LETSBuzz Book Club 26th July 1998
A book which has themes of racism and the concentration camps of World War II. It talks about the founding of the State of Israel and the role of black Jews
There are two narratives, and there was discussion as to whether they came together at the end or not.
She enjoyed it, and would recommend it, but found it quite a hard read.
Caroline
She found this biography to be thoroughly enjoyable, real history, but quite shocking towards the end.
Caroline
This is an out-of-print children's book, which Caroline has only just found after a long search over several years. It is about a boy who teaches children to fly. She was not disappointed on reading it again after so long; the atmosphere was still very good.
Caroline
Doreen is not normally a big fan of this author, but the book had good reviews. She found the first chapter very engaging; you know something bad is going to happen. It is about a stalker; it has a slow menace. Very engaging and highly recommended.
Doreen
Andrew found this book engaging. It is about a long summer somewhere in Middle England and a fragmented family. He thought the characters were painted well. Doreen and Caroline had also read this book. Doreen thought it had a good beginning but had a shocking moment near the end. Caroline was rather irritated by the book and felt the ending was a cheap trick to get rid of a character; it was rather hard to believe.
Andrew
This book is not yet published but will receive a heavy weight of promotion in the autumn. He found it Mills-and-Boonish, with some ridiculous scenes, and badly researched. Not recommended.
Andrew
A popular science book about the history of mathematics from Pythagoras onwards, and in particular about the amateur mathematician Fermat who left behind all his notebooks when he died. Unlike other theorems in the books , the last theorem had no proof. Andrew Wiles set out to prove this theory, and locked himself away for seven years to do so. The best bits in Seán's opinion were about the history of maths and the bizarre people who were involved with it, including a woman mathematician who was dragged by a chariot, butchered with oyster shells, and thrown onto a fire!
Seán
Star Trek
in Spanish and Hebrew.
There was a discussion about the Hebrew language. The Hebrew translation was not very good because it had no vowels. The vowels give the tenses; they are usually put underneath the line of text. The book has to be read from back to front.
Mark
This is a book about a gay boy growing up (not understanding what gay-ness is exactly, because no-one tells him), in New Zealand. It is a gentle and funny book, and the humour comes from the juxtaposition of his very feminine outlook with a very macho sheep-shearing male world around him. A recommended read.
Gill
This may be a "classic" but Gill couldn't relate to the alienated character at all, who seems to be one of those people who just let things happen to them. Other people compared it to 'Catcher in the Rye'. Perhaps it is a book to read when you are going through teenage years.
Gill
A totally absorbing and wonderful book; not so much a love story as is nowadays portrayed in the media, but really a story about what happens when you put a "cuckoo in the nest". The cuckoo is Heathcliff, an abandoned child who is adopted by a well meaning father and introduced suddenly into his previously stable family. The fact that the child is quite clearly of a different social class doesn't help. Heathcliff is a violent character, and today would probably find himself doing a spell or two in prison.
Gill
The frames have gone all funny - click to make it good.