LETSBuzz Book Club 7th March 2004
Light and entertaining, though also eccentric almost to the point of unbelieveableness, about a Dublin family with a feckless father and a repressed artist mother. However, the girls grow up in spite of their parents and a houseful of lodgers. Jean described it as a laugh out loud book. She loved it and recommended it as an entertaining good read.
Jean
The author was realistically able to enter into the world of a child in this very moving, well done and convincing children's book which ought to be read by adults. Jean commented that children's books weren't only for children and could be usefully read by grownups.
Jean
There are two editions of this book by the prize-winning author: one for children and one for adults with slight variations in text and cover. It is a moving, painful and sometimes funny story of an autistic child who had a horror of being touched. It provoked a lively discussion in the group.
Jean
This book, after careful searching for it, had been lent to Andrew by Bob. Andrew wondered why? The first fifty pages are devoted to conversation about the following 150 pages of a Nordic saga. The author had sadly died in a motor cycle accident so there would be no further books from him. This was possibly a clever and insightful book but Andrew gave up.
Andrew
This prize-winning story is the chronicle of a journey undertaken by Pi (full name Piscine). He is an Indian boy whose father owns a zoo. The animals must be taken to Canada for the zoo is to be sold. The ship goes down and Pi is left in a lifeboat with a hyena, an orang utang, a zebra and a Bengal tiger. Andrew enjoyed the story, describing it as an analogous novel, but was not swept away; he felt unable to suspend his belief enough. Read it though, if only to find out the name of the tiger.
Andrew
"A girl's book?" queried Andrew. (see last month's Book Group Notes). "Not necessarily", he thinks. Men should read it for the writing and the gaps she leaves for the reader to fill in.
Andrew
Gill objected to the marketing blurb and the two-page taster of the author's next book. Ignoring that, Gill found it an easy and perceptive read.
Gill
Gill found this not exactly a pleasant book and one to be read in short bursts because of its disturbing nature. Reminiscent of 1984 by George Orwell, with the same future scenario and picture of a divided society. She found it hard work to read with lots of condensed information in almost every paragraph.
Gill
The author is an award winner who is good at explaining complicated languages such as Hieroglyphics and Linear B and, Rory's favourite, Mayan. He showed pictures from the book, which is very well and profusely illustrated. One depicts a vase with Mayan engraving, another a tomb showing a person falling into the other world. Near the palace at Minos the first ever printed document was dug up. This is the unique Phaistos disc made from fired clay. It is read from the outside edge working around and inwards and dates from c.1800 BC. Etruscan, a Northern Italian language is pre-Roman and has elements of Greek. Rongo Rongo, from Easter Island has thousands of symbols and dates from the Middle Ages and Polynesia. Inspiring mainly woodcarvings used in ceremonies. It is also, interestingly, in a background to a Gauguin picture.
Rory
Doreen read only the introduction of this book. She described it as ranting and not quite honest, and abandoned it.
Doreen
This is a collection of articles about the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter on a small Finnish island. Very descriptive of weather and arguments between them. A nicely produced book with lots of photographs but not really recommended.
Doreen
A collection of essays on such diverse subjects as Capital Punishment, Morality, Religion and Reading. He also gives sound reasons for being a vegetarian. Doreen likes him because he agrees with her/she agrees with him. And he writes well.
Doreen
Set in 1917 and tells a very good story of a young aspiring artist who lives with her father. DH Lawrence makes an appearance and the various relationships between the girl and Lawrence and her cousin and her father are explored. There is a fine description of the impact of the war on the community. The book is strong on landscape but contains some hackneyed phrases on the turn of the plot. Not really recommended.
Doreen
This book is from a serious writer and Doreen read out from the blurb on the back cover: "Enigmatic clarity" and "merciless detail" to explain this confusing story about a miserable, dirty, drunk and foul-mouthed man who had a BIG secret. All the characters in the story are either insane or awful. Although Doreen admires the writing, John Banville's books leave her cold and this particular one, she said, made her want to wash her hands.
Doreen
A delightfully told tale of a middle-aged woman in Venice incorporating the story of Tobias and the Angel. Lots of Italian churches, art, food and some delicate and not so delicate love. Still Here by Linda Grant. Enjoyable for the connections but not the writing which was a bit laboured. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald. Written in about 1925 this tale of its time and place had echoes of today. A story of rich, amoral people who are mostly unlikeable, yet written with style.
Christine
The frames have gone all funny - click to make it good.