Embedded Files

Meeting on 10th December 2024
The Glittering Prizes Christmas Party
Fourteen members met on an overcast and damp day inside Irene’s warm and cosy home. Thank you to Irene for hosting us all.
Our two apologies were missed at our party and we wish you both a happy Christmas.
We all brought along something to eat, either savoury or sweet. Thank you all for the delicious food and thank you also for the drinks.
Irene mentioned that this was the 14th Christmas celebrated by the book group.
We started the meeting with our lucky dip.
Next was the Christmas review of the books we had read this year (notes attached). The top three books were as follows, with Jill winning the Glittering Prize for 2024:
1. The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng Jill 8.95
2. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Paola 8.67
3. The Restless Republic Fiona 8.0
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris Sarah 8.0
We then played pass-the-parcel with a question on the books we had read this year attached to each wrapping; this was won by Mary.
Kevin followed this with ‘famous last words’.
Then we had Julie’s creative challenge which brought out the poet in us. Interestingly Enter Ghost was the book most people had chosen.
Sharon finished the quizzes with her picture quiz round.
Our off-piste books which are books which we had read outside of the book group during the year (in alphabetical order):
Anne The Facemaker by Lindsey Fitzharris
Anne The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
Dorothy Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien
Fiona Precipice by Robert Harris
Fiona Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers
Irene More Ketchup than Salsa: Confessions of a Tenerife Barman by Joe Cawley
Julie Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance
Kevin Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Kevin The Hidden Fires by Merryn Glover
Mary Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
Meaghan Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Paola The Lovers by Paolo Cognetti
Richard Aftermath: Life in the Fallout of the Third Reich by Harald Jähner
Richard My Father’s House by Joseph O’Conner
Rosemary Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa
Sarah Another England: How to Reclaim Our National Story by Caroline Lucas
Sharon The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck
Valentina Memoirs of an Anti-Semite by Gregor Von Ressori
...
Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry
Meeting on 19th November 2024
Meeting Notes by Fiona
Ten members met on a cold, wet day inside the Cambridge Blue public house.
Valentina had nominated the book but was not able to attend the meeting and so Irene very kindly stepped in to lead the meeting.
We discussed Christmas plans and Irene and various members will be in contact with further details of our annual year end reviews, quizzes, games and food. Unfortunately, the pub will not allow us to bring our own food (not even a cake) and so the party will now be held in Irene’s home on Tuesday, 10th December.
We also discussed the next books to be read by the group (details at the end of these notes).
VOTING (ten in person and four by email)
9 x 3
8 x 7
7 x 2
5 x 2
Average 7.64
Goodreads 3.84
Amazon 4.0
LITERARY AWARDS
2024 Dublin Literary Award shortlisted
2023 Booker Prize longlisted
AUTHOR
Sebastian Barry was born in Dublin. He is an Irish playwright, novelist and poet. His literary career began in poetry before he started writing plays and novels. In recent years his fiction writing has surpassed his work in the theatre in terms of success, having once been considered a playwright who wrote occasional novels.
The 2018-21 Laureate for Irish Fiction, Sebastian Barry’s novels have twice won the Costa Book of the Year Award, and he is a two-time winner of both the Independent Booksellers Award and the Walter Scott Prize. He had two consecutive novels shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, ‘A Long Long Way’ (2005) and the top ten bestseller ‘The Secret Scripture’ (2008), and he has also won the Kerry Group Irish Fiction Prize, the Irish Book Awards Novel of the Year and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. He lives in County Wicklow.
SYNOPSIS
Recently retired policeman Tom Kettle is settling into the quiet of his new home, a lean-to annexed to a Victorian castle overlooking the Irish Sea. For months he has barely seen a soul, catching only glimpses of his eccentric landlord and a nervous young mother who has moved in next door. Occasionally, fond memories return, of his family, his beloved wife June and their two children.
But when two former colleagues turn up at his door with questions about a decades old case, one which Tom never quite came to terms with, he finds himself pulled into the darkest currents of his past.
A beautiful, haunting novel, in which nothing is quite as it seems, ‘Old God’s Time’ is about what we live through, what we live with, and what may survive of us.
GROUP DISCUSSIONS
“Old God’s Time” is an expression that refers to a period of time that is beyond memory.
Some members of the group had read the book more than once. They all said it was better on a second read, especially as the narrator becomes increasingly unreliable and the plot of the story is difficult to follow on a first read. It is a very powerful story and is worth a second read.
Many in the group have enjoyed reading other works by Sebastian Barry (our greatest living author) but found this one quite hard work. It is relentlessly bleak. The plot takes a long time to reveal itself and then explodes onto the page. It is also one of the most emotional books by the author. Tom Kettle’s feelings are very true but his account not so much. It is difficult to date the book nor the age of Tom. It is a very real challenge to read and it leaves you feeling unmoored as a reader. Each re-read opens more of the book to the reader and you see echoes of King Lear and James Joyce.
There should have been trigger warnings for the book as it tackles some very upsetting themes: the abuse of children by Irish priests, death of family members, suicide, murder. There are significant issues tackled in the story: love, grief, trauma, slipping into dementia, the effects of PTSD on memory. It touches on some very dark subjects and the impact of that on the immediate victims and then the ongoing trauma through to the next generation but it is not a pity memoir. Raw and shocking with love and tenderness.
There are also details of domestic violence Tom Kettle dealt with while a policeman and the violence he faced while working as a soldier. The horrors he has witnessed can be too much for the reader but some people have to live with tragedy and can never move on from it. It is a truthful book and has important messages but can be difficult to understand because of the prose.
Tom Kettle and June were both victims of abuse. June’s sense of shame as she didn’t think Tom would love her once he knew the truth of her childhood.
Tom is also trying to get things right having not achieved this when he was a policeman.
Liked the camaraderie within the police force and how they support and protect each other.
It is a very Irish novel dealing with the abuse by catholic priests and the police who do not take action.
It is a very sad and upsetting book. The layering of sadness and trauma throughout the story. Overall, some found it disappointing and didn’t enjoy reading it as it was too confusing to follow the story. It had an impact but didn’t enjoy it.
It is a wonderful observation of memory and forgetting. The losses and blanks in Tom’s mind. The line between imagination and reality.
The synopsis of the book does not explain what the story is about.
The characters are well rounded. The descriptions of place come across strongly.
Lyrical and flowing prose. Enjoyed the quality of the writing and the wonderful descriptions of the scenery. Loved the Irishness and descriptions of the town. It is mesmeric. The author has a great way with words.
As regular book readers and having read other books with similar themes it is unclear who is impacted by reading it. What has it achieved? Not many would recommend this book to other readers due to its confusing nature and upsetting themes. The story itself doesn’t appear to go anywhere. It is sad, dark and harrowing but we have a duty to take notice of these issues
As Tom tells the story to himself, he becomes calmer by the end of the book and the story is more coherent.
No one combines the tender and beautiful with the shocking and horror like Sebastian Barry. He writes about important historical, political and social events but with a deep love of humanity.
In an interview, Sebastian Barry called it “a joyous and a dark book”
We had a discussion as to whether the narrator, Tom Kettle, had some form of dementia or he was suffering from PTSD (or even both).
EMAILED REVIEWS
I enjoyed the slow development leading to the more dramatic ending. Almost, but not quite, annoyingly slow to start with. I always enjoy his writing.
I enjoyed the pace of the story. Made it bearable enough to carry on to the horrendous end.
AUDIBLE
The audible version of the book is beautifully narrated by Stephen Hogan
Paola gave us a brief understanding of PTSD and how it affects the memory of survivors of abuse and war. Also Anne forwarded to us an article on PTSD.
...
Meeting on 15th October 2024, Meeting Notes by Sharon
Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy
Ten of us met at the Cambridge Blue and one member sent her comments and score.
Fiona had proposed the book and kindly led the meeting with Sharon taking notes.
Voting:
9 x 5
7 x 2
6 x 3
5 x 1
Average score 7.45
Goodreads 4.08
Amazon 4.0
Critic reviews:
Barbara Kingsolver: Oh this novel! Powerful beyond description. I read it in a day, holding
my breath, heart bursting. This is essential reading for anyone who has ever felt swallowed
alive by caring for a child, and essential reading for everyone who hasn’t.
Colm Tóibín (Guardian): One story of one mother and her infant in contemporary Dublin
that seems both particular and emblematic. It deals with love – the narrator loves her baby
and, as much as she can, her husband. The novel, however, shows, like no other book I
have read or can imagine, what it is like to care for a baby day-in, day-out, plus nights... This
book might not be news for many women; for blokes, it might raise the hair on your head.
Goodread reviews:
5 stars
I don ’ t want to be one of those insufferable people who starts sentences with ‘ as a
mother ...’ , and yet here I am. As a mother, I found this book incredibly raw and honest in a
way that most books about motherhood are not. There is nothing saccharine to be found
here. Although I can ’ t relate to every part of this woman ’ s story, I can relate to a lot of it. It ’ s
like she found an open wound and stuck her finger in and dug around. I am interested to
hear how those who have not experienced motherhood find this one. For me it was an
exceptional read, and one that I will remember for a long time to come.
1 star
I hate this book. It’s terrible. This is not parenthood at all! What a horrible inaccurate take.
Anyway we don’t need any more humans on the planet so I guess if this rant puts people off
having kids that’s probably not a bad thing. Anyway awful book, awful whiny main character
and I’m not going to waste a minute more reading it. Half way through has been more than
enough.
2 stars - But boy did it make for a great book club conversation!
Our Discussion
We agreed that this was a book that generated very personal responses. Our own
experiences of family, as parents and non parents, influenced how we reacted to the way
motherhood was portrayed and the relationships depicted between mother and child and
the parents. As someone commented, the book vividly describes some of the experiences
shared by all mothers. But those experiences were not so hard for everyone.
Some recognised the suffocating, isolating, exhausting fog of motherhood depicted in the
novel. They felt this was a story and a voice that needed to be heard, counteracting the
2 often sanitised view of motherhood seen in social media. They felt it could reassure mothers
that their experiences were normal.
Others felt that the representation of motherhood was a negative, extreme distortion,
depicting not motherhood but mental health problems and obsession. They were saddened
that mothers might see themselves in this way. Some felt it was self pitying and minimised
the joy of motherhood.
Some felt the book was polemical, presenting an outdated view of patriarchy and was anti-
men. They felt the balance in domestic relationships has now shifted. We had different
views of how much of a dick the husband was, particularly if we felt Soldier was an
unreliable narrator and we only had her point of view. There was also discussion about
different parenting styles and whether there might be generational influences in how we
reacted to the book.
Many admired the quality of the writing, which they found excellent, lovely, darkly
humorous, visceral and poetic. Others found it inadequate, relying on stereotypes or
thought the creative juices had flowed too much. The indeterminacy of Sailor’s age at some
points of the narrative was criticised, as was the use of military terms like Soldier, which
seems to position motherhood as a potentially deadly battle. Some felt the characters were
unbelievable or didn’t develop enough, and there wasn’t enough plot.
Some loved reading the book, and found the final chapter in particular, very moving. Others
intensely disliked the experience. Some had more mixed feelings. Some didn’t enjoy the
experience but nevertheless thought that more people should read it.
The audiobook was recommended and for a male perspective Richard suggested Fergal
Keane’s Letter to Daniel: Despatches from the Heart
...
Meeting on 17th September 2024, Meeting Notes by Fiona
Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
Thirteen members and two new members met on a warm and sunny day in the garden of the Cambridge Blue public house.
Mary had nominated the book and very kindly lead the meeting.
We welcomed Anne to the group who has previously been with Talk About Books. We also welcomed Meaghan who was introduced to the group by a previous member.
We agreed to move the December meeting to Tuesday, 10th December. Irene has discussed the Christmas party plans with the manager of the Cambridge Blue pub and it has been confirmed we are allowed to bring our own food to share on the day.
Voting (fifteen in person)
9 x 3
8.5 x 3
8 x 3
7 x 2
6 x 1
5 x 1
4 x 1
3 x 1
Average 7.23
Goodreads 4.09
Amazon 4.1
LITERARY AWARDS:
Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist 2024
Chautauqua Prize 2024
Royal Society of Literature Encore Award winner 2024
Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize shortlist 2024
Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize shortlist 2024
Book of the Year 2024: The Times, Sunday Times, New York Times, Washington Post and Vulture
AUTHOR
Isabella Hammad grew up in Acton, West London. Her Palestinian father had previously lived in Lebanon. Hammad’s first novel, The Parisian, was written in 2019 when she was 27 years old. The book was named as one of the Notable Books of the year by the New York Times and the Guardian included her on their list of the year’s “writers of exceptional first novels”. In 2023, Hammad was included on the Granta Best of Young British Novelists list.
SYNOPSIS
After years away from her family's homeland, and reeling from a disastrous love affair, actress Sonia Nasir returns to Haifa to visit her older sister Haneen. On her arrival, she finds her relationship to Palestine is fragile, both bone-deep and new.
When Sonia meets the charismatic Mariam, a local director, she joins a production of Hamlet in the West Bank. Soon, Sonia is rehearsing with a dedicated, if competitive, group of men - yet as opening night draws closer, it becomes clear just how many obstacles stand before the troupe. Amidst it all, the life she once knew starts to give way to the exhilarating possibility of finding a new self in her ancestral home.
GROUP DISCUSSIONS
Brilliant book and (not ‘but’) quite hard to read – enjoyed it - can’t praise the book enough – every action has several layers, many dimensions and levels: belonging and disassociation; Arabs, Palestinians, Israelis – dense but not wordy - looking forward to reading the author’s future work – enjoyed the book – it is a book that needs re-reading – interesting read – no great conclusion at the end – could be read many times – as rich as Hamlet – liked the intricate webs connecting everyone – liked the humour in the book – there are gaps but she is a very talented writer – sensitive and intelligent book – very easy to read like a conversation – author is a talented writer – a very serious subject – admired the play being used as a device – beautifully written and using Hamlet worked well – captivating and wanted to read to the end – easy to read – liked it – read the book twice – a very clever book which weaves lots of things together – very ambitious and intellectual book – very enjoyable book – stimulating and thoughtful – not a perfect book but very engaging
Difficult to read - needed to have more history about the wars - stories left untold – would have liked more backstory to the characters – struggled with some of the characters as felt they were immature – there were words and phrases which were difficult to understand – would have liked a map to understand the geography of the area – didn’t like the underlying threat – disjointed – no pull or interest in the storyline – no sympathy with Sonia or Haneen – didn’t finish the book - don’t know much about middle east politics – very divisive – didn’t engage with the characters – it needs re-reading but don’t have the energy to read again
Art in life and politics – not a political book – about family – secrets and lies within families – triumph over tragedy – how can a novel build on a political issue – I learned about the Palestinian situation – interested in politics – the actors represent people from all the different areas such as the West Bank and Israel – art and literature can be unifying – it touches on politics and gentle brings it into the story – gives an idea that things are not going well there – political fiction – read it as a political book – couldn’t get the images of the current news reports out of my head while reading
The book confronts the readers with history – it cannot be about both sides – can only be one-sided - it is a novel does it have to be balanced?
Not a particular message of hope – the use of tragedy – Palestinians dream of a Palestinian state and the Israelis dream of an Israeli state
Over the top about the Israeli defence forces – need to know more about what was going on to justify their extreme actions – appreciated the lives of the oppressed people – found it very upsetting – the culture – the routine of being searched “I expected them to interrogate me at the airport and they did.” (opening line of the novel) – wearing matching underwear in preparation of the strip search
“As we turned past a building with a burnt façade, the word ‘territory’ rang around in my head. It comes with the territory. That’s not my territory. Occupied territory. Enemy territory. Unknown territory.” (p63)
Borders are used throughout the book: crossing the border to get into the country; the border between life and death; border between real life and acting – different groups of people and their travel rights between different areas
“Haneen once compared Palestine to an exposed part of an electrical network, where someone has cut the rubber coating with a knife to show the wires and currents underneath.” (p131)
Identity and how they all wish to identify as something – for Sonia she has a Dutch mother and is born in England – which one is her tribe? - trying to find a home in Palestine – identity: what are you?
Communication and trust between all the characters in the book – would have liked to see the actors lives a bit more – doesn’t show enough of the other characters – the book is more ‘show don’t tell’ – liked the relationships but they were not developed
Hamlet and the play within a play – performing the play in front of armed Israeli soldiers – Shakespeare is thought to be very much part of British culture but many of his plays also fits in with a middle eastern culture – the Israeli military once banned the following speech in Hamlet “To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them.” – the ghost in Hamlet is often seen as his conscience – complex play and a complex book – Shakespeare is all about the language and a translation makes it all about the plot – interesting that the translation when translated back into English uses different words and changes the meaning of the play – the readers of the book are the choir
Enjoyed learning about how actors work and rehearse – enjoyed the parts about the art of acting and putting on a play – staging the play in different languages (Arabic) – Wael roped into the play to attract an audience – the chandelier mentioned as part of the scenery was very visual and could easily be made into a film – learned about the difficulties of putting on a play – the physical warm ups
Sonia is perplexing and troubled – don’t like the character but sympathise with her – she plays the character Gertrude who is a very complex character in the play (does she know Claudius killed her husband?) – Sonia’s back story of her failed relationships and her abortion and later miscarriage are quite clunky – frustrating that these parts seem to break into the story – vulnerability – goes to see her sister to find herself and escape from the situation she is in – not escaping – still trying to find herself – lack of communication between the sisters – leaves behind a destructive relationship with Harold – enters a new relationship with Ibrahim – annoying, immature and standoffish – candid about the broken relationships especially with her sister – there for western readers to connect to people who live on the west bank – didn’t get on with Sonia – found it difficult to see everything from her point of view – she doesn’t see the third party conversations so we don’t get a sense of the other characters – she went over to see her sister but didn’t seem to build on that relationship – “Haneen met my eye as though she was going to say something to appease me. I waited. She didn’t say anything; she looked weary. Maybe she didn’t feel it was necessary. Maybe she had other things, other than me, on her mind.” (p282) – didn’t find Sonia very sympathetic although the book is about her journey – the author uses a first person character but is not a sympathetic character – the author deliberately holds us back – feels real as a character – the different relationships she has with her sister and her father – Sonia is the emotional experience of someone travelling across the country
Would have liked more about Haneen’s relationship with her sister
Mariam although not the first person character of the book is actually the main character and is the one on which the success of the play hangs – brilliant character – takes on all challenges – cut off her hair to play Hamlet (especially for a Palestinian woman to cut her hair) – liked Miriam – every day is a disaster but she keeps going – full of hope
Very strong female characters – the women who hold their family together
Would have liked to know more about George, Ibrahim and Faris and their relationships with each other – everyone suspicious of each other (as they are in Hamlet)
The death of Rashid was very moving – secrets within families – not letting Sonia know about Rashid and how finding out later that everyone else knew but didn’t tell her
The family history came out very slowly with the visit to the grandparents’ house, telephone call to her father and discussions with her sister – family secrets are shocking once they are revealed - how people try to protect others by keeping secrets but some already know and it is never talked about
Ghosts are everywhere in the book – all families have ghosts – stories within families of the ghosts of ancestors especially those that leave their homeland -
This book was about the educated middle classes therefore all the characters have choices – highly educated Palestinians
Very modern able to go to coffee shops and bakeries – think of them as wearing Islamic costume but a minority are Christian and Sonia swims in a bikini – characters like us rather than the Palestinians in the news
Small descriptions which don’t mean anything “I extricated myself from the taxi, my bag strap catching briefly on the lower blade of the door, and we kissed each other.” (p113) – lazy descriptions – lots of bits not relevant to the story
Before the meeting, Julie shared a video of an interview with the author, which some members had watched. Points we discussed from this interview: the addition of the play Hamlet later in the process of writing the book and also her working title was “Go, Bid the Soldiers Shoot” the last line of Hamlet which was vetoed for “Enter Ghost” an early stage direction.
AUDIBLE
The audible version of the book is narrated by Nadia Albina. She is very good and uses many different accents for the individual characters. She has a very warm voice and was quite hypnotic.
FURTHER WATCHING
5 Broken Cameras is a documentary film shot almost entirely by a Palestinian farmer who bought a camera in 2005 to record the birth of his youngest son. It is a first-hand account of protests in a West Bank village. The film won the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary; it won the Golden Apricot at the 2012 Yerevan International Film Festival for Best Documentary Film; and it won the 2013 International Emmy Award for Best Documentary. The film was also nominated for a 2013 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 15th October and we will be discussing Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy.
(page numbers for quotes relate to Vintage paperback edition of the book published in 2024)
...
The House of Doors
by Tan Twan Eng
Meeting on 20th August 2024
Ten members met outside in the garden of the Cambridge Blue public house. It was a warm and sunny day when we arrived but it rained heavily during the meeting.
Jill had nominated the book and very kindly lead the meeting.
We voted for the December book to be Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry suggested by Valentina
Voting (ten in person and one by email)
10 x 1
9.5 x 1
9 x 6
8.5 x 2
8 x 1
Average 8.95
Goodreads 4.14
Amazon 4.5
PRIZE LISTS:
Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2023
Longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2024
Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) for Historical Fiction (2024)
BESTSELLER:
A Sunday Times bestseller
A Financial Times, New Statesman, New Yorker and Washington Post Book of the Year
AUTHOR
Tan Twan Eng was born in Penang, Malaysia. He studied law in London and later worked as a lawyer in Kuala Lumper. His debut novel “The Gift of Rain” was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2007 and has been widely translated. “The Garden of Evening Mists” won the Man Asian Literary Prize 2012 and the 2013 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2012 and the 2014 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. “The House of Doors” is his third novel and was longlisted for the Booker Prize 2023.
“The Garden of Evening Mists” was discussed by the group in July 2013 (overall vote of 6.36: 8x3, 7x2, 6x4, 5x1, 3x1 and two thought it was tedious and did not vote as not finished)
BOOK
An atmospheric tale of love, betrayal and morality in 1920s Penang, with Willie Somerset Maugham (WSM) at its centre. Based on real events, it explores the personal and political tensions at play in the sultry colony.
DISCUSSION
“Fact and fiction are so intermingled in my work that now, looking back on it, I can hardly distinguish one from the other” Somerset Maugham
“Everyone in this drama is wearing an ill-fitting mask. Sooner or later they are liable to unhook and slip loose.” Xan Brooks for The Guardian
“Evanescent path of dreams/in the summer night/O Bird of the mountain/carry my name beyond the clouds” A poem by Shibata Katsuie, a sixteenth -century Japanese samurai.
“A story, like a bird of the mountain, can carry a name beyond the clouds, beyond even time itself. Willie Maugham said that to me many years ago.” Opening line in the book
A good story, well told, with historical background and an important literary figure - rattling good read - really enjoyed reading it – extraordinarily good – loved the book – enjoyed it – not moved by the book but saw all the levels – beautiful descriptions – enjoyed it but not emotionally involved – story told through two white characters – really well structured and written – beautifully written and well formed sentences and paragraphs – so well described – sombre and sad book – well paced – the real significance of the book isn’t revealed until the end – did not expect the book to lead to a love story and a very moving one – slow start but paid off by the end of the book
The title and actual house of doors – hypocrisy and masks – opening and closing of doors – hiding the nastiness of the outward lives of the colonial whites – layering and complexity of morality – Gerald buying a Gauguin painting for the price of a new door (Gauguin himself having relationships with teenage girls) – all the dirty stuff happening behind closed doors – murky stuff going on
The book works at face value – different time frames – easy to deal with the many plotlines - experimental – didn’t jar when introducing something or someone new – story after story within a story – two narrators – nice story within a story and deceptively easy to read
The culture of that time and the author being able to set the scene very well – page 30 Lesley realises “...We had a pair of bloody homosexuals under our roof...” which is before she knows of her husband’s relationship with Peter Ong – written by a Chinese Malaysian man for a contempory audience – brought up with a different view of colonialism but able to find the gentile voice of the oppressor – the gossip and fear of gossip – women’s lives hidden from history unless they are ‘queens or whores’ – women were without options and had to stay in unhappy marriages
Lesley is quite a distant character and is not emotional – a cold character but none of them are emotionally warm – Penang as a character is the emotional character – rounded nature of the characters
The scene of swimming in the sea at night was a highlight mentioned by some members of the group – very cinematic – Gin and tonic on the veranda – atmospheric – could picture the house, beach and sea from the descriptions in the book
Tan Twan Eng was very good at keeping real people in the story without making fiction from their lives and so Lesley becomes a character the author can fictionalise to tell the story
Loved Somerset Maugham and think he is a great writer – Tan Twan Eng has used the same writing style as WSM – an amazing voice – taking one short story by WSM and writing this book – hadn’t read any WSM and didn’t know about his life but it didn’t matter as this book isn’t really about him – Lesley’s character was seeing Willie’s own marriage from the point of view of his wife
Story and storytelling – the retelling of truths - difference of memory and story and fact and fiction – the myths of colonialism – what is truth and what is made up? – what is hidden and revealed?
Knew the history of Sun Yat-sen and the 1911 Chinese Revolution – enjoyed the historical background – personal and political history – Sun Yat-sen has status with the colonial community (dresses in western suits) but he is not a nice person – cruel to his wives and concubines
The trial was the least engaging part of the book – the trial of white justice compared to Asian justice – complexity of the trial and the ‘real’ story behind the ‘known’ story and the story within the book – the Sultan is able to pardon Ethel (able to override a white British judgement) – the judges agreed that Ethel shot her lover after finding out he was having a relationship with a Chinese woman while the book later says she was made to do it by her husband and her father – the fear of being accused of blackmail was more shameful than a sexual relationship outside of marriage
Wanted more of WSM chapters – some parts of the book were too explicit in ‘teaching’ us as readers – WSM is there to pick up stories so he can make some money from other people’s lives – Willie steals Lesley’s story but also Lesley gives it to him to make contact with Arthur - WSM was a real person and didn’t understand why the author had chosen him – was it needed?
The relationship between Lesley and Arthur Loh (a colonial wife and an Asian man) didn’t feel right – one minute they were talking and the next they were in bed! – was it revenge when she found her husband was in a relationship with a man – she had enjoyed her sexual life with her husband in the early days which stopped after the difficult birth of their second son – she wanted something else from her marriage as there was no sex in the marriage - not emotionally involved in Lesley – found the parting of Lesley from Arthur Loh very moving
Robert, her husband, was not explored and he had a very troubled life – Robert having to keep his homosexuality a secret to the extent that WSM did not know – being gay in the 1910/20s – Somerset Maugham’s partner, Gerald, was not allowed to step foot into England – similar to Oscar Wilde and EM Forster
Possibly a good exam book to discuss the issues of race, gender and equality through colonialism
Some of us google as we go along and others do not bother. It was not necessary to know about Somerset Maugham or to have read his books and short stories. Although having some understanding of Sun Yat-sen and his importance in Chinese history may have been helpful.
AUDIBLE
Those who listened to the audible book had listened to it twice.
It is narrated by David Oakes and Louise-Mai Newberry
AOB
Bodies in the Bookshop invites you to the launch of the latest Alison Bruce novel and the first in a new series, “Because She Looked Away”, on Thursday, 3rd October at 6:30pm in The Master’s Lodge, Downing College, Regent’s Street, Cambridge CB2 1DQ
RSVP: In person at Bodies in the Bookshop or by email to info@bodiesinthebookshop.co.uk
There is one book on the Current Suggestions List. We discussed several books to recommend for future meetings which we hope will be in paperback by January 2025. In the meantime, if you can think of any books which are in paperback and are on prize lists or bestsellers to discuss in 2025 please do send them to Irene.
There is still a vacancy for a new member of the group.
Our next meetings are:
Tuesday, 17th September: “Enter Ghost” by Isabella Hammad – suggested by Mary
Tuesday, 15th October: “Soldier Sailor” by Claire Kilroy – suggested by Fiona
Tuesday, 19th November: “Old God’s Time” by Sebastian Barry – suggested by Valentina
Meeting on 16th July 2024, What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama suggested by Irene
Notes by Fiona
July2024.pdfMeeting on 18th June 2024
Cuddy by Benjamin Meyers suggested by Irene
Notes by Fiona
Cuddy.docxMeeting on 21st May 2024
Demon Copperfield by Barbara KIngsolver suggested by Paola
Notes by Fiona
Meeting on 16th April 2024
A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa
Notes by Fiona
A Ghost in the Throat.docxMeeting on 19th March 2024
The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown by Anna Keay
Notes by Fiona
The Restless Republic.docxMeeting on 20th February 2024
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Notes by Fiona, including comments by Julie
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.docxThe Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris, notes by Fiona
Meeting on 16th January 2024
All fourteen current members met on a sunny but very cold day inside an equally chilly Cambridge Blue public house on Gwydir Street for the first book discussion meeting of the year. Valentina brought along some pastries and chocolates to share.
Sarah had nominated the book and very kindly lead the meeting.
Voting
10 x 1
9 x 4
8 x 6
7 x 1
6 x 1
5 x 1
Average 8.0
Nathan Harris is from Oregon but moved to San Francisco after graduating from the University of Oregon. He now lives in Texas. This is his first novel and it was published in July 2021 when he was 29 years old.
Booker Prize for Longlist (2021)
Dylan Thomas Prize. (2022)
Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction and Debut Novels (2021)
RUSA CODES Reading List for Historical Fiction (2022)
Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence (2021)
New York Times Bestseller
Oprah Book Club Pick
Barack Obama Summer Reading 2021 Selection
It seemed most people agreed that it was obviously a first novel but there is much potential with the author and we look forward to an opportunity to discuss his future books. There is definitely scope for the author to develop his writing. Extremely impressed by how well the older characters were written especially Isabelle as the author is a young man. He has included many threads which, in some cases, seemed only to push the plot forward. Some of the early similes were jarring.
Some notable passages (pages numbers refer to the paperback):
- Page 118: The dappled shadows of the town blighted her eyelids until the noise ceased and they’d gone beyond it all. Time unspooled in lockstep with the patter of Ridley’s footsteps, and neither disturbed the spell cast by their silence.
- Page 306: The wind sought them once more, unbearably loud this time, an aching susurration seemingly born from the shadows, provoking urgent declarations among the trees, as though there were spectres howling from the void. [susurration means a soft murmer or whisper]
The sweetness of water after a day spent picking in the fields. Freedom.
There were many relationships within the book (Caleb-August and Prentiss-Landry) but the most important relationship was that between George and Isabelle. We first meet George having received news of the death of his son Caleb and being unable to break the news to Isabelle. Isabelle and George are seen as being ‘stuck up’ by the local town. They are outsiders.
George talks of an imaginary beast which he later finds out is a story made up by his father. The book is a story about the journey of George. It also takes on the journey of Prentiss although at first he is strong and brave but as the story develops he is pulled down by the death of Landry.
Isabelle is the stand out character for most of the book group and George, Caleb and Mildred were good too. Isabelle is a very stoic character. She rents her land to black people and carries on living despite losing her husband and her son. George and Isabelle’s relationship was very good, how it changes when Caleb comes back home. Very good descriptions of their internal lives.
There is hostility towards George and Isabelle from the rest of the townsfolk after they take on Landry and Prentiss to work for fair wages. Perhaps that stems from the soldiers returning from the war without jobs (would the ex-soldiers have worked the land since it was work once done by enslaved people?).
George also has a relationship with Clementine and he pays her so he can talk to her about matters which he is not able to speak to Isabelle about (therapy). Would have liked Clementine to be fleshed out a bit more. Clementine is mixed race: she is able to pass herself off as Prentiss’s cousin and can also put on makeup to whiten her complexion so that her clients can pretend she is white. Clementine is too beautiful and it is not realistic. Clementine is a clunky narrative device. We don’t know what becomes of her once she leaves Old Ox.
Landry doesn’t speak throughout the book except for the time which triggers August to kill him. “I c-c-c can speak. Ain’t no different from you.” Page 183
Prentiss spits into Wade Webler’s face. More impact than hitting him.
Mildred Foster is a friend of Isabelle’s and seems to be the only friend she has in town. There was a scene with the other women which was almost Austenesque. Mildred’s boys seeming to enjoy talking about the violence they inflicted during the war.
Brigadier General Arnold Glass is a union soldier brought in to look after the town and help rebuild the community after the war and it bring it into the Union. He takes Prentiss to prison but later on apologies to George.
Wade Webler is the town ‘bigwig’. He is civil to George (white man) but wants to hang Prentiss (black man).
There is a sexual relationship between August and Caleb. Is the same sex relationship just a trope? Is it there to drive the plot forward? Caleb is attracted to August but August may not be attracted to Caleb in the same way. Should this relationship be described more? The gay relationship was not fully realised. Caleb was a coward during the war but realises he is better than August who is also a coward and hides behind his father.
Some great descriptions of scenes:
- Prentiss and Caleb working in the sugar mill. They are not slaves but the working conditions are terrible. Again, Caleb given the easier work as he is white.
- The treatment of Prentiss and Landry by Ted Morton
- The gun shot infected leg of George
It is a balanced story (not one-sided) – some white people are reasonable and some are not. The story is told through the lens of various characters. The reader is always inside a character seeing what they see. Some characters were stereotypes but George, Isabelle and Caleb were stand out characters. There are some complexity to other characters in particular Wade Webler. It is clear who are the goodies and who are the baddies. Enjoyed watching the main characters grow. Loved the characters in the story. The women were not as strongly or as realistically drawn as the men. The women were not fascinating characters.
We talked about the white characters and not so much about Prentiss and Landry despite this book being written by a black man and about the post civil war emancipation. White people are able to drive the narrative as they have the power to shape their own and other people’s lives. The author doesn’t talk about the black characters but their stories are very powerful. Was it deliberate not to push forward the black characters. The author tried to bring to life the time post the civil war, how people lived and it shows how vulnerable the townsfolk were. What was it like to be free after slavery. It portrays the internal life of a white man and woman and their experiences. Does the book need to portray the same situations through a black man’s experience of it? The novel portrays human experiences whether they are black or white.
Would have liked some more information about the peanut crop. How would a field of green crops be set alight?
Ridley the donkey is mentioned throughout the story and is a key character.
It is a story about grief. The death of Caleb and Landry. Prentiss and Landry’s mother. There is an understanding of grief in the book. How we react to the death of Caleb compared to Landry’s violent murder.
There is a constant tension of threat hanging over the story.
It is an ex-slavery issue. Although Prentiss and Landry have been emancipated but they are not free.
Post conflict situations. The unionists badly managed the transition from war to peace.
Hope. Isabelle: ‘Sometimes hope is enough’. There’s the false hope of Prentiss finding his mother. There is also the practical hope of finding ways to make money. Both of these ‘hopes’ drive Prentiss to go north.
What makes a good life?
Enjoyable novel. Loved it. Good story. Wonderful. Thoroughly enjoyed the story and fell into it straight away. It is an interesting story with some great relationships. It is an engaging story and not preachy. It is easy to read with a linear narrative. Well written and a good yarn. It is an accurate period piece. Loved the idea of a story set in this time period. It was not exciting enough but is good literature. Loved the writing but some passages jarred. Not blown away by the book but it is a good read. Enjoyed the book, it is an easy read with a slow pace. Enjoyed the expressions and good turns of phrase. I felt pulled into the story quickly. The prose lured me in with a false sense of security so that the violent and vicious events were even more shocking. It is an uncomfortable read with the viciousness of the story. It is more than just a good story and has many important themes. It highlights some philosophical points. Some of the themes were predicable. There were may threads which were tied up at the end. Apprehensive about reading a historical novel but it grabs you with the quality of the writing.
The chapters were not of a consistent length. It is too long. A book of two halves: the first half was character driven and the second half was the adventure/action. Struggled with the second half as it felt “Hollywood” and full of action packed nonsense. Some parts of the book may have been included to be more palatable to the masses. The book came across as ‘white saviour’ and needed to be grittier. The author appeared to have included everything he could into the book (first novel)
This book would make a good film.
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