What we thought about...

On this page I have written a very brief summary of some of the ideas and opinions that arose from our discussions. The date in brackets is the date of the Book Club meeting.




GONE GIRL (September 2013)

This is a skilfully plotted novel with numerous twists and turns. The development of the plot disappointed some of us and there was a general feeling that the book starts off very strongly but is unable to maintain the level of the first part. However, we agreed that it was a thoroughly enjoyable read that deals with some disturbing aspects of human nature. In this sense, we felt that even if then plot was not entirely satisfactory, the examination of how people might behave given certain extreme character traits, and the way women and men behave in relationships, was absolutely absorbing.




THE END OF EVERYTHING (May 2012)

Polite, suburban middle-America with its dark secrets is a sub-genre of US fiction and cinema and The End of Everything has a distinctly Blue Velvet texture. The novel is effective in evoking the bonds and obsessions of adolescence, the awe and admiration felt towards some people, the ridicule felt towards others. The book has a strong plot but the characters drive the novel, which is why this becomes so much more than a gripping tale. Full of precise detail and written with an easy style, the novel creates an atmosphere that stays with you long after you have finished it.

CITY OF THIEVES (April 2012)

As many readers of this novel have discovered, there is something rather disappointing to find that City of Thieves is, indeed, a work of fiction and the characters are entirely invented. Written by the man responsible for converting the Game of Thrones books into a TV script, Benioff is clearly at home with the fantastic and the imagination. Why then, should one feel slightly cheated by City of Thieves. Perhaps the answer is partly his clever prologue that leaves you feeling this is a tacit nod from the writer telling you that is based on real people. In fact, this is a narrative sleight of hand, it draws the reader in with the promise of history, it suggests a later generation Russian revisiting the past of his ancestors. Saffron Foer makes a similar journey in Everything is Illuminated, but we are so clearly engaged in fiction that is allows an extraordinary access to reflection on reality. If City of Thieves is not premised on something more than imagination, it fails, it becomes a fairy tale quest, a buddy story, a professional page-turner. I think Benioff knows this and the prologue is his answer. He claims (ironically) that he thought “fiction” means exactly that, and is clearly amused by the reaction of some commentators when discovering it is not based on his family. Of course he has a point, but given the immensity of Russian suffering during the war, using it for a novel that says nothing except “here’s a good yarn” still leaves a bad taste.



A FATAL INVERSION (March 2012)

In many ways this way a very satisfying read, with enough twists and surprises to keep the reader's interest. The characters are well drawn and the settings highly visual. We were made aware of some errors of terminology and the method of idetification used by the police was questioned, but otherwise we felt she makes this odd combination of people and circumstances believable. Some people commented on the clever way she combines two time frames in telling the story and by doing so focuses on the protagonists' feeling of guilt and regret.



JULIET, NAKED (February 2012)

There were mixed feelings about This Nick Hornby novel, whereas some people found it highly engaging with a lively range of characters, others found it rather flat. We felt the success of the book depended a lot on enjoying Hornby's take on relationships, obsession and Englishness, not to mention his way of developing and describing male chacters and their whims. There was general agreement that the book has a number of amusing sequences and the quirkiness of the seaside setting was especially effective.



In Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things

By Jon McGregor (January 2012)

It was felt the style of the novel makes considerable demands on the reader, and while this could put some people off, there are many things to enjoy and think about through the text. The descriptive, poetic style is an ambitious technique that tends to work well, although at some points it can be frustrating. The way the books explores “real life” as opposed to the typical novelistic twists and turns of a traditional story is rich and interesting.



The Memory of Running

By Ron McLarty (December 2011)

There are so many interesting elements to this book that you could really talk about it for hours. In some ways, this reflects the wide range of characters, settings and situations but it also reflects the Smithy’s ability to provoke responses in others. He is a character who fails to engage life and remains largely passive yet life has a way of happening to him. We discussed the “American-ness” of the novel and its treatment of social and emotional issues and the question of how a European writer might have dealt with similar issues was raised. The setting of the 70’s – Vietnam and social change were discussed. The treatment of mental illness at this time is another important aspect of book as well as the way a family deals with mental illness. We talked about the numerous ways people lose things in this book – from their minds to their physical abilities to loved ones – and the way McLarty turns these experiences of loss into something positive.





Dark Matter (November 2011)

Although opinions varied as to how efective this novel is as a ghost story (one aspect of which is that is should scare us) it seems everyone was impressed by the style and language of the book. Paver creates an atmosphere of threat and isolation in the dark winter north that is "chilling," a sense of being entirely alone in the face of malevolent nature. The re-working of the jolly "boy's adventure" story format into this edgy text is highly effective. Themes that feed into the story - class, male bonding and reticence, scientific exploration, the lives of sailors and trappers and the loyalty of dogs provide interest as the story unfolds towards its conclusion.



A Change in Altitude (October 2011)

Despite the dramatic events at the centre of the book there is an odd lack of tension to Shreve’s novel about the disintegration of a young couple’s marriage, set against the backdrop of the last days of colonial rule in Kenya. However, this seems to be part of the purpose of book, a juxtaposition of important events and everyday life but it is a style that does not appeal to everyone, especially if the main character fails to engage our interest. The mountain climbing scenes in the book are very well described and the difficult line between symbolism and realistic detail is dealt with skillfully. Some people felt the book does not give us enough information about Kenya at this time, that we are just “dropped into” the world of the narrative and left to manage on hints and indirect references, but again we agreed that this was a tactic the author uses to achieve her voice and style.





Snow Falling on Cedars (September 2011)

An interesting book, perhaps it takes a while to get engaged (“for the first 50 pages I just couldn’t get interested in the characters” someone noted), and the amount of nautical/equipment vocabulary was trying at times. A good love story, with out interest in Ismael growing as the story evolves. The main protagonist of the book could be the island itself, they way it shapes and determines the loves of its population. Geography, weather, culture and war are elements the protagonists cannot control though they dictate what happens. The use of a trial is an established device for drama and story telling – there were mixed feelings about how effective this was. We also talked quite a lot about the style of the book – written in the tradition of the “great American novel,” though whether this is an ironic or aspirational form we were not sure. Other themes the books deals with are family, immigration, obligation, trauma, childhood and reconciliation.