JULY 2024 -- VARIOUS TITLES BY GERALDINE BROOKS

 

A smaller group of highly engaged readers at our July Book Club meeting allowed for much more discussion surrounding our chosen author  - Geraldine Brooks. We even had a member who was at High School with Geraldine Brooks, so this added to our lively conversation.

HELEN, PAT, JUDY J.,KRIS - YEAR OF WONDERS - 2001. Set in 1666, in a small village in England, a bolt of cloth is brought into the town and unbeknown to the villagers the Plague has reached them. Amazingly the town goes into isolation at a time when knowledge of infectious diseases was unheard of,  science was feared, religion and superstition controlled lives and medicine was mainly herbal remedies combined with faith and elements of witchcraft. The towns people have to cope, alone. The central character Anna, a young widow grieving the deaths of her 2 babies, rises to the challenge of helping her neighbours to survive what turns out to be a year of dire hardship. So many similarities with the recent Covid pandemic. People finding inner strength to assist, others fleeing to safer places, incorrect blame against the innocent, selfishness versus selfless  actions, Church meetings held in open fields, the gap between those who have and those who don't. The book about this fateful year is based on a true story and the terminology reflects the language of the time. Comments from our readers included - the generosity of spirit and  resourcefulness of the villagers was revealed and how powerfully  portrayed the characters were. It was a fascinating read, thoroughly enjoyed with mixed feelings about the ending.

JOAN, ED. - 9 PARTS OF DESIRE - THE HIDDEN WORLD OF ISLAMIC WOMEN - 1994. A serious, respectful insight into the lives of Muslim women according to the author who  spent a number of years in the Middle East closely observing religious, political and cultural practices.. The Koran, the basis of the Islamic faith, has seen many interpretations evolve resulting in varying rules and beliefs across the Muslim world. The brutality of some practices, the differences between what the Koran says verses traditional and cultural 'laws' and the everyday lives of the women resulted in a well balanced read for one member whilst another developed an instant dislike due to the derogatory treatment of women.

 THERESE, PRU, TAM, JO - PEOPLE OF THE BOOK - 1996. Australian conservator Hannah painstakingly traces the origins of the 'Haggadah' (an ancient Jewish text that explains the order of the meal and meaning of Passover - the Exodus of Jews from Egypt) through its bindings. The Haggadah, (which in reality was found in Sarajevo) has a wine spill, a cat hair, the vellum is of a sheep now extinct, salt crystals, a hair, and a partial butterfly wing. Through these minute  items Hannah tries to determine the history of the text, and the background of the times - wars, conflicts, brutal regimes, religious doctrines etc. The settings are quite detailed, the characters life like, the stories can be dense with different views explored. Fact and fiction blended well.

ROSEMARY - CALEB'S CROSSING - 2011. 1665 A native American became the first man to graduate from Harvard. The story is a contrast of opposites between the old and the new. A friendship is formed between Caleb, the son of a chief and a young girl, Bethia, from a Puritan group who yearns for education and knowledge (not allowed in strict puritanical times). Caleb goes to University, whilst Bethia becomes a housemaid locally but quietly listens and learns about life from those around her.

LESLEY - HORSE - 2022. 2 main time frames - leading up to and including the American War of Independences and the present day. Kentucky - a champion horse is groomed and trained by a slave and his son (Jarrett). They cannot own the horse - only white, and usually wealthy men are allowed to own property. The horse called Darley and Jarrett share a special bond. The background story is filled with the social and political rules of white society. Darley is sold to a wealthy plantation owner, Jarrett is also allowed to go with the horse. The Civil War is approaching, Darley is now known as Lexington and winning races, thus bringing huge kudos, and money, to his new owner. Present day Boston and Australian Jess, palaeontologist and researcher discovers the skeleton of Lexington is held deep in the Smithsonian. She wants to examine it to discover why the horse was so exceptional. Randomly she meets and English art historian, Theo who has an old painting of Lexington, with his slave groom Jarrett. With strong themes of racism, slavery, social injustice and the devastation of war the book is well written, the time frames are well connected and the characters mostly well drawn. Thoroughly enjoyed.

For August the Book Club has chosen 2 books to be reviewed - The Dictionary of Lost Words and The Tea Ladies.

Both books should be enjoyable.

Lesley

JUNE 2024 British Crime Writer Edgar Wallace

Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was a British writer of  detective, gangster, adventure and sci-fi novels, plays and stories.

As his books are not readily available now, a variety of titles was made available by Book Club member, Jo. Thank you Jo.

During his life he wrote 175 novels, 24 plays and countless articles in newspapers and journals.

Over 160 films have been made of his novels, more than any other author. In the 1920’s, one of Wallace’s publishers claimed that a quarter of all books read in England were written by him.

He is most famous today as the co-creator of “King Kong” writing the early screenplay and story for the movie, as well as a short story “King Kong” (1933) credited to him and Draycot Dell.

After he died, his works fell out of print. This is thought to be because despite this enormous output there was no one work or series that was a standout and no truly iconic character just his name recognition.

(Rosemary, Helen & Judy A)

 

 

Rosemary: The Ringer published in 1925

 

Rosemary enjoyed the story although it was hard work reading with the small print and yellowing pages. She thought it was a bit like watching an old fashioned ‘who dun it’.

The Ringer is the story of an assassin who killed for personal vengeance and who Scotland Yard found difficult to catch because of the disguises he used.

 

Theresa: Again the Ringer published in 1929

 

The book is a series of short stories all featuring Henry Arthur Milton (aka The Ringer) among the many other characters.

Theresa thought they were well written, humorous and showed that Wallace had a good command of the English language for the times.

There were chases, bad people, revenge (often in strange ways), vigilantes but no conclusions!

She found them a bit tedious but continued with the book.

 

Lyn: Room 13 published 1923

 

Lyn found this a very entertaining book; the characters were well described, and she definitely liked some more than others. The story moved at a good pace, but at times it seemed the characters  were able to extricate themselves from some tight situations in a somewhat improbable way. (Deus x machina).

However, this did not detract from her enjoyment.

The story features J G Reeder, a mild-mannered civil servant who is a brilliant detective.

 

Judy J: The Man at the Carlton published in 1931

 

The man staying at the Carlton Hotel in London is Captain Tim Jordan Chief of the Rhodesian CID. 

Several robberies of banks have occurred in Scotland and northern England. None of the stolen money has been found and although the gang members are known to police, they have been unable to catch them. But as the gang members turn on each other and bodies appear regularly Jordan can piece all the odd clues together. 

The language was quaint and polite, but with so many twists and turns it was difficult to follow the story line, until it all ended happily.

 

Kris: The Feathered Serpent  published in 1927

 

Kris described the book as a bit overly dramatic at times, but it had romance, intrigue, murder and a few twists.

The reporter, Peter Derwin was always on the lookout for a good story when he heard about a mysterious card of a feathered serpent left in the handbag of actress Ella Creed. 

The feather serpent is a prominent supernatural deity found in many Aztec and Mayan religions. He thought it was a publicity stunt. But Peter and a  few other people had received the cards. All are terrified and linked in some way.

Kris found it easy to read despite the small print and enjoyed reading something a bit different.

 

Pamela: The Mind of J G Reeder published in 1925

 

The book is a collection of short stories which make good light reading. The main character is a non-descript, short and a not attractive man. He has the mind of a criminal and was very good at catching murderers.

The stories were quite well written with each featuring a different way of murdering, an especially interesting one was using chips of marble.

Pamela found the book reasonably entertaining although some of the stories were not convincing.

 

Sheila: The Square Emerald published in 1926

 

Sheila enjoyed the book especially the old-fashioned way of using the language.

The book is about the first woman detective allowed in Scotland Yard.  Her godfather was the Head of Detectives.

The chase was on to find where the emerald was and if it was real.

Sheila commented there was no sex in the story, although the butler was a transvestite. But this turned out to be central to the story.

 

Judy De la T: The Council of Justice published in 1908

 

Judy also commented that there was no sex or swearing, so very different from today’s books.

The story tells of the battle between The Four Just Men and the Red Hundred who were anarchists trying to destroy the structure of London representing the Free World.

It is a sequel to the 1905 novel The Four Just Men and continues the adventures of the heroes featured there. It was followed by four further sequels.

 

Leslie: White Face published in 1930

 

A murder occurs in foggy, nighttime London with several witnesses. Many minor clues are found but it was hard to see the connection of some.

A reporter, friendly with Scotland Yard, assists in the search for a killer known as White face. No one has ever seen his face even though a number of unsolved murders have been attributed to him. 

Many secrets are kept by witnesses, the locals, the reporter and even the Police.

Many assumptions are made, fragile women prone to hysterics, fainting, blushing and embarrassed by sordid and crude details. Mysterious men and shady characters add to the atmosphere before all is solved.

Lesley described the book as a product of its time.

 

Jo: The Indian Rubber Man published in 1929

 

A gang of burglars, bank-robbers and thieves is plaguing the River Thames in London. Their disguises of rubber masks and rubber gloves giving them the name “The Indian-rubber Men”.

Johnny Wade, the most fearless of the River Detectives is assigned to the job of hunting down the gang.

Jo has read and collected these books for many years, and still enjoys the stories.

 

Joan: Again the Three Just Men published in 1928

 

This is a book of short stories, with some good ones and some not so good.

The Just Men are now an exclusive detective agency bringing those to justice that ‘got away with it’ in the eyes of the law.

Joan thought the language was fascinating and it was easy to picture London and characters from the descriptions. She really enjoyed the book especially as it was something different to read.

 

 

Diann: The Door with Seven Locks published in 1926

 

Diann tried hard with this book but was unable to read much because of the small print, messy storyline and too many characters. Certainly not her kind of book.

 

Rosemary W:  The Man Who Invented King Kong published in 2023

 

Rosemary is intending to read this biography of Wallace.

 

Ed: The Golden Hades published in 1929

 

This detective novel is set in the London of the 1920s and the story follows private investigator John Grierson as he delves into the mysterious disappearance of a wealthy businessman.

Many twists and turns and cleverly placed clues keep up the interest. 

An actor lends some money, thinking it is only stage money. But it turns out to be counterfeit  and the currency of a gang of vicious swindlers who killed and defrauded to get what they wanted.

This money brought terror and death to everyone who handled it – money branded with the mark of The Golden Hades.

Ed really enjoyed it.

 

Judy A: The Joke (aka The Colossus) published in 1926

 

A smart, rich criminal, well-liked by all his alleged victims, but gets away, seemingly having hurt no one in the process. For most of the book Judy couldn’t figure out what the plot line was. There’s a rich guy and a Detective named Jim Carlton and a nice heroine named Aileen Rivers.

Judy was going to give up but was glad she stayed to the end because there was a quite clever role reversal twist that she didn’t see coming.

 

Prue: The Valley of the Ghosts published in 1922

 

The novel was originally published in four installments before the book edition appeared.

A police pathologist is sent to a town to pick up a criminal. But then a murder occurred followed by several more. The criminal is released and helped solve the murders.

Prue said there were many characters, twists and turns and anyone could be the murderer.

She described the writing as tight and easy to follow. She really enjoyed it and will read more.

 

Kerrie: The Missing Million published in 1923

 

As Kerrie read the book, she created a mind map of the characters to enhance her enjoyment and understanding.

The detective is an ex-serviceman, and the mystery is that no one is murdered but many commit suicide. All have been under enormous  pressure so have no way out but to suicide. A million pounds is central to all this.

All is eventually resolved, true love conquers all and the women forgive the way they have been treated. The clue was always there, but it was well hidden. 

Kerrie said it was a good read but she probably wouldn’t read any more by the author.

 

Tam: When the Gangs Came to London published in 1932

 

In the story, American gangs involved in money laundering come to London. They are also involved in black mailing and extortion of rich people. If they don’t pay up, they get killed.

An American detective comes to start dealing with the situation and eventually solving the problem.

As in other books the heroic women are all beautiful and vulnerable. The men are handsome and very clever. But Tam still enjoyed the book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAY, 2024 - CHOICE OF THREE BOOKS: FLESH WOUNDS BY RICHARD GLOVER, THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH BY EDDIE JAKU AND ANY ORDINARY DAY BY LEIGH SALES

 

This month we read three different books by three different authors, all non-fiction. The first is a memoir called Flesh Wounds by Richard Glover, the second a memoir The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku and lastly, Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales. There were also three other books read but the theme of all these books is about forgiveness, coping and resilience.

It was a very lively and interesting discussion.

 

FLESH WOUNDS by RICHARD GLOVER

TAM:  Richard told the story of living with a very strange mother. Perhaps it was the British class system that made his mother pretend she came from the upper class and the fact she was married to an alcoholic.  She said they both had a shared narcissism. He talks about how you can survive all this and make a success of your life.  Tam said it was very interesting and good reading.

ED: His mother pretended to be something she wasn’t.  She made out she was an only child. She told Richard she did not have sex with his father, and as a child, he believed it.  When his parents moved to New Guinea to run a newspaper Richard was only a baby. He was taken care of by a Nanny who gave him lots of love and attention. When he is older, he meets and marries a nice girl called Debra and has two children. To help understand why his mother would pretend to be upper class, he delves into his past and finds he has a whole loving extended family in England.  Ed enjoyed reading this book.

KRIS:  This memoir is both funny and sad.  It’s an honest account of his dysfunctional family – a distant mother with delusions of grandeur and an alcoholic father. Neither parent was a good role model nor provided any real parenting.  Even though Richard believed he should do his duty to his parents, the coldness and neglect of his mother affected him. Despite this, he became successful and determined to be a better parent to his own two boys. Although, it was sad in parts it was also quite positive. It was a very interesting story.

SHEILA:  This was the second time Sheila had read Flesh Wounds.  She found the book extremely sad.

BEST WISHES by RICHARD GLOVER (2023)

LESLEY: This book is frivolous, relatable and at times, serious as Richard moves from things that annoy him, amuse him and onto his hopes and wishes for a better world.  It’s an easy read with many moments of laughter.  However, rather than read, as I usually do, from cover to cover, I should have left the book out on the table and dipped into it in smaller doses.  365 wishes became a challenge, towards the end, to keep me interested. His witty, wry observations are amusing, though.

THE DAG’S DICTIONARY by RICHARD GLOVER (2004)

DIANN: She said he has written 17 books. It was written in 2004. Diann loved this book.  She said it was a very funny book of words that should exist.  One example is Guylingual which is a description of an Australian woman who can take part in conversations about cars, football etc.

THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH by EDDIE JAKU

PRUE:  At 100 years old he would be a fair judge of life’s experiences, considering his life story.  His parents would be proud.  It is an inspirational book about surviving horrors without being horrific in detail.  It balances sadness with joy, hate with love and fear with hope.  It is an honest telling of human nature, simply written, concise and well worth the read.

PAT: She said she had to leave out the middle section as she didn’t feel in the right place to read the more distressing parts.  She said Eddie was an intelligent Jewish man. He was an Auschwitz survivor and he had lost all his family in the war due to the Nazi’s.  He believed happiness is in your own hands, it comes from inside yourself. Some of his quotes were “If you are healthy and happy, you are a millionaire.” and “Life can be beautiful if you make it beautiful.” He was very philosophical.  Pat found the book to be very uplifting.

ROSEMARY:  She said it was a very quick and easy read.  She liked Eddie’s positivity and persona.

JO: She read it one sitting.  She said it was very sad but positive as well.  He was very strong to go through what he did at the camp.

KERRY:  She had read it before.  The first time she was quite emotional, but this time she was more objective.  Eddie had a wonderful childhood. This is where he got his strength from – a great start in life.  Kerry liked the fact he chose to be happy.  He had great determination and although he could not deny his past, he chose to move on.  The book is a great memorial to him.  She felt it was an authentic voice and she liked the read.

BEV:  She agreed with all that was already said but wanted to add that Eddie’s father told his son that education was important.  This helped him get through.  He convinced Nazi’s of his skills to his advantage.  This kept him alive.  He was very intelligent.  His father was as well.  After a bad experience in Eddie’s earlier schooldays due to him being Jewish, his father arranged to get false papers for Eddie with a new name and to go to a different school.  Bev enjoyed this book.

TERESA:  She thought about what made Eddie different in his ability to survive the trauma of the concentration camp.  Eddie felt the greatest thing was love and to be loved by another person and there was the importance of education and work. He felt if your morals are gone you go.  Kindness gave him the strength not to give up. He believed in the importance of love, friendship and health.  Teresa also liked this book.

ONE MAN WITH MIRACULOUS HANDS by JOSEPH KESSEL

JOAN:  This non fiction book was published in 2023.  It’s the incredible story of Doctor Felix Kersten, a Finnish physiotherapist and masseur who became Heinrich Himmler’s personal doctor.  Through this connection he was able to save many lives from death and prison during WWII.  Joan said it was well written and a page turner.

ANY ORDINARY DAY by LEIGH SALES 

ROSEMARY S:  Sales interviews people who have suffered high profile tragedies and those who have been there to support them through their grief and trauma. Rosemary was particularly fascinated by the stories behind those who are there to help behind the scenes, the state coroner, a retired detective and a forensic counselor from the Department of Forensic Medicine.  Through the darkest times of their lives, we come to understand a little of how they coped, not only with the trauma, but also the attention that was brought upon them, particularly from the media. Rosemary said it was an interesting, honest and thought provoking story. This is a story of forgiveness, coping and resilience. She enjoyed it but didn't love it.  She found the scientific data and research a little boring.

Kris

 

JUNE:  We will be reading books by Edgar Wallace (Crime Writer).  Books are still available on the bookshelf.