Booklovers |
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We started Booklovers because we wanted to talk about the books we’ve been reading and to introduce those we’ve enjoyed to others.
We each take turn to speak about our chosen book and this invariably leads to discussion of broader topics. Four times a year we agree on a shared title to maintain the value of close reading and to hear each other’s interpretations of different aspects of those works.
We are a friendly group of people, meeting on the third Thursday of each month in a member’s home. You’ll find you’re never short of ideas for a new book to read and we warmly welcome others to join us.
For further details, please contact Christine Roberts.
For upcoming meetings, please visit our events page.
We each take turn to speak about our chosen book and this invariably leads to discussion of broader topics. Four times a year we agree on a shared title to maintain the value of close reading and to hear each other’s interpretations of different aspects of those works.
We are a friendly group of people, meeting on the third Thursday of each month in a member’s home. You’ll find you’re never short of ideas for a new book to read and we warmly welcome others to join us.
For further details, please contact Christine Roberts.
For upcoming meetings, please visit our events page.
NOTES FROM THE BOOKLOVERS MEETING HELD ON 18th FEBRUARY 2021 VIA ZOOM
Christine read: The Retreat by Aharon Appelfeld (1984). Appelfeld is an Israeli writer who was born in Bukovina which at the time of his birth in 1932 was in the Austrian empire but subsequently became part of the USSR. Aged eight his mother was shot by the Nazis and his father and he were sent to a concentration camp where his father died. He, however, managed to escape from the camp and spent the rest of the war hiding in the Ukrainian countryside before joining the Russian army. In 1946 he made his way to Israel and has lived there ever since becoming one of the country’s leading novelists. Appelfeld has chosen not to write about the Holocaust believing it impossible to do so. However, all of his books are informed at some level by that experience and The Retreat is no different. It is set in 1938 and The Retreat of the title is a kind of hotel founded by an Austrian Jew who promotes it as a place where Jews might come to rid themselves of their Jewish characteristics and to that extent to no longer shame their assimilated children. There is a programme laid on of healthy activities; however, Balaban, the founder of the establishment eventually himself turns his back on his ideals and slumps back into his old ways, as do most of the guests. Gradually the guests die off including Balaban himself and the drumbeat of war gets ever closer.
Christine found this an intensely powerful book raising many interesting ideas both about individuals and how they see themselves in the world and also about group identify and stereotyping. She felt it was disturbing particularly in the way the Jewish residents are so desirous of shedding the aspects of their Jewishness which in so many cases have led to loss of jobs and persecution. She felt the book makes you reflect at large on human beings and their reactions to others.
Alan: read Daisy Miller by Henry James(1878), a book he fully recommends. This book made James’s reputation and is technically a novella which first appeared in Cornhill Magazine. It portrays the courtship of the beautiful American girl Daisy Miller by Randolph Winterbourne (the first-person narrator), a sophisticated compatriot of hers. His pursuit of her is hampered by her own flirtatiousness, which is frowned upon by the other expatriates when they meet in Switzerland and Italy. Randolph does not like Europe whereas Daisy is absolutely delighted with the continent and the high society she wants to enter. Winterbourne is impressed by her beauty and attempts to win her over taking her to the Chateau de Chillon. He leaves the next day from Geneva and Daisy invites him to visit her in Rome later that year. When they meet unexpectedly in that city, Winterbourne realises that Daisy is violating social conventions and engaging in an intimate relationship with a young Italian, Giovanelli, of questionable society. Winterbourne and another American ex-patriot try to persuade her from the relationship but she refuses. One night, Winterbourne takes a walk through the Colosseum a known malarial area, and sees a young couple sitting at its centre. He realises that they are Giovanelli and Daisy. Infuriated with Giovanelli, Winterbourne asks him how he could dare to take Daisy to a place where she runs the risk of catching "Roman fever" or malaria. Daisy says she does not care and Winterbourne leaves them. Daisy falls ill and dies a few days later.
The novella with its unreliable narrator serves as both a psychological description of the mind of a young woman and as an analysis of the traditional views of a society where she is a clear outsider. Henry James uses Daisy's story to discuss what he thinks Europeans and Americans believe about each other and more generally the prejudices common in any culture.
Vanessa read: Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch. (2019) This is the latest crime story in a series called ‘Rivers of London’. The main character is a Metropolitan policeman called Peter Grant. He is an ordinary constable turned magician’s apprentice and his patch is the area around Covent Garden and Russell Square. He solves crimes across London in a fascinating blend of inventive urban fantasy, gripping mystery thriller, and hilarious fantasy caper. The story involves ‘the so-called ‘Faceless Man’ who is wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud, and crimes against humanity, but has been unmasked and is on the run. Grant plays a key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring him to justice. He uncovers clues that the Faceless Man, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long-term plan. A plan could literally bring the city to its knees.
According to Vanessa this particular novel is very light and witty and ‘laugh out loud’. It is an interesting blend of urban fantasy and mystery thriller.
Sue read: The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri (2019). A book which has spent much time in the bestseller lists, this is the love story of a mother blinded by loss and her husband who insists on their survival as they undertake the Syrian refugee trail to Europe. Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo--until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. But what Afra has seen is so terrible she has gone blind, and so they must embark on a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece towards an uncertain future in Britain. On the way, Nuri is sustained by the knowledge that waiting for them is Mustafa, his cousin and business partner, who has started an apiary and is teaching fellow refugees in Yorkshire to keep bees. As Nuri and Afra make their journey to the UK, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss, but dangers that would overwhelm the bravest of souls. Above all, they must journey to find each other again.
Audiences have been moved by the compassion of the book but Sue was not particularly impressed. She feels this type of novel has become a ‘bit of a thing’ and that it was not very well-written and a bit jumbled up. Although the author spent two years volunteering in a refugee camp in Athens Sue felt it was to serve a purpose and the result somewhat manipulative.
Denise read: The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar (2018). This is a debut book by this author who originally studied archaeology and has worked in museums, followed by an MA in creative writing at the University of East Anglia. The author often used to write stories about the objects she encountered in the museum world and this book is based on a dissertation she wrote and is described as being historical fiction meeting magic realism. It is set in Georgian London where widowed merchant Jonah Hancock showcases his fossilised mermaid to an enthralled public earning him fame and fortune. The heroine of the novel, Angelica Neal, works in a high-class brothel whose owner wants to use the mermaid to entertain her customers. Angelica’s job, just as she is about to leave the brothel, is to charm Mr. Hancock with her womanly wiles into handing over his mermaid. The meeting between Hancock and Angelica will steer both their lives onto a dangerous new course. The story combines myth and legend with the harsh realities of misogyny and racism. Denise thought it both very funny and very sad. The film rights to the novel have been bought so watch out for a mermaid on a screen near you (albeit a TV screen!)
Di read: Larry’s Party by Carol Shields (1975) This is the story of Larry Weller, born in 1950, an ordinary guy loved by his narrator. Through various episodes from his life Larry, who becomes a landscape gardener with a passion for mazes, goes on his journey toward the millennium and we see him adapting to society's changing expectations of men. Goodreads describes this as Larry moving ‘through the spontaneity of the seventies, the blind enchantment of the eighties and the lean, mean nineties, completing at last his quiet, stubborn search of self. His odyssey mirrors the male condition at the end of our century with targeted wit, unerring poignancy and faultless wisdom.’ At the end of the novel, Larry gathers all of his friends and lovers together for a party. ‘Over roasted lamb and fine wine they banter about the meaning of life. Life, they say, is the ultimate maze, and a maze is “our thumbprint on the planet.” One guest observes that “at the centre of the maze there’s an encounter with oneself…a sense of rebirth.” (Penguin Random House synopsis.)
Di describes Shields as a very lively writer with a light tone and says she was completely convinced by the character of Larry.
Christine found this an intensely powerful book raising many interesting ideas both about individuals and how they see themselves in the world and also about group identify and stereotyping. She felt it was disturbing particularly in the way the Jewish residents are so desirous of shedding the aspects of their Jewishness which in so many cases have led to loss of jobs and persecution. She felt the book makes you reflect at large on human beings and their reactions to others.
Alan: read Daisy Miller by Henry James(1878), a book he fully recommends. This book made James’s reputation and is technically a novella which first appeared in Cornhill Magazine. It portrays the courtship of the beautiful American girl Daisy Miller by Randolph Winterbourne (the first-person narrator), a sophisticated compatriot of hers. His pursuit of her is hampered by her own flirtatiousness, which is frowned upon by the other expatriates when they meet in Switzerland and Italy. Randolph does not like Europe whereas Daisy is absolutely delighted with the continent and the high society she wants to enter. Winterbourne is impressed by her beauty and attempts to win her over taking her to the Chateau de Chillon. He leaves the next day from Geneva and Daisy invites him to visit her in Rome later that year. When they meet unexpectedly in that city, Winterbourne realises that Daisy is violating social conventions and engaging in an intimate relationship with a young Italian, Giovanelli, of questionable society. Winterbourne and another American ex-patriot try to persuade her from the relationship but she refuses. One night, Winterbourne takes a walk through the Colosseum a known malarial area, and sees a young couple sitting at its centre. He realises that they are Giovanelli and Daisy. Infuriated with Giovanelli, Winterbourne asks him how he could dare to take Daisy to a place where she runs the risk of catching "Roman fever" or malaria. Daisy says she does not care and Winterbourne leaves them. Daisy falls ill and dies a few days later.
The novella with its unreliable narrator serves as both a psychological description of the mind of a young woman and as an analysis of the traditional views of a society where she is a clear outsider. Henry James uses Daisy's story to discuss what he thinks Europeans and Americans believe about each other and more generally the prejudices common in any culture.
Vanessa read: Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch. (2019) This is the latest crime story in a series called ‘Rivers of London’. The main character is a Metropolitan policeman called Peter Grant. He is an ordinary constable turned magician’s apprentice and his patch is the area around Covent Garden and Russell Square. He solves crimes across London in a fascinating blend of inventive urban fantasy, gripping mystery thriller, and hilarious fantasy caper. The story involves ‘the so-called ‘Faceless Man’ who is wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud, and crimes against humanity, but has been unmasked and is on the run. Grant plays a key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring him to justice. He uncovers clues that the Faceless Man, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long-term plan. A plan could literally bring the city to its knees.
According to Vanessa this particular novel is very light and witty and ‘laugh out loud’. It is an interesting blend of urban fantasy and mystery thriller.
Sue read: The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri (2019). A book which has spent much time in the bestseller lists, this is the love story of a mother blinded by loss and her husband who insists on their survival as they undertake the Syrian refugee trail to Europe. Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo--until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. But what Afra has seen is so terrible she has gone blind, and so they must embark on a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece towards an uncertain future in Britain. On the way, Nuri is sustained by the knowledge that waiting for them is Mustafa, his cousin and business partner, who has started an apiary and is teaching fellow refugees in Yorkshire to keep bees. As Nuri and Afra make their journey to the UK, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss, but dangers that would overwhelm the bravest of souls. Above all, they must journey to find each other again.
Audiences have been moved by the compassion of the book but Sue was not particularly impressed. She feels this type of novel has become a ‘bit of a thing’ and that it was not very well-written and a bit jumbled up. Although the author spent two years volunteering in a refugee camp in Athens Sue felt it was to serve a purpose and the result somewhat manipulative.
Denise read: The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar (2018). This is a debut book by this author who originally studied archaeology and has worked in museums, followed by an MA in creative writing at the University of East Anglia. The author often used to write stories about the objects she encountered in the museum world and this book is based on a dissertation she wrote and is described as being historical fiction meeting magic realism. It is set in Georgian London where widowed merchant Jonah Hancock showcases his fossilised mermaid to an enthralled public earning him fame and fortune. The heroine of the novel, Angelica Neal, works in a high-class brothel whose owner wants to use the mermaid to entertain her customers. Angelica’s job, just as she is about to leave the brothel, is to charm Mr. Hancock with her womanly wiles into handing over his mermaid. The meeting between Hancock and Angelica will steer both their lives onto a dangerous new course. The story combines myth and legend with the harsh realities of misogyny and racism. Denise thought it both very funny and very sad. The film rights to the novel have been bought so watch out for a mermaid on a screen near you (albeit a TV screen!)
Di read: Larry’s Party by Carol Shields (1975) This is the story of Larry Weller, born in 1950, an ordinary guy loved by his narrator. Through various episodes from his life Larry, who becomes a landscape gardener with a passion for mazes, goes on his journey toward the millennium and we see him adapting to society's changing expectations of men. Goodreads describes this as Larry moving ‘through the spontaneity of the seventies, the blind enchantment of the eighties and the lean, mean nineties, completing at last his quiet, stubborn search of self. His odyssey mirrors the male condition at the end of our century with targeted wit, unerring poignancy and faultless wisdom.’ At the end of the novel, Larry gathers all of his friends and lovers together for a party. ‘Over roasted lamb and fine wine they banter about the meaning of life. Life, they say, is the ultimate maze, and a maze is “our thumbprint on the planet.” One guest observes that “at the centre of the maze there’s an encounter with oneself…a sense of rebirth.” (Penguin Random House synopsis.)
Di describes Shields as a very lively writer with a light tone and says she was completely convinced by the character of Larry.
Read the notes from previous sessions here.
