LETSBuzz Book Club 20th January 2002
This is about friendship and the nature of friendship. The women have
been friends all their lives and they are now in their 70s. It has a
brilliant opening with one of the characters hiding in a hedge.
Charlotte has never married but has had lots of relationships. Claudia
married a difficult man and had 3 children. All the men in the book are
dreadful and this is a book written for women. It's OK, not brilliant;
an average good read.
Jean
Jean had read lots of this author and has really liked her work but this
was difficult (as Caroline had said). It's about South Africa at the
time of the introduction of majority rule. It was interesting, probably
fascinating if you lived there. It's difficult to follow the
conversations, as the speakers aren't identified. Jean was not engaged
by it and could not particularly recommend it.
Jean
This is about parents and children and is a good read even for those
without children. It's a set of short stories and is very easy to read.
Some are entertaining, some are painful and some are thought provoking.
Jean
Gill has decided she ought to read more science and has taken up New
Scientist. Two articles caught her attention: one about the ideal
tightness for jam jar lids - this is 2 Newton metres of torque; and the other that eating cheese is bad for osteoporosis despite the calcium because the
acid digestion strips calcium from the bones.
Gill
This is a Christmas Story. It's a very engaging love story with very
Dickensian characters. You are led up the wrong path in the story and
it has a very good twist at the end.
Gill
This is set in Australia and has 2 middle-aged main characters who are
very well portrayed. One is obsessed by concrete and the author has
done a great deal of research about the subject of bridge building, but
the narrative is poor.
Gill
This is really good at talking about ordinary people in ordinary
surroundings. The characters are the crew of a jumbo jet who fly to New
York and back. It's very credible and life like; well researched.
Gill
This is a great publishing idea. The author has written the first
chapter (in some cases, the first line) of books about food and then put
then in a book and called it a cumulative novel. Andrew did not enjoy
this even though the writing was good because it was all so disconnected
and he didn't see the point.
Andrew
Andrew thought this was rubbish. He hates fantasy novels and this book
did not pass the 100 page test. (The Whitbread judges didn't share Andrew's views).
Andrew
This book is in 3 parts. It starts in a well-to-do household on a hot
summer's day. This part went on too long. It had the William Trevor
effect-fantastic, gorgeous prose which passes me by. Andrew found it suffocating. (Doreen thought this effect was deliberate).
The second part was set in France during the last war where dreadful things happen.
The third part is a high wire act containing a vibrant section about the girl from the first part who has become a nurse.
Andrew
Granta Music
This is set of shortish, music-related pieces. The piece by Ian Jack
about Kathleen Ferrier swept me away. Alan Rushbridger's was about
learning the piano and buying one. Blake Morrison's about the song "On
Ilkla Moor Baht 'At" made me laugh out loud.
Andrew
This is well written and will appeal to non scientists. It contains no
maths formulae. The author points out the parallels between human
society and that of animals. He dismisses sociologists and economists
and says trade goes back a very long way. He says that Ricardo's Law is
the only non trivial theory in the history of sociology. ( A tribe will
choose not to pursue certain activities so that they can trade with
other tribes who do pursue that activity). We are programmed to look
after our own interests and we can't relate to future generations.
Rory
An elegant, spare essay about the city in 1949. Excellent.
Doreen
A novella about the people at the memorial service of a masseur. Funny,
light hearted but with the author's keen ear for the overheard
conversation.
Doreen
Set in India about a middle class, English, teenage girl's romance with
the Indian gardener (and poet). Very well written. Dated in that we no
longer need words like daal explained. Not dated in its description
of a teenager's feelings about her father's girlfriend and her first
experience of love.
Doreen
Up market Mills and Boon. Not worth reading. It has a real twist at the
end but not worth slogging through the rest to get to it.
Doreen
The first two novels in a projected trilogy. Wonderful and mysterious.
Has a device which I love. The same story told from different view
points. There are 3 main characters: 2 male doctors and a woman whose
true identity is not revealed until the 2nd book. Wonderful
descriptions of landscape. Can't wait for the 3rd book.
Doreen
The frames have gone all funny - click to make it good.