LETSBuzz Book Club 17th July 2004
This is an autobiography. The author was brought up on various communes around the world by his mother who was a disciple of the Bhagwan. It is an interesting book although it is occasionally difficult to follow; a glossary of the religious terms and an explanation of the philosophy would have been useful.
The author had a strange upbringing but not necessarily a bad one although he found it difficult to adjust to life outside of the communes.
Gill
Gill's first book by this author and likely to be her last. It is set in an English middle-class world to which she could not relate.
Gill
Gill quite liked this book. A story of an 88 year old woman in the Victorian age who defies the conventions of the age and lives her life her own way. Amazingly perceptive given that the author was only in her thirties when she wrote the book.
Gill
An interesting and enjoyable book, his first but not Gill's. Initially Gill didn't like the book because she didn't like the characters but when the elephant sat on the car she realised she had been taking it too seriously. Once she knew it was tongue in cheek she enjoyed it much more.
Gill
A book about Paraguay and its convoluted and bloody history. It is a fascinating country which operates according to its own rules and its terrible history has passed relatively unnoticed outside South America.
Unfortunately, the book is not well written and doesn't engage the reader.
Andrew
Extensively read and reviewed. The style is conversational and funny and this must largely account for its popularity. Andrew isn't as bothered as the author about pronunciation.
Andrew
Andrew has been disappointed with her previous books and always felt that there was less there than meets the eye. This one isn't very different.
This was her last book and was written when she knew she was dying with cancer. It is a book about how an individual and her family cope with a major upheaval (which maybe a metaphor for her illness). There are occasionally flashes of really good writing and generally it is easy to read often it drifts. Cautiously recommended.
Andrew
Jean can't decide whether she likes Carol Shields. The central character is a dull woman, a poet and there is a very weak plot twist. It is an easy read but Jean cannot see why this author is highly regarded.
Jean
Again, a well-regarded author who leaves Jean unimpressed. This one is OK, another family story but jean is still unconvinced.
Jean
Jean really liked this book and found it very moving, especially the relationship between father and son. Set in Ireland the main character is a wet individual and a not very good teacher yet he has an improbable romance with a passionate Italian violinist. He has a tragic childhood as both his mother and sister die.
Jean
Apparently this is a very controversial book and Jean was reluctant to read it because of its subject. Only a very reliable and persuasive friend convinced to try it.
It is narrated from heaven by a fourteen year old girl who has just been brutally murdered. She describes the effect of her death on her family and friends and their relationships. It is sordid and seedy but at the same time gripping, moving and beautifully written. Strongly recommended.
Jean
An autobiographical story of a Rhodesian childhood for the daughter of white settlers. It was a tough life and as a schoolgirl she had to carry a shotgun. An extraordinary, fascinating life. Recommended.
Jean
A wonderful book. The Polish author is a journalist who has spent many years in Africa. He is a very humane writer who identifies with people and the book is about the people of Africa and their stories.
Jean
This is not a well written book but is a fascinating one. Five hundred years of legal cases including the weird, the farcical and the disturbing. The chapters are short which makes for convenient reading and it is occasionally very funny.
Rory
Written for older teenagers. Partly autobiographical. Touching
Rory
Rory re-visited this after reading a serious text about the Mayan culture and the recent translation of its language. One section of the previous book dealt with a carving which the translation reveals to depict a dead Mayan leader descending to hell. Von Daniken's book had claimed that this same carving could only depict a Mayan ascending to heaven in a rocket. Rory wonders what else in his book could be explained now.
Rory
This began well and was very funny. Doreen could hear the voice of Sandi Toksvig in the narration. However, the book went downhill fairly soon and became a seventies style feminist rant.
Doreen
Autobiographical novel about Afghanistan just before and after the arrival of the Taliban. The story details the awful events carried out by the Taliban and makes grim reading. However, it is a powerful and compelling story.
Doreen
This has had good reviews and in many ways is an admirable book which may well become a set text for study. But Doreen didn't think the different strands of the book held together and was left wondering whether she had missed the point or whether it is simply not a very good book.
Doreen
This is an extremely good book about the London political and social elite in the 80s who had money and power and increasingly cared little for the rest of the country. There is lots of cocaine and a fair bit of homosexual sex (although not as much as in a previous book).
Doreen
After the Regeneration Trilogy Bob was looking forward to this book. The writing is refreshingly direct, the storytelling straightforward and the opening dramatic; all seems set for a great story. Unfortunately, the central characters never really engage the reader and the story runs out of steam. Forgettable.
Bob
There is much that could be criticised in this book: it is repetitive, confusingly structured initially, sometimes annoyingly populist and written for an American readership (fair enough, the writer is American but it makes for irritating reading at times). On the other hand, the story of how our alphabet was created 2000 years ago and has developed since is fascinating.
Bob
The frames have gone all funny - click to make it good.