to see what is coming up.
All the best,
Marie
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