LETSBuzz Book Club 13th February 2000
This ‘graphic novel’ is a take on the French classic Madame Bovery. In this
story Gemma, an English woman, goes to live in northern France with her husband. The author makes a number of telling points about the English living in France.
Doreen described Gemma Bovery as funny, well drawn and very enjoyable.
Doreen
This book was a “walloping good story” and a real page turner. It deals
with the speculative fever that surrounded tulip growing in Holland in the
17th century. She said that the book has a rather strange plot but was steeped in atmosphere and hysteria. Doreen particularly liked the unexpected prints that were included in the book, and thought that these were a real bonus considering the price.
Doreen
Doreen liked this book and said that it marked a real contrast to her other choice, Tulip Fever. The writing was very delicate and dealt very well with
its subjects of adultery and music. The main character of the book is a violinist in a string quartet who has lost the love of his life. The story deals well with his regrets.
Doreen recommended ‘An Equal Music’ as a worthwhile read.
Doreen
Very good!
Gill
Gill commented that this book made her laugh. This story deals with a group
of New Agers travelling to a festival. It is written in the first person and gets “sillier and sillier” as the plot progresses. However, Gill said that the plot did come together and this book is certainly worth a read.
Gill
This short story deals with New Years Eve rather in the way that A Christmas Carol deals with Christmas. Gill felt that it was not as good as A Christmas Carol - however, it dealt quite well with its social theme, how the rich feel that the poor should live.
Gill
This classic French story deals with the life of a French courtesan. Gill
felt that it was not as good as Nana, by Emile Zola, which deals with a similar subject. The book is a sort of autobiography and deals with the depressing life of Margarite Dupressy.
Gill
This book deals with the story of a woman drifting around Europe in the
1980s. In its style it reminded Gill of To the Wedding by John Berger, but it was not as good. It did, however, have a nice cover.
Gill
Jean had commented that she loved Birdsong by the same author. This book she
said was good but not as good. Jean thought that Charlotte Gray was a rather
harrowing read. It dealt well with its subject (WW2, the French resistance, the RAF etc.) very well but she found the insane love affair between the title
character and an airman hard to sympathise with. Doreen said that she thought it was a very good book.
Jean
Jean said that she found this novel fascinating. She enjoyed the fact that
it focused on the lives of some older people. The main character, Augusta, is a woman in her seventies. The story is set in rural British Colombia and the title of the book comes from its focus on bee-keeping practices. Jean said that it was a quiet but engrossing book.
Jean
(Published by SmithSettle ISBN 1 85825 062-S)
Jean described this book as a beautiful natural history of a rapidly vanishing landscape. The author visited a meadow once a week for a year and noted what she found. The book is well illustrated, hand-written ( in a lovely hand!) and has a list of all the flora found by the author in the meadow.
Jean
Rory had been reading both these books and says that he enjoyed them so much
that he is looking forward to reading all seven of the projected series. He
described them as a good mixture of a children and an adults book. The subjects are juvenile but they stand-up to an adult reading. Rory characterised the humour as beanoesque!
Rory
Rory noted that he enjoyed reading this book by the author of
Generation X. The story deals with a group of bright, but alienated young people who decide to break out of the Microsoft campus life and set-up on their own. Rory commented that it dealt with up-to-the-minute stuff. The book did have a lot of off putting references to American sub-culture and science and technology but it also had a number of witty aphorisms. Rory particularly liked the portrayal of the young female characters in the book. He said that he recommended this book because it was touching and funny.
Doreen added that she had read some of the technical stuff and hadn't
understood an word of it.
Rory
Gavin described this book as an extremely powerful account of the life of a
black woman coming to terms with her own enslavement and its effects on her life. Set in Ohio, USA in the 1870s the book tells of the inhumanity of the slave system that affects every aspect of this woman's existence. Gavin noted that the strength of the imagery really lived in the mind. Perhaps the only quibbles Gavin had with the book were its
use of local idiom which he struggled to understand at first, and its use of a ghost which again was initially difficult to reconcile with the books otherwise realist tone.
Gavin
The frames have gone all funny - click to make it good.