Book Club, at FBCLibrary.
June 17, 2019
FBCL Library. Last edited on 04.Aug.2019
Book Club - at Friern Barnet Community Library,
Latest;
12/7/19
The group discussed ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’ by Maria Semple.
There were mixed feelings about this book – although the epistolary structure was a
different approach to novel writing and didn’t take too long to get into the narrative,
the group found a lot of the content far fetched. Perhaps this was because it was
supposed to be funny, but unfortunately the humour was lost on us – perhaps it got
lost in translation (it’s set in Seattle, and Semple is American) and sadly left us
indifferent. There were also some loose ends left that were unsatisfying, and some of
the emails that made up the fabric of the story were conveniently and unrealistically
expositional, written in a style that was inauthentic.
Overall we found it an easy read book; a suitable “summer read”. A couple of us
liked it but still found it forgettable. However the descriptions of Antarctica were quite
beautiful, and we felt we had learned about that part of the world. Although the main
character was difficult to like, we found the relationship between her and her
daughter genuine and touching, as were the first person passages of the teenage
Bee. So we thought Semple wrote well. But maybe one had to be a fan of ‘Ellen’ or
‘Arrested Development’ (Semple has written for these shows amongst others) to fully
appreciate the novel, or perhaps it would come into its own on the screen as a
comedy of manners, being that the author is a television writer whose words maybe
only really spring to life coming from the right mouths. Some of the complexity of the
events of the story might certainly better be served visually, particularly the
intervention scene for example, where multiple scenes simultaneously play out.
Apparently there is to be a movie adaptation released in August, directed by Richard
Linklater, so expect great things!
Either way, we can certainly relate to the words of the author when she says, as she
has in the past: “the one constant in my life has been my love of books: reading
them, thinking about them, talking about them, holding them, turning people on to
new ones.” That is what the book club is all about: no matter what is happening in
our lives, we can seek solace and inspiration from books, and share them at book
club.
Anyway, we must be in the minority being unmoved by this book; it spent a year on
the New York Times bestseller list! It also won an Alex award (for books written for
adults that have a special appeal for young adults) and was shortlisted for the
Women’s Prize for Fiction.
In the coming month we are reading ‘The Kitchen House’ by Kathleen Grissom.
Pick up a copy at the desk if you wish to join us. We will meet again on Friday 23 rd
August at 11am.
H Daugherty
- edited 25-July
14/6/19 The group discussed ‘Sharp Objects,’ by Gillian Flynn. Overall we found it a quick, absorbing read, which some of us liked and some of us found a bit too grim! We could all agree, however, that there was little light or hope in the book and wondered just how writers come up with their (often very unpalatable) ideas. The group noted that Flynn tends to create characters that are evil women. The author has commented in the past: “The one thing that really frustrates me is this idea that women are innately good, innately nurturing.” Flynn has certainly challenged those clichés.
FBCL Library.
For details on this monthly events please contact the library.
10/5/19
Welcome to the Friern Barnet Community Library Book Group Blog! The book group
meets once a month, on a Friday between 11-12, in the pleasant environment of
Friern Barnet Community Library. It’s free to join, and we discuss the previous
month’s book over tea, coffee and biscuits. Donations are always appreciated
though – they help keep the library open so we can continue to enjoy books together!
Currently there are about 6 of us, but we welcome new book lovers. We are a
friendly, welcoming group, established over 12 years ago. Some of our members
have been coming for that long, others just a few months. We share and discuss a
diverse selection of books from different genres, provided by Barnet Libraries and
Hatchett publishers; everything from classic to contemporary novels. In the recent
past we have read books such as:
‘High Rise’ by JG Ballard,
‘The Elegance of the Hedgehog’ by Muriel Barbery,
‘Possession; by AS Byatt,
‘A Visit from the Goon Squad,’ by Jennifer Egan,
‘The Man I think I know,’ by Mike Gayle,
‘House of Silk,’ by Anthony Horowitz,
‘The Light Between Oceans,’ by ML Stedman, and
‘The Casual Vacancy’ by JK Rowling.
This month at the book group we discussed ‘The Painted Veil’ by W Somerset
Maugham.
Everyone enjoyed the book and would recommend it; in fact some of us who had
read more of Maugham’s work urged the others to read more of his canon of short
stories and novels such as ‘Cakes and Ale’ and ‘Human Bondage’. There were lots
of interesting conversations about the characters and how they were fleshed out,
and how it had left us wanting to know more about them and their motivations. We
were impressed that a relatively short novel of 213 pages spurred such a lot of
discussions.
The book group is reading ‘Sharp Objects’ by Gillian Flynn this month. We will
next meet on Friday June 14 th at 11am to share our thoughts on it. If you would like
to join us and need a copy, please ask at the library desk.
“To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from
almost all the miseries of life.” W Somerset Maugham
Friern Barnet Library Opened in 1934, was amongst the first.. Blog post – History of FBCL -To be updated…
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