This week we met to discuss Lionel Shriver’s (old) novel ‘A Perfectly Good Family’ this book was first published in 1996 and I can only assume has been re-printed after the bombing of her more recent novel ‘The Post-birthday World’, as a nice little money earner! Some of us had been to see Lionel as part of the Free Thinking Festival at the Sage and I think we agreed that Ms Shriver in person is more interesting than this book! That said at least 50% of the group enjoyed it and it gave us good food for debate; such an emotive issue – families and inheritance. I’m looking forward to our next meeting when we’ll discuss Cumbrian based & Booker short-listed author Sarah Hall’s new novel ‘How to Paint a Dead Man’.
A mostly warm reception for Jacob Polley’s first novel ‘Talk of The Town’, a couple of the group were not convinced by his use of the vernacular, was it Cumbrian or more Lancashire? Why wasn’t he more consistent in his use of t’ for the? However the majority forgave the language issue and one member who couldn’t make it to the meeting sent the following by email ‘What a crisp, beautifully written book. I loved the attention to detail; warming the cold metal rail on the bus with his hand and then watching it cool as the condensation vaporised. The dialect added rather than detracted from the reading of the book’.
Quite a few of us will be going along to hear Lionel Shriver talk at the Sage on Saturday 24th October at 10.30 am which will add fuel to the discussion of her new book ‘ A Perfectly Good Family’ at our next meeting on 3rd November. The event is free but you need to book tickets so see you there!
Susie Troup
Interesting thoughts on our Swedish book ; ‘Blackwater’ altogether approved of as a good read, tho’ some found the ‘dark’ feeling engendered by the landscape and poverty of the way of life in Northern Sweden depressing. We all agreed that it isn’t what it is advertised to be, a chilling crime novel, more a sensitive and thoughtful portrayal of events in a community over a period of time, albeit linked around a central murder. A fantastic and powerful sense of nature and the effects of the Northern landscape.
We’re all looking forward to our next read ‘Talk of the Town’ by Jacob Polley
Breaking News; Author Lionel Shriver will be talking about her latest book ‘A Perfectly Good Family’ at the Sage Gateshead on Saturday 24th October, so we’ve decided to read this as our next choice for November 3rd meeting!
Welcome to three new members of the group- what an achievement in the hot and sweltering holiday month of August. When I had got over my horror at the ‘no we don’t use our ice machine it’s too much bother’ comments from bar staff at Forum and settled down to my rapidly warming mineral water, we had an animated even feisty discussion about this month’s book ‘Man Gone Down’. This was my choice – but chosen democratically from the list of everyone’s choices- honest! The book definitely provided the best meat for discussion so far – so in that respect can be commended as a fine book group choice. However it was overall deemed as disappointing; some fine pieces of writing hidden in there, but in general a meandering and not very cohesive narrative, with little depth or conclusion to the thoughts behind it – or what we all took to be the thoughts. General opinion was we were all glad to have read it but it was a struggle in parts and no-one was quite sure how it had won the IMPAC award!
Looking forward to discussing our next book ‘Blackwater’ at our meeting on 1st September.
Susie Troup
Well I’m afraid it was a ‘thumbs down’ at this month’s meeting for Alice de Smith’s ‘Welcome to Life’! All except one of our group were disappointed in what was generally agreed to be ‘an easy read’ but with rather too light a touch when it came to characterisation or dealing with any of the potentailly interesting themes drawn on in the novel. We all agreed that it was hard to become involved with any of the protagonists and at the end we just ‘didn’t care’ about them! Interesting thoughts were raised such as perhaps it was (or should be) aimed at the teen market? ‘Not really an adult read’ was another comment, however it engendered a good discussion particularly in comparing it to Ross Raisin’s recently read book. Our next read (which was chosen by wonderfully democratic voting from a shortlist of the book group members’ own choices) is ‘Man Gone Down ‘ by Michael Thomas. Winner of this year’s IMPAC award and nominated by a library in Barbados (yes Barbados!) this debut novel fought off competition from 145 titles nominated by 157 public libaries from 41 countries. As usual book club members will be able to buy it at a discount from Cogito Books, Hexham. Next meeting is on 4th August at 7.30 at The Forum.
Some great debate over ‘The Spare Room’ by Helen Garner; always good to discuss a book which neatly divided opinion which this did, those that liked and applauded the book only slightly out weighed those who found the main characters irritating . All of us however agreed that Helen Garner’s style is very fine; spare but eloquent, she took on a difficult subject in an extraordinarily uplifting way! Our next book choice – to be discussed at our meeting on 30th June is ‘Welcome to Life’ by Alice de Smith and remember I have copies of it at half price (£6.50), or if you contact Olivia at New Writing North she will send you one for £8.00 inc p&p. Start thinking about our July read now please as this needs input from you! It’s your choice- so choose a book or books; send your choice to info@hexhambookfestival.co.uk and I will put together a shortlist for us all to vote on! I’m looking forward to some good summer reads!
Susie Troup
Our next book for our end of June meeting is ‘Welcome to Life’ by Alice de Smith, described as a blackly funny debut novel, sparkling with wit and sophistication, “Welcome to Life” is a provocative novel about family, friendship and becoming a grown-up.
Alice de Smith was born in Cambridge, educated at Oxford and now lives in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where she writes for Live Theatre, this is her first novel.
We have some books to offer at half price (£6.50) which you can buy form Susie at the meeting on 2nd June or contact Olivia at New Writing North 0191 233 3850 and for £8.00 she will send you one.
Thankyou to everyone who came along to our Book Group Forum evening as part of Hexham Book Festival, Ross Raisin & Richard Milward were both interesting & illuminating on their different approaches to writing……. RM always writes lying on his bed!! They talked about their careers and future plans and I, for one, will be looking out for their next books.
Date for Next Meeting is Tues 2nd June at the Forum Cinema, 7.30pm
Our next book is ‘The Spare Room’ by Helen Garner (see quote from Peter Carey below) and as usual you will be able to get it at a reduced price from Cogito Books
‘The Spare Room is a perfect novel, imbued with all Garner’s usual clear-eyed grace but with some other magnificent dimension that hides between the lines of her simple conversational voice. How is it that she can enter this heart-breaking territory – the dying friend who comes to stay – and make it not only bearable, but glorious, and funny? There is no answer except: Helen Garner is a great writer; The Spare Room is a great book.’ Peter Carey
I look forward to seeing you all then
Susie Troup
Thankyou to everyone who came along on 24th February, and survived the first rather noisy half hour- due to a later film showing! What a great book for a discussion and it was lovely to have some new faces at the group! For anyone who didn’t make the meeting we are now reading ‘Turn of the Screw’ by Henry James, not ‘God’s own Country’ by Ross Raisin as previously advertised, these two have swopped places as Ross Raisin is now appearing with Richard Milward at the Hexham Book Festival Book Group event on Thurs 30th April at 7.30 pm in the Library of the Queens Hall. Richard Milward is another new young northern writer attracting a lot of attention, sassy and pulling no punches, the two books explore what it is to be young and isolated in both a northern city and the North Yorkshire Moors in the 21st century. I have a few copies of Richard Milward’s new book to GIVE AWAY at our next meeting on Monday 30th March. I do hope that all of you will come to our book group event at the Qeens Hall Library and if you arrive early you can enjoy a glass of wine at the Hexham Book Festival launch event from 6.30pm.
Please note our next meeting is MONDAY 30th March at the Forum to discuss Turn of the Screw (Forum is now screening a film in the cafe on Tuesday evening! Hence the change)
There was much delight over screening time of the film ‘The Age of Innocence’ , Sunday at 4pm, from book group members; seen as an ideal time to escape the dreariness of a winter afternoon and that down time of the soul! The fact that our meeting was a mere two days later meant that it was still fresh in our minds and what great fruit for discussion! The good and bad elements in the film, the faithfulness of the interpretation all led on to generally high quality deconstruction of the novel!
We look forward to more linked in screenings of book and film and would love to hear your suggestions for future similar events.
I’m hoping for more interesting thoughts on Tuesday 24th February when we talk about ‘Out Stealing Horses’
NB Change of book order & date
As the Hexham Book Festival is delighted to have Ross Raisin coming to talk about his book ‘God’s Own Country’ on Thurs 30th April at the Queens Hall, we will be reading ‘Turn of the Screw’ by Henry James next and Ross Raisin’s book in April, the Book Group will then be invited to come to The Queen’s Hall on Thurs 30th April at 7pm, instead of Tues 28th April as previously advertised!
Susie
