The Red Lion Book Club (thread#3)

[Maels 10]

Only 3 of us tonight but we did manage to talk about Mrs Dalloway and set a definite date for the March meeting - 11/03 (Code13 asked them to reserve the big table for us).

 

We also talked about dates for April meeting - how does the 15th sound to everyone? And we had a suggestion for the April book - details should follow soon.

[anastacia 10]

Whats the March book?

[Maels 10]

The March book is Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan

[BHrich 10]

Hello all, I attended my first meeting this week having recently moved to Sheffield. I was asked to nominate a book for April and suggested Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman. I've checked and it's rather longer than I thought (about 850 pages instead of the 450 - 500 that I thought!). I'm happy to go ahead with it but I know not everyone will have the time to get hold of the book and read 800 odd pages.

 

I'm drawing a blank for another nomination as all my books are still boxed, so I'll throw it open. Any Suggestions?

[Ron Blanco 10]

Only 3 of us tonight but we did manage to talk about Mrs Dalloway

 

Apologies for my absence. What was the verdict on Mrs Dalloway?

 

I found it onerous to begin with. However, once I got used to the style, I started to enjoy it and ended the book with an urge to read it again.

[Maels 10]

As Code13 has mentioned above, he didn't like it and BHrich hadn't read it. This was the second time I've read it - the first time I was rather surprised it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be; this time I realised I'd forgotten how much we get about other characters, not just Mrs Dalloway. I enjoy it when I get into the flow of the text but sometimes if I failed to pay attention for a few pages, I realised I wasn't sure in whose thoughts we were - I thought everybody was a bit samey (although obviously things that occupy their minds are mostly quite different).

[shlg 10]

...I was asked to nominate a book for April and suggested Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman. I've checked and it's rather longer than I thought (about 850 pages instead of the 450 - 500 that I thought!). I'm happy to go ahead with it but I know not everyone will have the time to get hold of the book and read 800 odd pages.

 

I'm drawing a blank for another nomination as all my books are still boxed, so I'll throw it open. Any Suggestions?

 

 

I'm not sure I can hack another book that long, so soon after the trauma of The Northern Clemency.

 

Code13's asked me to suggest Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks - it's a James Bond novel: Sebastian Faulks "writing as Ian Fleming". 320 pages!

Any thoughts? I am biased because I love the Bond books anyway.

 

Edited to add: In other news, I started Walk the Blue Fields last night, and by the time I got to work this morning I was a third of the way through the book. A refreshing change!

Edited February 17, 2009 by shlg

[Maels 10]

I think 800+ pages is more than I could manage in a normal month, so 320 pages of Devil May Care sound more appealing... I read some of the Bond novels in my teens, so it would be interesting to see what a modern Bond book is like

[Code13 10]

I think there has been sufficient time for any objections so we can settle on Devil May Care for the April book.

[anastacia 10]

started reading walk the blue fields today-not what I was expecting so looking forward to discussions-what time do you kick off on the 11th?

[shlg 10]

We meet at about 7.30 (and the discussion usually starts around - at the big table in the conservatory.

 

Edit: Blooming automatic smilies! That was supposed to say "the discussion usually starts around 8"!

[Globetrotter 10]

Hi,

 

I wasn't able to get a hold of Walk the Blue Fields despite looking through all bookshops I could think of in Sheffield and Manchester... Needless to say I haven't read the book so I won't be coming on Wednesday. But I'll make sure to get my hands on a copy of the Devil May Care so that I'm well prepared for a good discussion at the next meet. Have a lovely evening on Wednesday and I'll see you next time.

 

Come to think of it, this is the first time I've missed out on two meetings in a row! My book club routine is in a state of clear imbalance...