LETSBuzz Book Club 21st March 1999
Caroline really enjoyed this book. It took her a long time to read it but
she felt that this was in the spirit of such a travel book, which describes
an epic journey following the mountains from North West Spain right through
to Istanbul. Because the author sticks to the uplands, although the country
that he is in changes the mountain people that he meets remain quite
similar, as do the millions of sheep that he encounters. The author is in
the great tradition of ill equipped and funded English amateur adventurers.
Recommended.
Caroline
Despite its depressing cover this book was quite the opposite and again,
Caroline really enjoyed it. Set in the late 18th/early 19th Century France
and a good portrait of French rural life with, as is common in this
author's books, lots of food. Caroline's one criticism was that the
literary device used to get the reader into the story is resurrected
towards the end of the book but to no great effect.
Caroline
In common with Andrew's view of the book, Seán found this too opaque ("...I just couldn't work out what was going on...") and thus didn't finish it.
This book is becoming indicative of the male/female divide in the group as
Caroline & Doreen had both really enjoyed it.
Seán
A fictionalised story of the succession from Edwin to Harold in the 11th
Century, leading up to the Norman invasion. Seán felt that if John Major
had written a historical novel then this would be it because the writing
was flat, deadpan and completely unemotional and conveyed an
unrealistically romantic and idyllic picture of pre-Norman England. An
irritating book.
Seán
Seán really enjoyed this book, originally recommended by Andrew. An easy
read which he got through in 24 hours. Good characters and good observation
of the etiquette of weddings. Recommended.
Seán
Doreen read this on her second attempt, after the TV programme "Life In The Freezer" rekindled her interest in the region. The author's often funny and perceptive observations are mixed with the reading and research she has done about previous Antarctic exploration. Doreen found the intrusion of
the author's religious faith and the spiritual angle applied to her trip a
bit hard to take.
Doreen
Another book about the Antarctic, this being about the ill-fated Scott
expedition. The book is in 5 sections, each from the point of view of the
non-survivors of the party and describes how appalling and badly organised
the whole trip was, blaming Scott himself, at least in part for this. In a
rather English way, the 5 narrators gloss over the fact that Amundsen beat
them to it. The section describing Captain Oates' famous self-sacrifice is
particularly moving. Doreen feels that Bainbridge is an author going from
strength to strength.
Doreen
A very enjoyable and extremely funny book. Set 30 years into the future, it
describes various innovations that have become commonplace such as the
transference of dreams and memories from one mind to another. Machines have
also been developed in "bio-machines" which have human feelings. The narrator has managed to upset his answerphone by throwing away his coffee
machine and in the course of the book he is also pursued by a discarded
alarm clock and insulted by a cash dispenser. Doreen described the book as
"totally mad but highly recommended".
Doreen
Very dark Irish novel about an already strange boy's descent into complete
madness and the terrible crime that he commits. Very powerfully written but
there was no surprise in the outcome of the book, it was plain from page
one that something horrific will happen.
Andrew
Journalistic book in which a writer infiltrates the most flamboyant
elements of a southern states US city. Andrew was intrigued as to how the
author introduced himself to these people and felt that he influenced the
actions of these unsavoury and attention seeking individuals by boasting
that he was writing a book about the all. With everyone desperate for their
own 15 minutes of fame, the consequence was not so shocking.
Andrew
A weaker book than the very sparky and imaginative "Popcorn". It lacked his way of introducing a very serious issue by comic stealth or the comic set pieces that usually make his books worth reading.
Andrew
A very modern novel about the 253 characters on a full central line tube
train. Each character has a page consisting of 253 words and all the
footnotes consist of 253 words. It's an easy read but ultimately a bit
pointless.
Andrew
Gill thought this was a lightweight comedy with no real message, in
contrast with some of the author's previous books.
Gill
Gill liked the part of the book which describes the characters in Savannah,
Georgia but thought the second part of the book very boring, a typical
American courtroom drama "...and they think that's so sexy, don't they?"
Gill
Another lightweight book which Gill read quickly. Quite entertaining though
different to either "High Fidelity" or "Fever Pitch". Gill didn't like the main character at all, feeling him to be a "non-person" but described the book as being worth reading.
Gill
Gill started this but didn't finish it as she found it too confusing to
persevere with.
Gill
Gill though this was brilliant ("...practically a classic...") and couldn't put it down. Hugely involving descriptions of geisha life, the scheming and jealousy that goes on in such an all-female society. In a different class to anything she had read in a long while.
Gill
The frames have gone all funny - click to make it good.