Thanks to everyone who found time in the busy run-up to Christmas to come to the December book group – and according to Ann, who kindly hosted the meeting when I couldn’t make it, there was a very lively discussion on Pat Barker’s Life Class. Seems everyone had a similar experience of finishing the book in something of a rush – which made things very interesting, as the thoughts and comments were very fresh and immediate. In a way, it meant readers were developing their thoughts on the book as the meeting went along. As Ann said, this is another of the great things about being in a reading group – I know when I finished the novel I really wanted to hear what other people had to say, which always helps me get more out of a book.
Most people liked the book, although some perhaps felt it wasn’t as good as Barker’s Regeneration trilogy, which covered the similar subject matter of the First World War. The author’s knowledge of this period of history is outstanding and people felt they could trust her accuracy. The first half of the book, set in London, seemed to be less engaging than the second, and it was interesting to see how the wartime experiences developed the characters. For me, one of the most well-drawn characters was Lewis, who didn’t say so much about himself yet seemed to be someone who the reader felt they knew and cared about.
As I said in the last blog, New Writing North has come up with an interesting list of books to read in the coming months, but the group also came up with their own ideas! So I’m listing these suggestions here so that anyone who gets the time can dip into these too. They’re a really interesting set of books, so I know I’m going to try to read them! They are:
Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels
Oyster by Janet Turner Hospital
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
The Lover by Marguerite Duras
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Schriver
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
So these are not compulsory -but given what a discerning group the Berwick bunch is, I think all of them will be well worth a try if you’re stuck for a good read. Kim at Doolallys is always happy to order in books and she has of course promised to get in the ones on our list ‘proper’ for January to April.
Looking forward to seeing everyone again at the January meeting – and in the mean time, have a brilliant Christmas and may all your stockings be bulging with books!
Next meeting: Tuesday January 27th at 6.30pm. Doolally’s in Marygate, Berwick. Constitutional by Helen Simpson.
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