JUNE, 2019 - COMEDY OF OUR OWN CHOICE

Judy D:    SO ANYWAY BY JOHN CLEESE

This is an autobiography.  It mainly focuses on life as a comedian.  He studied as a lawyer before he went into comedy.  Judy enjoyed it.

Tam:    LAND BEFORE AVOCADO BY RICHARD GLOVER

This book is about nostalgia and the feeling that growing up in the 60's and 70's was a better time.  In reality it probably wasn't better.  It is a good book to read when you feel life was better.  There have been a lot of advances today, for women especially.  It made Tam think.  She also found it quite funny.

Jo:    THEY'RE A WEIRD MOB by NINO CULOTTA

 This is a comic novel written by John O'Grady under the pseudonym "Nino Culotta".  It was written in 1957. Nino is an Italian journalist just off the boat from Italy to Australia.  He gets a job as brickie's labourer.  He writes about the Australian way of life.  Jo said it was absolutely hilarious.

Diane:    SMALL MAN IN A BOOK by ROB BRYDON

Di revealed Rob Brydon came from the same town as her and he started on local radio.  She likes him but thought this book wasn't an easy read. There was no characterization.  He was pedantic and she didn't enjoy it.  She also read Inside Little Britain by David Walliams and Matt Lucas.  She really enjoyed this book.


Charis:    RADIANT SHIMMERING LIGHT by SARAH SELECKY

The story is about a woman who is trying to sell pictures of dog's auras.  Her cousin is involved in the marketing of these on the internet.  Charis found it quite amusing.  She also read The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.  It's about a lecturer who discovers he has Aspergers.  He is eccentric.  His early behaviour is funny but the rest of the book is predictable.  Charis said it was a good book to read.

Joan:    THIS IS GOING TO HURT by ADAM KAYE

 After 6 years of medical training and another 6 years of 97 hour working weeks making life and death decisions, the author resigned.  This book has some very funny stories from diary notes he kept while working in the UK National Health Scheme. Joan enjoyed this book.

Val:    THE CALIPH'S HOUSE, A YEAR IN CASABLANCA by TAHIR SHAH

The author is a British born travel writer from a wealthy literary family.  This is the story of how he and his family went on holidays to Casablanca and survived a year in a house being renovated.  Arabs have an entirely different way to the British when it comes to renovation. The workers use the jinns (invisible spirits) as an excuse for not getting work done.  The Morrocan's were almost perfect workers but have one major fault. They are virtually incapable of ever finishing a job.  Val found it very readable and had a quiet humour.

Ed:    THE TOUR by DENISE SCOTT

This is a memoir.  The story mentions school, boyfriends and parents.  Ed said it wasn't hilariously funny but it was okay.

Connie:    LOVE AMONG THE CHICKENS by P. G. WODEHOUSE

This was published in 1906 and rewritten in 1920 to improve it.  Connie enjoyed it but found it a bit ridiculous.  She also read Jeeves in the Offing by P.G. Wodehouse.  Wodehouse started writing about Jeeves in 1915.  This story was published in 1960.  It is a fictional story about a highly competent valet and a wealthy bumbling young man called Bertie.  The writing is beautiful and it ends happily.  Connie enjoyed it more than the first book she read, although she did find his books sillier than when she read them when she was young.

Diann:   HOW TO KISS A CROCODILE and OTHER SNAPPY STORIES  by MAX WALKER

These are stories from the life of a former Australian cricketer.  It is the third in a set of 3 books.  It's set in the Northern Territory where four mates took out $50,000 in insurance on being eaten by a crocodile.  Diann said it was a very enjoyable book.

Anne:    THE LAND BEFORE AVOCADO by RICHARD GLOVER

It's set in the late 1960's to 70's.  Glover is looking at it in a nostalgic way but proving it wasn't true and that things weren't necessarily better.  One example is that there were lots of children drowning in backyard pools before pool fences.

Judy A:    A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES by JOHN KENNEDY TOOLE

This novel is set in New Orleans.  The main character is a 30 year old college graduate who thinks he is superior intellectually to everyone else.  He lives with his mother and he has deplorable dress sense.  Judy said it was considered a very funny book when it was written but she stopped at page 101 because it irritated her.

Prue:    I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER by SOPHIE KINSELLA 

This is a British novel about a young lady engaged to a doctor who is very academic.  She can't follow the conversations.  She loses her engagement ring and then her phone is stolen.  She finds a phone in a trash bin and starts communicating with the person who owns the phone.  It's like a soap opera.  Prue got to page 81 and couldn't read anymore.  She said she couldn't even crack a smile.

Pat:    LEAVE IT TO PSMITH by P.G. WODEHOUSE

 The story takes place in Blanding's Castle, home of  an Earl, a doddering old plant loving character.  He has his whole household turned upside down when he is looking for his glasses.  The sister, husband and son are also living there.  There is a plan by visiting poets to steal a precious diamond necklace.  Pat said it was a silly book but a good light read.  It was witty and she found herself laughing.

Wendy:    THE HAPPIEST REFUGEE by ANH DO


This is the account of Anh Do's background and sad journey coming to Australia from Vietnam.  There are some humorous bits throughout.

Bev:    A GRAND OLD TIME - LIFE BEGINS AT 75 by JUDY LEIGH

This is a funny and heartwarming debut novel, although not laugh out loud.  It's the story of a 75yr old woman whose husband dies and her children think it's a good idea to go into a nursing home.  She decides to run away and doesn't tell anyone.  She has lots of adventures.  There's a romance and a happy ending.

Rosemarie:    THE ROSIE RESULT (BOOK 3) by GRAEME SIMSION

Don, the lecturer from the Rosie Project is now living in New York and learning the protocol about becoming a father.  He comes back to Australia with his wife and son, Hudson.  His son begins to exhibit similar traits to his father, possibly autistic.  The story deals with a sensitive subject.  You can't help but laugh at Don's little idiosyncrasies.

Judy J:    THE COLLECTED SHORT STORIES by ROALD DAHL

This is the 1991 collection for adults. Judy presumed it would be funny but it wasn't particularly funny.  The stories were strange with little bits of humour.  One of the stories was The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.  Henry goes to India to find a man who is meant to be able to see without his eyes.

Julia:    THE WOMAN WHO WENT TO BED FOR A YEAR by SUE TOWNSEND

Sue Townsend is an English author who wrote the Adrian Mole series.  It is the story of Eva, Brian, her husband who is an astronomer and 17 year old twins who are gifted.  When the twins leave home to go to university Eva takes to her bed for a year.  She also gets rid of her possessions.  Her  husband is having an affair.  At times it is bizarre and a bit stupid but still a really good read.  Julia also read  So Anyway by John Cleese.  She really enjoyed it and said it was funny.

Kris:    MRS QUEEN TAKES THE TRAIN by WILLIAM KUHN

 The author normally writes biographies but this is a novel about a hypothetical situation.  Queen Elizabeth 11 is in her 80's and is feeling a bit depressed about life.  She remembers things that make her happy and one is Scotland and the Royal Yacht, Brittania, now in Edinburgh.  Her Prime Minister has told her he is going to cancel her private train to Scotland so she decides, on the spur of the moment, to go to Scotland by the normal passenger train.  It was very enjoyable and quite amusing. A good read.

Pamela:    MISTRESS BRANICAN by JULES VERNE

This novel was written in 1891.  Pamela said it was a bit boring but it has it's moments.  It's about a rich American woman who comes to Australia.  It's the story about her journey across Australia.  Her husband is captured by vicious cannibals in the Kimberleys.   40 miles south of Alice Springs they stop for a break.  There is a strange cloud over to the west and a strange noise.  The leader gets them to take shelter. 100,000 sheep are stampeding.  Pamela said there are other very interesting things.

Sheila:    THE MOON IS BLUE by DAVID NIVEN

This is the best selling memoir by British actor, David Niven, published in 1971.  Sheila had read this before and said it was possibly funnier the first time.  She said he writes well.  This is the story of his early life. He had a sad life.  He was on his way to becoming a hooligan.  He was placed in a terrible boarding school run by an ex army person.  There were 40 boys and they had a shoplifting gang.  It is funny from time to time and David Niven admits he is the biggest name dropper around.


Kris

We would like to welcome Pat, our new member, to book club and hope to see her at our July meeting and our Christmas in July lunch.

NEXT MONTH'S BOOK:           Books by Michael Connelly - various titles

 AUGUST:                                     Shetland series by Anne Cleeves
  
As we are having a Christmas in July lunch after our next meeting there will be no morning  tea provided.  Please bring your own.  
 
 

May:~ Kazuo Ishiguro

Kazuo Ishiguro (born 8 November 1954) is an English novelist, screenwriter, and short-story writer. He was born in Nagasaki, Japan, but his family moved to the UK in 1960 when he was five.

His books have received four Man Booker Prize nominations, and he won the award in 1989 for his novel The Remains of the Day. He has won many other awards including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2017. In 2018 he was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Never Let Me Go (2005)

Connie:                             

Having read other books by him, she had great expectations but didn’t enjoy this one. She couldn’t see the point of it all, being confused in the beginning and still confused by the end.

She couldn’t believe the same person wrote Remains of the Day.

Anne:

Not being a fan of Science Fiction or Dystopia novels, she didn’t really enjoy it. But the writing was so good she got caught up in trying to work out what the ‘donors’ were all about.

She thought the whole premise of the book was bizarre.

Tam:

She didn’t think the author was trying to raise the ethical argument about cloning.

Reading from a review, she thought it was more a parable about dying. We are all going to die, but we don’t understand it.

Rosemary:

Having recently watched the movie version, she thought it portrayed a love story between 2 of the clones. The idea was to save people from serious disease. They would die waiting to help others!

 

Wendy:

Wendy enjoyed the book although she found the first person narrative sometimes confusing and didn’t really work.

The children were brainwashed, compliant and went along with what their purpose was – clones to donate organs to cure diseases.

The Unconsoled (1995)

Lesley:

The main character, Ryder, a highly acclaimed pianist, arrives in a town, with no name, in a country with no name to give a performance to which he has no recollection of being invited.

Time is very fluid, there are many unexplained events and situations and relationships are confusing. She found it rather tedious to read and managed only about half the book. That was more than enough.

Diane:

She found it a strange book, even the written blurb was of little help to understanding the book. There didn’t seem to be a straight theme through the book.

Maybe it was about a man whose life had accelerated beyond his control!

When We Were Orphans (2000)

Jo:

An Englishman, who is now a successful private investigator, goes back to Shanghai where he was born and to find out more about his parents who disappeared when he was a young child.

Jo found it very confusing although he eventually does learn more about what had happened.

The Buried Giant (2015)

Pat:

After reading 2/3 of When We Were Orphans and enjoying it, Pat listened to The Buried Giant as an Audio Book and loved it. It was a very different story, but both books had the common theme of people and memories.

Judy A:

This is a fantasy set in early Britain, 6^th – 7^th century. An elderly couple set off to look for their lost son. A mist/spell has been cast over the land by a she dragon. Everyone is losing their memory. Along the way the couple meet many characters.

Judy thought it was hugely disappointing and the language was simplistic. She had loved his other books.

Joan:

Joan loved the book and found it absorbing. She commented that we all need a bit of fantasy. She appreciated the simple language, the unfussy general nature of loving and caring on their journey.

The Remains of the Day (1989)

Prue:

Prue described the book as a very English story: the language, the descriptions, the class, the pomp and ceremony.

The writing is beautiful, easy to read and the memories are fantastic. It was a sad but true record of what England was like in the 1950s.

The title comes from the last few pages when the talk is about evening being the best time of the day.

Judy J:

In an interview the author indicated that he chose a butler as the main character, knowing that people were familiar with the general stereo type of an English butler, stoic and with a stiff upper lip.

He then could also be a figure who was afraid of emotion and hides behind his professional role, like many of us. A butler is also someone who would not question some of the things he would be asked to do. The power is in the hands of those above us.

Kris:

Kris loved the book, commenting that the road trip was such an unusual way to tell his story. By the end of it, he had come to terms with his situation.

 She thought it meditative, slow but it flowed beautifully.

Pamela:

Pamela thought that Stephens (the butler) was strongly influenced by his father, so much so that he didn’t even reveal his first name. She found him an unreliable narrator, he lied to himself and minimalized things.

Later in the book he had a gradual awakening.

Val:

Val thought that the writing was so beautiful and moving. It was easy to visualize where he was and what was happening.

She felt that towards the end he was tying to find out about a world he had had nothing to do with.

Judy D:

Judy also loved the book. It was beautifully written; she could understand the main character but became frustrated with him for example when he couldn’t or wouldn’t react to his father dying.

But there were many funny little bits through the book.

Charis:

The book tells in the first person the story of a butler who worked in one of the best houses in Britain between the first and second wars. Following the death of the Lord, the butler stayed on in the mansion and was taken into the employ of an American, the new owner. It is a very stiff and formal account of a butler’s attitude towards his employer and how he sees his duties under both men.

Julia:

Like most other members, Julia really enjoyed the book, even though she normally doesn’t like books in the 1^st person.

JUNE: our topic for June is Comedy.

Please choose your own book.

APRIL, 2019 - THE AUTHOR DI MORRISSEY - VARIOUS TITLES

Di Morrissey is an Australian novelist, the author of 25 best selling novels and 5 children's books.

THE OPAL DESERT
Published in 2011

PAMELA:   The story was in three different parts about three different women.  Pamela read the first part and 4 pages of the second part.  She didn't find much about opal mining and didn't like the book.

JUDY A:  It's a story about three women whose lives intertwined.  It was set in a town near Broken Hill.  Judy found it a pleasant read and better than she had anticipated.

TEARS OF THE MOON
Published in 1995

SHEILA:   This is a story about pearl diving.  Sheila thought the subject was interesting and said the author had a real feel for Australia.  It's a family saga. After the death of her mother, a young Sydney woman  from a dysfunctional family decides to trace her family roots in the hope of understanding her mother. The story goes back to the pearling industry in Broome and the effects of  WWI and WWII industry.  The Japanese were interned.  Sheila said the descriptions of pearling were magnificent and felt the author had done a lot of research.

BEV:  Bev said it was better than she thought it would be and she said she liked it. She was expecting more soap opera.  Lily, a young woman was wanting to find out her family history. Through this she learns about the pearl diving industry.

SILENT COUNTRY
Published in 2009

JUDY D:    The story is about a television producer writing a story about a film crew who went to the outback 50 years ago.  Judy said the story was better than she thought it would be and the descriptions of country, especially Kakadu and Coopers Creek were excellent.

THE PLANTATION
Published in 2010

CHARIS:  The story is set in Malaysia and Australia. It's told in first person dialogue and Charis was totally irritated with the speech marks.  The story is about a female marketing consultant who helps her mother when she is having her house demolished.  She is given information that sends her on a search to find out about her Aunt and family in Malaysia.  Charis said it was a good story. 

VAL:  It's a story about a young woman in the RAAF who is linked to another young woman who is looking into her past.  The story from the past is about two sisters, one goes to Singapore and the other one, with a child is interned in Australia.  Val felt pleasantly surprized and felt the story rang true.  She said the author does a good job with her research.
 
KIMBERLEY SUN
 Published in 2002

TAM:  This is a follow up to Tears of the Moon, also set in Broome.  Tam has read a lot of Di Morrissey and thinks they are a good holiday read.  She seems to have a similar plot in all of her books.  The settings are good and the descriptions spot on.  She takes a lot of political and/or environment issues and weaves a story around them.

WHEN THE SINGING STOPS
Published in 1996

JO:  The story is about a young Australian woman who travels to visit her brother in Guyana, South America.  She finds a unique and beautiful culture being destroyed.  Jo said there was a bit of everything in it - environmental issues, drug running, murder, family dynamics.  She loved it and said it was very interesting but a bit too long.

ARCADIA
Published in 2018

PAT:  It's about two young girls who grew up together.  One moved to the city.  There was no real story to it and it was super sweet.  Pat found it humdrum. 

DISTANT JOURNEY
Published in 2016

ROSEMARIE:   There are no political or environment issues in this book.  The story is about Cindy, who lives with her Aunt in America.  She is about to go to university.  She falls madly in love with an Australian grazier.  They marry and return to the family property in western New South Wales. This is the story of their life together.  Rosemarie said it wasn't a challenging read.  It was an easy read but very bland.

DIANN:  The story is about Cindy who goes to Palm Springs, USA to take care of her aunt's child as her aunt is trying to run a sewing business.  The aunt had moved to get away as she was a battered wife.  The aunt's sister comes out to Palm Springs later to do catering as well and the business begins to grow.  When Cindy gets married to a grazier, the father in law doesn't think she is good enough for his son.  Diann said it was a really good story.

ED:  Ed said Cindy was heartbroken after an earlier romance.  She meets Murray, an Australian on holidays in California.  They have a whirlwind romance, get married and move to the sheep station in the Riverina district in Australia.  Murray's father is very rude to Cindy.  Cindy wants to find out more about Murray's mother who left when he was young but no one wants to talk about her.  Ed enjoyed the book.

THE BAY
Published in 2001 

JULIA:  The Bay was once a whaling town and throughout the book there are two stories.  The main story is about the Bay in the present and the people who live there. Alongside that there is a story told by a woman from the late 19th century who was married to a Norwegian whaler.  They had made their home in the Bay and her experiences were recorded in the logbook she kept on their travels and during her life in the Bay.  Julia loved the book and worked out where the Bay was very early in the book. 

KRIS:  The modern story begins with Holly, a 45 year old North Shore woman who is married to a ruthless businessman who makes her feel inadequate.  With her children now at University she buys an old historic house in the Bay to renovate and to prove her capabilities to her family. There are a lot of different characters and stories, lost souls, alternative lifestylers, people starting new lives as well as the other main story of the whaling industry in the past. In the beginning it was a bit confusing but it was all drawn together at the end.  It was a very good read.

THE LAST MILE HOME
 Published in 1994

 CONNIE:  As this is one of Di Morrissey's  early books, Connie felt she must become a better writer. It's about the daughter of a poor shearer who falls in love with the boss's son.  They have a secret relationship and she falls pregnant.  They go away together. There is a tragedy but a satisfactory ending.  She then read a later book to compare.  THE WINTER SEA is set in Italy before WWII.  It's about a fisherman who joins the army and goes to war.  After the war he goes to a place south of Wollongong and works as a fisherman.  Another story is introduced from the present about a young woman who finds herself in a fishing village after her divorce.  She meets the grandson of the original Italian fellow.  Connie said there was a very good twist and a satisfactory ending.  She feels she has now read enough of Di Morrissey.

THE RED COAST
Published 2017

LESLEY:  It was an easy read.  Lesley has read quite a few Di Morrissey books and said they were very formulaic.  The backdrop is Broome in the early days of the pearling industry.  She skims across issues, environment, aboriginal issues, government and big business in a superficial way.  There was too much description of the countryside.  Lesley said she enjoyed it but wouldn't read another.

RAIN MUSIC
Published in 2015

DI:  The story begins with a brother and sister whose father has died.  He is well thought of in the community and they commemorate him with a building.  The brother goes north  where he is a guitarist in the local pub. Then the sister wants him back for a reunion.  About half way through Di lost interest.  She said it was very superficial.

Kris



MAY BOOK CLUB:  Books by Kazuo Ishiguro including Remains of the Day, Never Let Me Go, When we were Orphans and The Unconsoled.

JUNE BOOK CLUB:  Comedy - choose your own

MARCH 2019 - Books by MICHELE GIUTTARI

The author Michele Giuttari was an Italian police chief from 1995 to 2003 who was involved in fighting the Mafia.  He became a best selling novelist whose fictional police hero, Michele Ferrara, is also involved in fighting the Mafia.

FLORENTINE DEATH  

This is Book 1 in the series about Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara. He is investigating a series of brutal and apparently random murders.


CONNIE:  The first few chapters got her confused.  She couldn't keep pace with the people.  Once she got all the murders sorted it was okay.  She found it complicated and too fragmented but she enjoyed it at the end when it was all sorted out.  She would like to try another one of his books.

ED:  This is the author's first book.  It was easy to read but the names were hard to pronounce.  She said it was well done and she suspected the identity of the serial killer.

DIANE:  It flowed well and leads you on a merry chase.  Inspector Ferrara receives threatening letters. There is emphasis on the priests and what they were doing.  "All in all a good read" Di said.  

JUDY J:  She read it on the plane. She thought it was a bit clumsily written.  The dialogue was corny in places.  Very quickly something happens, right at the end.  Judy also said it didn't given you a feel of the city.

LESLEY:  She also read it on the plane, but only got half way through.  She said it could have been set anywhere.  She quite enjoyed it but thought the characters were not well drawn.  She said it was a bit simple but would like to finish the book.


DEATH IN TUSCANY 

This is Book 2 in the series.  In a picturesque Tuscan town the body of a scantily dressed young girl is discovered lying by the edge of the woods.

PAMELA:  It begins with the death of a young girl.  She is thought to have died of an overdose.  Inspector Ferrara is not convinced.  The plot becomes complicated and convoluted.  There are two police forces and there are always problems between them about who has the right to conduct the investigation.  A lot of different things are going on and Pamela found it a bit incredible when a solution was so easily found.  She said it was an okay read with a satisfactory conclusion.

SHEILA:  She didn't like it and couldn't remember what it was about.  She also said the translation wasn't all that good. 

PAT:  There was one murder and one kidnapping and Pat enjoyed reading the book to see how they were connected.  It was easy to follow but seem to go on and on a bit in the middle.  She got the feeling it was true to life as the author was head of the flying squad before he became a writer.

BEV:  She enjoyed every minute of it.  Read it in a day and a half.  She liked the way it all fitted together.  Bev enjoyed the story and the conclusion.

DEATH OF A MAFIA DON

This is Book 3 in the series.  As Ferrara is driving to work through the busy streets of Florence, a bomb explodes putting him in hospital.  Ferrara has only recently organized the arrest of a Mafia boss.

KRIS:  A Mafia boss is found dead in his cell and Inspector Ferrara is determined to find answers.  There is military involvement and talk of terrorism, as well as talk of rival groups within the Mafia. All the different names of the Mafia were confusing and it was difficult to keep track of who's who but apart from that, it was an easy, quick read.  It was quite enjoyable with lots of twists and turns.

TAM:  She thought there were too many characters at once and it could have been set anywhere. She still thought it was good and an easy read.

ROSEMARIE:  She thought the characters weren't well developed and it was far too long.  She didn't like the style and said perhaps something was lost in the translation from Italian to
English.  

CLAURENE:  She found the names difficult and there were too many people.

DARK HEART OF FLORENCE

This is Book 6 in the series.  After enduring years at the mercy of a serial killer, the people of Florence rejoice at news of his death until a senator is found brutally murdered.

JUDY A:  A senator and his butler are savagely murdered.  You soon know who did it but Judy kept reading it to find out.  She said is was amateurly written and she wouldn't read another one of his books.

DEATH UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN

 This is Book 7 in the series.  In a dark prison cell, a serial killer plans his retribution.

VAL:  She had read this author many years ago. She read it in 2003 and enjoyed this one and read several others.  She didn't remember his books could be so gruesome.  She feels the author is writing very much from experience.  

A DEATH IN CALABRIA

This is Book 4 in the series.  Calabria, a wild and beautiful region of Italy is home to a deadly organized Mafia crime operation.

JOAN:  It's the story of the Ndrangheta - the Calabrian Mafia formed around 1890. There is a death in the USA leading back to the root problem of drug smuggling in Calabria. The Sicilian Mafia are weakened and the Calabrian Mafia take the opportunity.  Joan said it was very mediocre.  She thought it was shades of juvenile and compared the Mafia wives luxuriating on couches to a Joan Collins story.

DIANN:  She enjoyed the Godfather novels so she enjoyed reading this book but hasn't had time to finish.   Giuttari's writing is simple and she would recommend his novels.  

WENDY:  It was complicated with lots of different characters and too many law enforcement agencies.  The Mafia wives drove her mad and she felt they were unnecessary to the plot.  Wendy thought it might be the translation from Italian to English.  She read it all but would not read another one.

JULIA:  There were too many characters and she only got half way through.  She did enjoy it and thought the flashbacks from New York to Calabria were done well.

JO:  She read it and enjoyed the story. 

CHARIS: She liked the way it carried across from USA to Calabria.  It was easy to read and quite a good read but she was frustrated with the descriptions of the men.  Charis said she was not enamoured with the writing style and thought it was more a journalistic style of writing.

JUDY D:   She did finish it but wouldn't read another one.  Judy does like murder mysteries and the Italian author, Donna Leon but didn't want to read about the Mafia and politics.


OTHER BOOKS RECOMMENDED

PRUE:  THE SHADOW DISTRICT by ARNALDUR INDRIDASON

The story is about a modern day detective solving cold cases from the war.  It's the first in a series of wartime mysteries set in Iceland. One chapter is current and one is in the past.  She liked the differences between the people from the country and the city.  Prue liked the book and said it was an easy read.

MARINA:  OMERTA by MARIO PUZO  

Omerta means Sicilian code of honour for silence.  The plot centres around a New York mob boss who is assassinated and no-one will talk.  The story is beautifully told from a cultural perspective. The characters depict the world we live in today - the politicians lie, the rich are merciless in their power struggles; the poor are vicious and then there are the law enforcers who justify whatever promotes their aims and interests, while receiving rewards from the proceeds of crime.  Marina always enjoyed reading Mario Puzo's books.


APRIL:  DI MORRISSEY

Choose your own titles

MAY:  KAZUO ISHIGURO

Remains of the Day,  Never Let Me Go, The Unconsoled,  When We Were Orphans 

Kris 

 

February ~ E M Forster

Edward Morgan Forster, generally published as E.M. Forster, was a novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is known best for his novels examining class difference and hypocrisy in early 20th-century British society.

A Room with a View (published in 1908)

Wendy L:

The plot of this book revolves around 2 English ladies who travel to Italy for a holiday. They meet others in the boarding house and when they return to England, these friendships continue.

It’s a ‘coming of age’ novel with classic English characters and with themes of class difference, truth and hypocrisy.

Wendy enjoyed it.

Judy A:

Judy thought the beginning of the book was quite tedious to read, but the further she read, the more she enjoyed it. She loved some of the characters.

Julia:

While she liked the book, Julia commented on the number of adaptions to TV, stage, film and radio there had been from what is quite a small book.

Sarah:

Sarah was another who found it difficult to read, but enjoyed it enough to read it from cover to cover. She thought the book was about discovering life and love after children and when previous marriages didn’t work out. This is something she may be able to relate to later when she is closer to the age of the characters.

Charis:

She thought that the author had not developed the female characters enough and that he may have difficulty writing about women. Whereas the men’s characters we well developed.

Howards End (published in 1910)

Marina:

This long book revolves around 2 families, the Wilcox’s and the Schlegels.

The Wilcox’s had kept all their property in their family through marriage. Howards End is a house, the story begins and ends there.

The Schlegels are German and had become a target for prejudice and bigotry reflected in the remarks made by others. The children are left an annuity from their parents and so lead a cultured, privilege life.

They connect through different scenarios. Marina thought that some of the remarks about bigotry and race relations and influence of the media are still relevant today.

 

Judy D:

She likes the author’s writing style but found this one a bit tedious. Despite this, she enjoyed reading it again, having previously read it as a young girl.

The Longest Journey (published in 1907)

Claurene:

Claurene thought this was a ‘horrible book’, saying the author waffled through the story of a young man studying at Cambridge University. He had met a woman, whom he thought he loved, but she was engaged to someone else.

Val:

This book also disappointed Val, calling it ponderous with long waffling sentences in places.

She thought it was closely autobiographical. Ricky goes to Cambridge and is surrounded by privileged young men. He struggles with the views of the wealthy young men. The ending was brutal.

A Passage to India  (published in 1924)

Diane: Set in the era of the British Raj, Diane was upset by the exploitation of the Indians, and found it difficult to get into the book.

She commented that all his novels seem to reflect class differences and hypocrisy.

Pamela:

This is a complicated book with the title probably taken from a poem by Walt Whitman. This is a philosophical poem about the Suez Canal, a long narrow way between 2 cultures.

It was Pamela’s opinions that the women’s characters were not developed. The theme of the book was miscommunication and misunderstanding, between the Indians and English and among the Indians.

The book described India through English eyes.

Bev:

Bev described the book as ‘slow and labourious’ not her favourite.

Judy De La T:

Judy enjoyed the book especially the contrast in cultures but found there were some inconsistencies.

Again, there was the comment that the female characters were not well written.

Judy J:

An additional theme, according to Judy, was friendship. The changing and developing friendships were influenced and in response to the misunderstanding and miscommunication mentioned previously.

In an early draft, Forster had Aziz guilty of the assault and found guilty in court. The eventual change makes the ending more ambiguous.

 

Where Angels Fear to Tread  (published in 1905)

Connie:

Connie thought that the description of the characters was very good, but some were hateful people who ‘would be if they could be’. They looked down on servants and their attitudes and behavior made her very annoyed.

The author had put his own feelings about homosexuality into the book.

Joan:

This was Forster’s first book and the story contained wit and intrigue. It played on the cultural differences between the English and the Italians, and between manners and snobbery. The story was entertaining and not drawn out like other books.

Kris:

Kris described it as a ‘quick and easy read’ and found it interesting how the author examined hypocrisy in society.

Another recommendation: Heritage by Judy Nunn

Tam:

The story is set in the Snowy Mountains where refugees from many nations in war-torn Europe are employed to build the Snowy Mountains Scheme. It was completed with pride and the sweat and blood of displaced people.

Tam thought the portrayal of the characters was amazing and even though they are fictitious they had good facts behind them. She enjoys reading fiction based on fact. As in all this author’s books, her research is very thorough.

A great read with a reasonably good ending!

 

Future Book Clubs

March~ Michele Giuttari

A Florentine Death

A Death in Tuscany

A Death of a Mafia Don

A Death in Calabria

April~ Di Morrissey

Choose your own title.