Book Club Reviews >
Review 12th September 2024
The book we discussed was Slow Horses By Mick Herron
Linda couldn't join us but sent us her review.
"This is the first in a series of books about spies from MI5. It is not to be taken that seriously as it is a blend of drama and very dark humour.
Slough house (not a house nor is it in Slough) is where we meet a range of MI5’s embarrassments, known as Slow Horses, relegated to a menial desk jobs, paperwork, cross referencing lists and online dark web chatter. They are there to be broken so they may quit without being sacked. We are introduced to the spies who have committed various crimes of drugs, drunkenness, lechery and failure plus other misdemeanors. Jackson Lamb a rather unpleasant man is ‘in charge’. None of them like him but they are all highly trained and are desperate to carry out an operation. River Cartwright is another central character but the other spooks all have a background and their reasons for being at Slough house are revealed as the story progresses.
The plot centres round a young man of Pakistani background, nephew to a General in the Pakistani secret service . He has been kidnapped and is shown on television with a promise that he will be beheaded. Gradually the ‘slow horses’ become involved and an exciting plot develops. They do not sit quietly and watch as they are supposed to.
They are a bunch of agents who may have blundered but possess formidable skills which they use. There are many twists and turns, plus seemingly unconnected events which propel the plot and suddenly link together. This book has a political backdrop leading up to Brexit and there are thinly disguised known politicians.
I loved the book. I liked the way each character was introduced and gradually become alive and an integral part of the story. The descriptions of London gave a sense of place when the slow horses found themselves outside Blake’s grave, The Globe Theatre, Regents Park and King’s Cross and more. This series of books normally has a political theme or event giving credence to the stories told. There is a brilliant series on Apple TV which I sadly haven’t seen but is very well reviewed.”
Thanks to Linda for her review, and she obviously enjoyed the book very much. Our group was fairly equally divided between those who echoed Linda’s views and others who really didn’t enjoy the book. Some of us don’t like spy stories much anyway, but there was general agreement that Mick Herron is nowhere near the standard of John Le Carré as a spy-themed writer. Others felt that it had been written for TV and would probably succeed better in that medium. They lamented the lack of a pleasant character amongst the slow horses. The supporters of the book thought it was worth persevering and made the point that the series does improve as you get further along the six books.
We now have an excellent, very varied reading list going forward. Many thanks for all the suggestions. New members always welcome.
Review 9th August 2024
The book we discussed was Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine.
The story is a long and complex one but it is rich in description, historical detail and character experience. It is a tale of Jo Clifford, a modern journalist who becomes convinced that she is the reincarnation of Matilda de Braose.
At first, I really didn’t like Jo Clifford but I slowly warmed to her as her story became linked to that of Matilda, Lady of Hay, husband of William de Braose, lover of Richard de Clare and accidental antagonist of King John.
Matilda de Braose, Lady of Bramber (c. 1155 – 1210) was an English noblewoman, the spouse of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, a powerful marcher Baron and court favourite of King John of England. She and William in due course incurred the wrath and enmity of the king, who had her starved to death in the dungeon, an oubliette, in Corfe Castle along with her eldest son. The manner in which they met their deaths so outraged the English nobility that Magna Carta, which King John was forced to sign in 1215, contains clause 39: "No man shall be taken, imprisoned, outlawed, banished or in any way destroyed, nor will we proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgement of his peers or by the law of the land.”
By far, my favourite parts of the book were those set eight hundred years ago, during the reigns of King Henry II, King Richard and King John. It was during those historical passages that Barbara Erskine brought the story and the characters to life with such colourful and vivid detail. And it was these, above all else, that compelled me to read on. Lady of Hay is a heartbreaking tale of a sad past, one that can be felt by those were involved in it eight hundred years later. But is it possible to rewrite history? Does anyone really get another chance to fix past mistakes? This book tries to find that out.
The theory of reincarnation is an interesting one, but it is fair to say that none of our number were entirely convinced by it in the context of this book. We especially had reservations about the fact that all the men currently in Jo’s life had been in her mediaeval life as well. There was Sam as William, the horrible husband, Matilda’s lover Richard de Clare as Tim, a modern photographer and friend of Jo’s and her fiancé Nick appearing as none other than King John. Some of the misogynistic violence in the modern parts, whilst the characters had assumed the disagreeable traits of their mediaeval counterparts, was somewhat distasteful.
The book was not universally popular with our group. We felt it was much too long, rather repetitive and quite complex with lots of peripheral characters who didn’t quite fit in with the theme of the story, particularly the modern parts.
But we enjoyed a good discussion, and most people had either finished the book or would plough on with it in the light of our conversations.
Review 12th July
We met to discuss The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill. Eight of us gathered for lunch beforehand, and, many thanks to the chefs, we all enjoyed an excellent meal.
Thanks to Yvonne for her review of the book, which follows. It was not her choice, but no one admitted to choosing it:
The book was generally well accepted by those who attended. Most felt it was well constructed keeping the main plot and subsidiaries going throughout. There was a comment that with so many characters being introduced it was somewhat confusing, but then, the object of a story like this is to keep the reader guessing right to the end. This was the first Simon Serrailler book. An unusual combination of Detective Chief Inspector and an artist. We are introduced to his family, all medical doctors apart from him. Detective Sergeant Freya Graffham plays a major part in the majority of the book. Her demise came as a shock to those who thought she may well have become part of the series. There are several cases of women going missing in the same area and the story is based around the search for whoever is taking the women. The perpetrator turns out to be a man who was thwarted in earlier life when he was dismissed from medical school. On the surface he practises as a highly respected member of the alternative treatments community. Unfortunately one of his sidelines is carrying out autopsies, but as he was not qualified he had to supply his own corpses which he was doing in a scientific manner, each one being a different body type.
Several of us were already Simon Serrailler fans and those who were not were keen to read more of the series.
Definitely a good choice even though no one could remember recommending it!"
Review 18th June
We had an excellent meeting last Friday. We all enjoyed some really good food before the meeting, prepared by new chefs Andrew and Darren. Service was good too, which was a great prelude to our discussions on this month's book choice: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.
This was Liz's choice, and her review follows:
"Don't read this book unless you've got the patience, stamina and requisite taste for a quintessential mid-Victorian novel. If you don't, you'll think The Woman in White is terribly overwrought and 500 pages too long!
It is a classic book, and they're always pretty long, but I chose it because I had interrupted reading it to read one of the Book Club books that I wasn't really enjoying. Even though it was fairly long-winded, I was enjoying it more than the Book Club book, and said so at a meeting. It was suggested that we add it to our reading list!
One of our favourite characters was Mr. Fairlie, heroine Laura's hypochondriac uncle. His scenes were written so humorously. Walter Hartwright was a sleuthing superstar. The team of Count Fosco and Percival Glyde were deeply written and their greed, bombast, and evil were delectable to the last.
The Woman in White is a great mystery that kept us turning pages."
Liz read us a comprehensive summary of the plot, which we all appreciated. Most of us really enjoyed the book, although one person had given up and found it rather verbose. But mostly we thought the characters well drawn, the descriptions fantastic and the plot compelling. If you haven't read it, or haven't done so for many years, we can certainly recommend it.
Review 10th May
"On Goodreads it received 4.16 out of 5 stars and is described as a “contemporary fantasy”. It was nominated for Best Fantasy Book 2021 and gained second place behind “A Court of Silver Flames” by Sarah J. Maas.
A Short Summary:
“Wallace is an unpleasant and selfish man who dies. He is brought to a tea house where the ferryman, Hugo, is there to help Wallace process his life and enter the doorway to the afterlife when he’s ready. At the tea house, Wallace befriends the others there and learns to care for and sacrifice for others. He also develops romantic feelings for Hugo. When Wallace overstays his time, the Manager (a god-like entity) gives Wallace a hard 7-day limit before he needs to move on. During this time, Wallace makes amends with his ex-wife (he’s bisexual) and helps a grieving mother find closure. He also helps to rescue Cameron, who was a “Husk” (a ghost who had lost his humanity), which were previously thought to be hopeless cases. When it’s time to leave, the Manager agrees to let Hugo continue to work on rescuing other Husks, and he decides to bring Wallace back to life so he can work as a Reaper (herding ghosts to the tea house) alongside Hugo.”
Not unexpectedly, this book received mixed reviews from the members of the
Bookclub and proved to be a “marmite” book.
Some of the negative comments included:
• I don’t enjoy fantasy books
• It had a slow beginning and I stopped reading
• Perhaps I should have read it when I was younger - this might really happen and the thought isn’t comforting
• I dipped in and out of the book
• The end was a little contrived and depressing
• It was disturbing and repetitious
More positive comments included:
• The characters were interesting and well drawn
• I enjoy fantasy novels
• The book was very well written
• The book engaged me from the start
• The book was very funny and uplifting
As can be seen, it received a very mixed reception. Fantasy books are not to everyone’s taste, and the subject matter “death” was controversial. It was generally agreed, even by the member who had enjoyed the book, that “The House on the Cerulean Sea”, the previous book we had read by T. J. Klune, had been more enjoyable. This was probably due to the subject matter.
Review 5th April
"Our book this month was ‘The Dictionary of Lost Words’ by Pip Williams. This novel is based on a true story about the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary. Volunteers from all over the world sent words to the Scriptorium together with an example of the way in which the word was used. The book focuses on a small girl who collects ‘lost words’: words which don’t make inclusion in the dictionary. It follows her life growing up in a difficult household without a mother against the backdrop of the late Victorian/ Edwardian period, Suffragettes and the First World War. The author states that the book is her attempt ‘to understand how the way we define language, might define us’ (:406). Some of our readers did not feel that the book had much of a plot although they were pleased to learn about how the dictionary was put together and how long it took to do it (71 years after it was proposed). Readers felt although the book was well written and contained beautiful passages of letter writing, it was ‘wordy’. The plot illustrated the lack in status of women, especially those from a working-class background, pregnancy outside wedlock and becoming a war widow. It could be thought as a feminist book as some words which were referred to as ‘women’s words’ were excluded from the dictionary. These words are more accepted and part of language today. Some of our readers really enjoyed the book whilst others felt the book in some parts was quite slow. We all agreed that it was an emotional book even bringing some readers to tears. The main character Esme was an interesting character and the author managed to merge truth and fiction in a seamless way. Overall it was a good book for the Book Club as it generated lots of discussion."
Review 1st March
On Friday we discussed The House on the Strand, by Daphne du Maurier. Many thanks to Liz for choosing this book and leading our discussion; her review follows:
"I chose this book because of the location it was written about, mostly in Tywardreath and Par, all really local to Fowey.
The writer wrote this book, published in 1969, whilst based at Kilmarth, the house she moved to after being forced to leave her beloved Menabilly (Manderlay, in her book Rebecca). Her husband (Boy Browning) had died, leaving her depressed, not helped by having to leave Menabilly. Prior to moving in, and looking around, she found a cellar in which there were several vials and bottles containing ghoulish exhibits; the house had previously been occupied by a professor of Science. She had become very interested in the history of the area around Fowey, especially in the 14th century, and of the family of Champernounes, Carminowes and Bodrugans and their connections. These two things gave her the idea to write quite a different book, where the narrator of the story is a man, Dick Young, who holidays at Kilmarth, courtesy of an old university friend. The friend is a professor who has invented a drug, still very much in its experimental stages, but that takes them back to the 14th century, where they get involved with the local families, and their intrigues, adulteries and even murder.
The ending is not very happy, but one realises through the book, that Dick’s life was not very happy, and the end, although abrupt, is very fitting!
We had a very lively meeting at the Fowey Harbour Hotel, who kindly allowed us to discuss our book after lunch. Several had read the book many years ago, but enjoyed visiting it again, especially as so many knew the area of the book’s setting so well. Some enjoyed the read but not so much the story, and the storyline wasn’t to everyone’s taste, but everyone did have opinions about the book, and with 13 present, we had a very pleasant afternoon, with plenty of discussion from all! Exactly how a book club should be!"
Review 2nd February
The Beacon by Susan Hill
"This book tells the story of a family which lives on a remote farm called Beacon. There were four children, Colin, Frank, May and six years later Berenice.
Their adult lives took some interesting paths. May, the bright one, could not cope with life away from home. Colin remains in farming but not at the Beacon. Berenice knew what she wanted and left home while still young to achieve it. Frank had spent his childhood as “the quiet one” then he left home and surprisingly made a career in journalism. His decisions in later life come as a shock to the rest of the family.
Those decisions had huge repercussions for the entire family who found themselves in the limelight for all the wrong reasons.
It was described by members of the group as interesting, unsettling, haunting, boring or sad.
This is definitely a book you need to read for yourself to decide whether you would consider it a “good read”. It provoked some interesting discussions and that is what Book Groups are all about".
Review 5th January
This was one of Ann's earlier books whilst she was still working as a Probation Officer, this connection was referred to in her main character Lizzie Bartholomew.
Lizzie was an orphan child, brought up in the care system Later qualifying as a Social worker, she had previously worked in a young offender team when through extreme stress committed an assault on one of its clients.
At the beginning of the book Lizzie is on holiday in Morocco where she meets Phillip Sansom who dies shortly after. Lizzie is contacted by the family solicitor who invites her to the funeral and pays her a significant amount of money to find his long lost son. Lizzie then begins to attempt to fulfil the task.
The story is a tangled web of characters who are a mixed bunch full of twists and turns of deception, corruption and family drama.
Some of our members really loved the book. Others were disappointed and found the lists of characters a bit confusing; some members found the book a light read, not as enjoyable as her more popular books.
Because I read a lot of Ann Cleeves I would recommend this book, however with a warning that it is her first book and is different to her later books. This is a book that has to be read to the end before the true plot is uncovered."
Review 1st December
Haven by Emma Donoghue. Emma Donoghue is also the author of Room, another unusual book which has been made into an acclaimed film.
Haven is certainly different. It is set in 7th century Ireland.
Three monks set out to start a monastery where no one else lives, away from worldly temptations. They find an island off Ireland and settle there. Artt, the leader, and Cormac, the second monk, are men of faith. Trian is young. He was given by his parents to the monastery. Once they find their island, they begin to test their ability to obey Artt and to trust God to provide all that they need beyond the minuscule cache of supplies they brought with them in their boat.
Skellig Michael is a jagged outcrop off the coast of County Kerry. Tradition holds that human habitation on the island dates from AD600, when ascetic Irish monks began retreating to ever-more remote spots. Emma Donoghue’s brooding, dreamlike novel imagines who those first souls might have been and how they might have survived. Suffice to say, the refuge they imagine – somewhere far from temptation and worldly chatter – soon becomes a very different kind of place as their faith in God and one another is tested to extremes. It all begins with a dream. In the monastery of Cluain Mhic Nóis, a celebrated visitor – a “living saint”, Brother Artt – awakens in the night convinced that he’s experienced a vision. Its meaning is clear: he must establish a new monastery on an island untainted by human existence, taking with him the two monks who featured in his dream.
Brother Artt, is revealed to be insufferably sanctimonious, but his mismatched travelling companions are complicated, appealing creations. Gangly, red-haired Trian is a young piper whose family gave him to the monastery when he was 13. He’s a ciotóg – a left-hander – and profoundly awkward with it, but he carries about him a deeper mystery that will be disclosed only as the novel nears its wave-lashed denouement. Cormac, meanwhile, is a late convert to Christianity and old enough to have lived an entire other life before entering holy orders. He has the scars to prove it, some more visible than others: part of his skull has been lost to a battle injury, and the plague claimed his wife and all three of their young children. Despite close shaves with catapult-firing slavers and nights ragged with the howling of wolves, this is a character-driven narrative. Inevitably, tensions surface between the far from equal trio once their “sacred wandering” ends and they reach Skellig Michael. Artt’s insistence that “God will provide” sounds ever more delusional. He forbids his companions to seek others to trade. After 6 months on the island, supplies are running out, but he will not waver in his beliefs. Cormac, on the other hand, is all about practical matters, sowing seeds in the scant inch of soil the island offers and using stories to ease tensions. As for Trian, along with copying out psalters, he has the task of keeping the brethren in fish and fowl, and he finds himself more and more appalled by how easy it is to plunder the island’s innocent wildlife, flightless auks included.Though this is a text replete with religious fable, it’s in descriptions of the physical world that the prose soars. There is just one tree on the island, a Rowan. When Artt cuts it down, this seems like sacrilege rather than God’s will as he claims.
When he becomes seriously ill from eating mussels (forbidden by Brother Artt but poor Trian is always hungry), it is revealed that Trian is not wholly male. Artt is appalled by this but Cormac is sympathetic. When Artt decrees that Trian must live separately due to his physical issues, this finally gives Cormac and Trian the incentive to rebel. They set off in the abandoned boat, and we all hoped that they managed to row to safety. One of our number had actually visited Skellig Michael and thought this might be possible. Artt was left alone on the island, but we thought he would warmly welcome martydom.
The book was considered a good choice for our Book Club as it is so different. The descriptions of the living conditions of the three men and the wildlife they decimated to survive were vivid and must have been researched in depth. We wanted to murder Artt, but really hoped the other two managed to escape safely.
Review 3rd November
The Bullet that missed by Richard Osman. The group had previously read and enjoyed the first two books in the series.
The Thursday Murder Club – Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim – is back. This time round, Richard Osman’s “four harmless pensioners” are investigating the case of Bethany Waites, a television reporter who was looking into a huge VAT fraud when her car was driven off a cliff in the middle of the night and whose body was never found. Joyce lures Bethany’s former colleague, South East Tonight presenter Mike Waghorn (“I play squash, I moisturise and nature takes care of the rest”) to a meeting with the club. They want to pick his brains about Bethany’s last few days. Before he knows it, Mike and his makeup artist, Pauline, are drawn into a mystery that will range from the wilds of Staffordshire to the Sussex coast, taking in money launderers, bitcoin (Joyce is particularly fascinated by this one) and a former KGB hitman (a very pleasant chap and a former lover of Elizabeth’s, it turns out).
Elizabeth, Osman’s retired spy, has other problems to deal with. Not only is her beloved Stephen slipping deeper into the clutches of dementia, but she’s kidnapped and charged with carrying out a hit herself. As ever, she takes it in her stride. “Things have been too quiet recently. A retired optometrist crashed his moped into a tree, and there has been a row about milk bottles, but that was about it for excitement. The simple life is all well and good, but, in this moment, with a murder to investigate, and threatening texts arriving daily, Elizabeth realises she has missed trouble.”
The Bullet That Missed is the third outing for Osman’s retirees. Its predecessors, The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice, sold millions of copies around the world. Any publisher would be keen for Osman to press on with the series after such record-breaking success – The Man Who Died Twice sold an astonishing 114,202 hardbacks in the UK in its first three days last year. And it is easy to be cynical about Osman’s success as an author – he was, after all, the well-known co-host of the hugely popular Pointless TV quiz when his debut came out and his publisher will have thrown enough money behind the novel to guarantee it a place in the book charts. But that cynicism can only go so far, once you read Osman’s funny, warm-hearted novels. However, some of us did find that the books do tend to merge together in one's mind, and it becomes hard to say what happened in each one! Are they getting rather formulaic in the manner of authors who churn out similar tomes time after time, for example Barbara Cartland?
Overall, this was felt to be another immensely enjoyable book in a series that through its delightful characters and manner of storytelling, provides a real degree of escapism. It could have done with one less element but otherwise, the mystery was very well thought out and the characters well drawn and engaging so, for most of us, there is hardly anything not to like. However, whilst the majority of us really enjoyed the book, there were a couple of exceptions who have had enough of Richard Osman's murder mysteries. Some of us have read the fourth book in the series, The Last Devil to Die, which has just come out. Unfortunately, without giving away too much, there is a significant section in that book which is most depressing and not at all in the light-hearted style of the series. We have therefore decided not to add it to our reading list. Rather disappointing for the Richard Osman fans and we wondered why he had seen fit to alter the style of part of his new novel in this way.
Review 6th October
THE VIRGINIAN
A Horseman of the Plains by Owen Wister
A novel written in 1902 about a cowboy from Virginia, only ever called the Virginian, and his life in Wyoming Territory in the 1870’s.
The narrator is a ‘Tenderfoot’ from the East, who observes the differences in this wild part of the country, where neighbours could be several days' ride away, similarly any Sheriff to instill the law.
This is also a love story between the Virginian, and Molly the new school teacher from Vermont, who was seeking something more than marrying a local boy, who she clearly didn’t love and settling down.
Molly first met the Virginian on her way to her new post as teacher, when her coach overturned, and he rescued her from the river, and she soon fell in love with him, despite their differences in background. She is initially horrified by the manners and ways of this part of the country, especially when she realises that the only way to stop cattle thieves, was to lynch any they found.
While they continued their romance, the Virginian as foreman to the Judge, was sent as head of such a lynching mob, with two cattle thieves who had been caught, and were also suspected of killing if anyone got in their way. Our hero was a gentle man at heart, but knew that there was no other way to keep law and order, and felt he had no alternative, but to carry out his orders.
This unsettled Molly, who had spent any free time available to them together with him, where she had educated him, helping him to read better and lending him books, while he took her out into the countryside showing her the beautiful surroundings. Also she had spent weeks nursing him when he had been attacked and left for dead, reputedly by some rogue Indians. Understanding that her lover had killed, she threatened to leave him, but her love proved too strong and she reluctantly forgave him.
Just before their wedding, the Virginian was challenged to a duel, by Trampas, an adversary who has appeared several times in the book, and who was believed to be one of the main cattle thieves, and also responsible for killing, but there had been no proof. Molly decided that was the last straw for her, and told him that if he killed Trampas, she would leave him. He was torn, but felt he must honour the challenge.
(There followed the first gunfight ever published, a forerunner of many cowboy stories.)
The Virginian let Trampas draw first, but the bullet missed and The Virginian shot Trampas dead. Knowing Molly would leave him, with heavy heart, he told her that he had killed Trampas, but she was so distraught at the thought of losing him, she fell into his arms, and the wedding was on!
So a happy ending, with a beautiful chapter of the secret places that he had chosen to take her on their honeymoon. Then a brief description of their life together and what became of their life and their families.
I chose this book, as I have read it several times from when I was a teenager, and still love the wonderful descriptions of the wild west. Such a different place from the America we think of now, but such a similar story to those classic films that end with a Gunfight. Also the long running TV series "The Virginian" was taken from this book, even though some of the characters were changed, for example in the series Trampas is the Virginian's side kick and friend, rather than the cattle thieving killer he was in the book.
This book seemed to have been enjoyed by most of the book club who attended, although it took some a bit of time to get used to the written language, especially from the Virginian, but most loved the descriptions of the plains and hills, valleys, rivers and streams. There were also some very profound life observations by the narrator, and out takes from the classical books that Molly lent to her lover."
The book we discussed was Slow Horses By Mick Herron
Linda couldn't join us but sent us her review.
"This is the first in a series of books about spies from MI5. It is not to be taken that seriously as it is a blend of drama and very dark humour.
Slough house (not a house nor is it in Slough) is where we meet a range of MI5’s embarrassments, known as Slow Horses, relegated to a menial desk jobs, paperwork, cross referencing lists and online dark web chatter. They are there to be broken so they may quit without being sacked. We are introduced to the spies who have committed various crimes of drugs, drunkenness, lechery and failure plus other misdemeanors. Jackson Lamb a rather unpleasant man is ‘in charge’. None of them like him but they are all highly trained and are desperate to carry out an operation. River Cartwright is another central character but the other spooks all have a background and their reasons for being at Slough house are revealed as the story progresses.
The plot centres round a young man of Pakistani background, nephew to a General in the Pakistani secret service . He has been kidnapped and is shown on television with a promise that he will be beheaded. Gradually the ‘slow horses’ become involved and an exciting plot develops. They do not sit quietly and watch as they are supposed to.
They are a bunch of agents who may have blundered but possess formidable skills which they use. There are many twists and turns, plus seemingly unconnected events which propel the plot and suddenly link together. This book has a political backdrop leading up to Brexit and there are thinly disguised known politicians.
I loved the book. I liked the way each character was introduced and gradually become alive and an integral part of the story. The descriptions of London gave a sense of place when the slow horses found themselves outside Blake’s grave, The Globe Theatre, Regents Park and King’s Cross and more. This series of books normally has a political theme or event giving credence to the stories told. There is a brilliant series on Apple TV which I sadly haven’t seen but is very well reviewed.”
Thanks to Linda for her review, and she obviously enjoyed the book very much. Our group was fairly equally divided between those who echoed Linda’s views and others who really didn’t enjoy the book. Some of us don’t like spy stories much anyway, but there was general agreement that Mick Herron is nowhere near the standard of John Le Carré as a spy-themed writer. Others felt that it had been written for TV and would probably succeed better in that medium. They lamented the lack of a pleasant character amongst the slow horses. The supporters of the book thought it was worth persevering and made the point that the series does improve as you get further along the six books.
We now have an excellent, very varied reading list going forward. Many thanks for all the suggestions. New members always welcome.
Review 9th August 2024
The book we discussed was Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine.
The story is a long and complex one but it is rich in description, historical detail and character experience. It is a tale of Jo Clifford, a modern journalist who becomes convinced that she is the reincarnation of Matilda de Braose.
At first, I really didn’t like Jo Clifford but I slowly warmed to her as her story became linked to that of Matilda, Lady of Hay, husband of William de Braose, lover of Richard de Clare and accidental antagonist of King John.
Matilda de Braose, Lady of Bramber (c. 1155 – 1210) was an English noblewoman, the spouse of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, a powerful marcher Baron and court favourite of King John of England. She and William in due course incurred the wrath and enmity of the king, who had her starved to death in the dungeon, an oubliette, in Corfe Castle along with her eldest son. The manner in which they met their deaths so outraged the English nobility that Magna Carta, which King John was forced to sign in 1215, contains clause 39: "No man shall be taken, imprisoned, outlawed, banished or in any way destroyed, nor will we proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgement of his peers or by the law of the land.”
By far, my favourite parts of the book were those set eight hundred years ago, during the reigns of King Henry II, King Richard and King John. It was during those historical passages that Barbara Erskine brought the story and the characters to life with such colourful and vivid detail. And it was these, above all else, that compelled me to read on. Lady of Hay is a heartbreaking tale of a sad past, one that can be felt by those were involved in it eight hundred years later. But is it possible to rewrite history? Does anyone really get another chance to fix past mistakes? This book tries to find that out.
The theory of reincarnation is an interesting one, but it is fair to say that none of our number were entirely convinced by it in the context of this book. We especially had reservations about the fact that all the men currently in Jo’s life had been in her mediaeval life as well. There was Sam as William, the horrible husband, Matilda’s lover Richard de Clare as Tim, a modern photographer and friend of Jo’s and her fiancé Nick appearing as none other than King John. Some of the misogynistic violence in the modern parts, whilst the characters had assumed the disagreeable traits of their mediaeval counterparts, was somewhat distasteful.
The book was not universally popular with our group. We felt it was much too long, rather repetitive and quite complex with lots of peripheral characters who didn’t quite fit in with the theme of the story, particularly the modern parts.
But we enjoyed a good discussion, and most people had either finished the book or would plough on with it in the light of our conversations.
Review 12th July
We met to discuss The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill. Eight of us gathered for lunch beforehand, and, many thanks to the chefs, we all enjoyed an excellent meal.
Thanks to Yvonne for her review of the book, which follows. It was not her choice, but no one admitted to choosing it:
The book was generally well accepted by those who attended. Most felt it was well constructed keeping the main plot and subsidiaries going throughout. There was a comment that with so many characters being introduced it was somewhat confusing, but then, the object of a story like this is to keep the reader guessing right to the end. This was the first Simon Serrailler book. An unusual combination of Detective Chief Inspector and an artist. We are introduced to his family, all medical doctors apart from him. Detective Sergeant Freya Graffham plays a major part in the majority of the book. Her demise came as a shock to those who thought she may well have become part of the series. There are several cases of women going missing in the same area and the story is based around the search for whoever is taking the women. The perpetrator turns out to be a man who was thwarted in earlier life when he was dismissed from medical school. On the surface he practises as a highly respected member of the alternative treatments community. Unfortunately one of his sidelines is carrying out autopsies, but as he was not qualified he had to supply his own corpses which he was doing in a scientific manner, each one being a different body type.
Several of us were already Simon Serrailler fans and those who were not were keen to read more of the series.
Definitely a good choice even though no one could remember recommending it!"
Review 18th June
We had an excellent meeting last Friday. We all enjoyed some really good food before the meeting, prepared by new chefs Andrew and Darren. Service was good too, which was a great prelude to our discussions on this month's book choice: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.
This was Liz's choice, and her review follows:
"Don't read this book unless you've got the patience, stamina and requisite taste for a quintessential mid-Victorian novel. If you don't, you'll think The Woman in White is terribly overwrought and 500 pages too long!
It is a classic book, and they're always pretty long, but I chose it because I had interrupted reading it to read one of the Book Club books that I wasn't really enjoying. Even though it was fairly long-winded, I was enjoying it more than the Book Club book, and said so at a meeting. It was suggested that we add it to our reading list!
One of our favourite characters was Mr. Fairlie, heroine Laura's hypochondriac uncle. His scenes were written so humorously. Walter Hartwright was a sleuthing superstar. The team of Count Fosco and Percival Glyde were deeply written and their greed, bombast, and evil were delectable to the last.
The Woman in White is a great mystery that kept us turning pages."
Liz read us a comprehensive summary of the plot, which we all appreciated. Most of us really enjoyed the book, although one person had given up and found it rather verbose. But mostly we thought the characters well drawn, the descriptions fantastic and the plot compelling. If you haven't read it, or haven't done so for many years, we can certainly recommend it.
Review 10th May
"On Goodreads it received 4.16 out of 5 stars and is described as a “contemporary fantasy”. It was nominated for Best Fantasy Book 2021 and gained second place behind “A Court of Silver Flames” by Sarah J. Maas.
A Short Summary:
“Wallace is an unpleasant and selfish man who dies. He is brought to a tea house where the ferryman, Hugo, is there to help Wallace process his life and enter the doorway to the afterlife when he’s ready. At the tea house, Wallace befriends the others there and learns to care for and sacrifice for others. He also develops romantic feelings for Hugo. When Wallace overstays his time, the Manager (a god-like entity) gives Wallace a hard 7-day limit before he needs to move on. During this time, Wallace makes amends with his ex-wife (he’s bisexual) and helps a grieving mother find closure. He also helps to rescue Cameron, who was a “Husk” (a ghost who had lost his humanity), which were previously thought to be hopeless cases. When it’s time to leave, the Manager agrees to let Hugo continue to work on rescuing other Husks, and he decides to bring Wallace back to life so he can work as a Reaper (herding ghosts to the tea house) alongside Hugo.”
Not unexpectedly, this book received mixed reviews from the members of the
Bookclub and proved to be a “marmite” book.
Some of the negative comments included:
• I don’t enjoy fantasy books
• It had a slow beginning and I stopped reading
• Perhaps I should have read it when I was younger - this might really happen and the thought isn’t comforting
• I dipped in and out of the book
• The end was a little contrived and depressing
• It was disturbing and repetitious
More positive comments included:
• The characters were interesting and well drawn
• I enjoy fantasy novels
• The book was very well written
• The book engaged me from the start
• The book was very funny and uplifting
As can be seen, it received a very mixed reception. Fantasy books are not to everyone’s taste, and the subject matter “death” was controversial. It was generally agreed, even by the member who had enjoyed the book, that “The House on the Cerulean Sea”, the previous book we had read by T. J. Klune, had been more enjoyable. This was probably due to the subject matter.
Review 5th April
"Our book this month was ‘The Dictionary of Lost Words’ by Pip Williams. This novel is based on a true story about the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary. Volunteers from all over the world sent words to the Scriptorium together with an example of the way in which the word was used. The book focuses on a small girl who collects ‘lost words’: words which don’t make inclusion in the dictionary. It follows her life growing up in a difficult household without a mother against the backdrop of the late Victorian/ Edwardian period, Suffragettes and the First World War. The author states that the book is her attempt ‘to understand how the way we define language, might define us’ (:406). Some of our readers did not feel that the book had much of a plot although they were pleased to learn about how the dictionary was put together and how long it took to do it (71 years after it was proposed). Readers felt although the book was well written and contained beautiful passages of letter writing, it was ‘wordy’. The plot illustrated the lack in status of women, especially those from a working-class background, pregnancy outside wedlock and becoming a war widow. It could be thought as a feminist book as some words which were referred to as ‘women’s words’ were excluded from the dictionary. These words are more accepted and part of language today. Some of our readers really enjoyed the book whilst others felt the book in some parts was quite slow. We all agreed that it was an emotional book even bringing some readers to tears. The main character Esme was an interesting character and the author managed to merge truth and fiction in a seamless way. Overall it was a good book for the Book Club as it generated lots of discussion."
Review 1st March
On Friday we discussed The House on the Strand, by Daphne du Maurier. Many thanks to Liz for choosing this book and leading our discussion; her review follows:
"I chose this book because of the location it was written about, mostly in Tywardreath and Par, all really local to Fowey.
The writer wrote this book, published in 1969, whilst based at Kilmarth, the house she moved to after being forced to leave her beloved Menabilly (Manderlay, in her book Rebecca). Her husband (Boy Browning) had died, leaving her depressed, not helped by having to leave Menabilly. Prior to moving in, and looking around, she found a cellar in which there were several vials and bottles containing ghoulish exhibits; the house had previously been occupied by a professor of Science. She had become very interested in the history of the area around Fowey, especially in the 14th century, and of the family of Champernounes, Carminowes and Bodrugans and their connections. These two things gave her the idea to write quite a different book, where the narrator of the story is a man, Dick Young, who holidays at Kilmarth, courtesy of an old university friend. The friend is a professor who has invented a drug, still very much in its experimental stages, but that takes them back to the 14th century, where they get involved with the local families, and their intrigues, adulteries and even murder.
The ending is not very happy, but one realises through the book, that Dick’s life was not very happy, and the end, although abrupt, is very fitting!
We had a very lively meeting at the Fowey Harbour Hotel, who kindly allowed us to discuss our book after lunch. Several had read the book many years ago, but enjoyed visiting it again, especially as so many knew the area of the book’s setting so well. Some enjoyed the read but not so much the story, and the storyline wasn’t to everyone’s taste, but everyone did have opinions about the book, and with 13 present, we had a very pleasant afternoon, with plenty of discussion from all! Exactly how a book club should be!"
Review 2nd February
The Beacon by Susan Hill
"This book tells the story of a family which lives on a remote farm called Beacon. There were four children, Colin, Frank, May and six years later Berenice.
Their adult lives took some interesting paths. May, the bright one, could not cope with life away from home. Colin remains in farming but not at the Beacon. Berenice knew what she wanted and left home while still young to achieve it. Frank had spent his childhood as “the quiet one” then he left home and surprisingly made a career in journalism. His decisions in later life come as a shock to the rest of the family.
Those decisions had huge repercussions for the entire family who found themselves in the limelight for all the wrong reasons.
It was described by members of the group as interesting, unsettling, haunting, boring or sad.
This is definitely a book you need to read for yourself to decide whether you would consider it a “good read”. It provoked some interesting discussions and that is what Book Groups are all about".
Review 5th January
This was one of Ann's earlier books whilst she was still working as a Probation Officer, this connection was referred to in her main character Lizzie Bartholomew.
Lizzie was an orphan child, brought up in the care system Later qualifying as a Social worker, she had previously worked in a young offender team when through extreme stress committed an assault on one of its clients.
At the beginning of the book Lizzie is on holiday in Morocco where she meets Phillip Sansom who dies shortly after. Lizzie is contacted by the family solicitor who invites her to the funeral and pays her a significant amount of money to find his long lost son. Lizzie then begins to attempt to fulfil the task.
The story is a tangled web of characters who are a mixed bunch full of twists and turns of deception, corruption and family drama.
Some of our members really loved the book. Others were disappointed and found the lists of characters a bit confusing; some members found the book a light read, not as enjoyable as her more popular books.
Because I read a lot of Ann Cleeves I would recommend this book, however with a warning that it is her first book and is different to her later books. This is a book that has to be read to the end before the true plot is uncovered."
Review 1st December
Haven by Emma Donoghue. Emma Donoghue is also the author of Room, another unusual book which has been made into an acclaimed film.
Haven is certainly different. It is set in 7th century Ireland.
Three monks set out to start a monastery where no one else lives, away from worldly temptations. They find an island off Ireland and settle there. Artt, the leader, and Cormac, the second monk, are men of faith. Trian is young. He was given by his parents to the monastery. Once they find their island, they begin to test their ability to obey Artt and to trust God to provide all that they need beyond the minuscule cache of supplies they brought with them in their boat.
Skellig Michael is a jagged outcrop off the coast of County Kerry. Tradition holds that human habitation on the island dates from AD600, when ascetic Irish monks began retreating to ever-more remote spots. Emma Donoghue’s brooding, dreamlike novel imagines who those first souls might have been and how they might have survived. Suffice to say, the refuge they imagine – somewhere far from temptation and worldly chatter – soon becomes a very different kind of place as their faith in God and one another is tested to extremes. It all begins with a dream. In the monastery of Cluain Mhic Nóis, a celebrated visitor – a “living saint”, Brother Artt – awakens in the night convinced that he’s experienced a vision. Its meaning is clear: he must establish a new monastery on an island untainted by human existence, taking with him the two monks who featured in his dream.
Brother Artt, is revealed to be insufferably sanctimonious, but his mismatched travelling companions are complicated, appealing creations. Gangly, red-haired Trian is a young piper whose family gave him to the monastery when he was 13. He’s a ciotóg – a left-hander – and profoundly awkward with it, but he carries about him a deeper mystery that will be disclosed only as the novel nears its wave-lashed denouement. Cormac, meanwhile, is a late convert to Christianity and old enough to have lived an entire other life before entering holy orders. He has the scars to prove it, some more visible than others: part of his skull has been lost to a battle injury, and the plague claimed his wife and all three of their young children. Despite close shaves with catapult-firing slavers and nights ragged with the howling of wolves, this is a character-driven narrative. Inevitably, tensions surface between the far from equal trio once their “sacred wandering” ends and they reach Skellig Michael. Artt’s insistence that “God will provide” sounds ever more delusional. He forbids his companions to seek others to trade. After 6 months on the island, supplies are running out, but he will not waver in his beliefs. Cormac, on the other hand, is all about practical matters, sowing seeds in the scant inch of soil the island offers and using stories to ease tensions. As for Trian, along with copying out psalters, he has the task of keeping the brethren in fish and fowl, and he finds himself more and more appalled by how easy it is to plunder the island’s innocent wildlife, flightless auks included.Though this is a text replete with religious fable, it’s in descriptions of the physical world that the prose soars. There is just one tree on the island, a Rowan. When Artt cuts it down, this seems like sacrilege rather than God’s will as he claims.
When he becomes seriously ill from eating mussels (forbidden by Brother Artt but poor Trian is always hungry), it is revealed that Trian is not wholly male. Artt is appalled by this but Cormac is sympathetic. When Artt decrees that Trian must live separately due to his physical issues, this finally gives Cormac and Trian the incentive to rebel. They set off in the abandoned boat, and we all hoped that they managed to row to safety. One of our number had actually visited Skellig Michael and thought this might be possible. Artt was left alone on the island, but we thought he would warmly welcome martydom.
The book was considered a good choice for our Book Club as it is so different. The descriptions of the living conditions of the three men and the wildlife they decimated to survive were vivid and must have been researched in depth. We wanted to murder Artt, but really hoped the other two managed to escape safely.
Review 3rd November
The Bullet that missed by Richard Osman. The group had previously read and enjoyed the first two books in the series.
The Thursday Murder Club – Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim – is back. This time round, Richard Osman’s “four harmless pensioners” are investigating the case of Bethany Waites, a television reporter who was looking into a huge VAT fraud when her car was driven off a cliff in the middle of the night and whose body was never found. Joyce lures Bethany’s former colleague, South East Tonight presenter Mike Waghorn (“I play squash, I moisturise and nature takes care of the rest”) to a meeting with the club. They want to pick his brains about Bethany’s last few days. Before he knows it, Mike and his makeup artist, Pauline, are drawn into a mystery that will range from the wilds of Staffordshire to the Sussex coast, taking in money launderers, bitcoin (Joyce is particularly fascinated by this one) and a former KGB hitman (a very pleasant chap and a former lover of Elizabeth’s, it turns out).
Elizabeth, Osman’s retired spy, has other problems to deal with. Not only is her beloved Stephen slipping deeper into the clutches of dementia, but she’s kidnapped and charged with carrying out a hit herself. As ever, she takes it in her stride. “Things have been too quiet recently. A retired optometrist crashed his moped into a tree, and there has been a row about milk bottles, but that was about it for excitement. The simple life is all well and good, but, in this moment, with a murder to investigate, and threatening texts arriving daily, Elizabeth realises she has missed trouble.”
The Bullet That Missed is the third outing for Osman’s retirees. Its predecessors, The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice, sold millions of copies around the world. Any publisher would be keen for Osman to press on with the series after such record-breaking success – The Man Who Died Twice sold an astonishing 114,202 hardbacks in the UK in its first three days last year. And it is easy to be cynical about Osman’s success as an author – he was, after all, the well-known co-host of the hugely popular Pointless TV quiz when his debut came out and his publisher will have thrown enough money behind the novel to guarantee it a place in the book charts. But that cynicism can only go so far, once you read Osman’s funny, warm-hearted novels. However, some of us did find that the books do tend to merge together in one's mind, and it becomes hard to say what happened in each one! Are they getting rather formulaic in the manner of authors who churn out similar tomes time after time, for example Barbara Cartland?
Overall, this was felt to be another immensely enjoyable book in a series that through its delightful characters and manner of storytelling, provides a real degree of escapism. It could have done with one less element but otherwise, the mystery was very well thought out and the characters well drawn and engaging so, for most of us, there is hardly anything not to like. However, whilst the majority of us really enjoyed the book, there were a couple of exceptions who have had enough of Richard Osman's murder mysteries. Some of us have read the fourth book in the series, The Last Devil to Die, which has just come out. Unfortunately, without giving away too much, there is a significant section in that book which is most depressing and not at all in the light-hearted style of the series. We have therefore decided not to add it to our reading list. Rather disappointing for the Richard Osman fans and we wondered why he had seen fit to alter the style of part of his new novel in this way.
Review 6th October
THE VIRGINIAN
A Horseman of the Plains by Owen Wister
A novel written in 1902 about a cowboy from Virginia, only ever called the Virginian, and his life in Wyoming Territory in the 1870’s.
The narrator is a ‘Tenderfoot’ from the East, who observes the differences in this wild part of the country, where neighbours could be several days' ride away, similarly any Sheriff to instill the law.
This is also a love story between the Virginian, and Molly the new school teacher from Vermont, who was seeking something more than marrying a local boy, who she clearly didn’t love and settling down.
Molly first met the Virginian on her way to her new post as teacher, when her coach overturned, and he rescued her from the river, and she soon fell in love with him, despite their differences in background. She is initially horrified by the manners and ways of this part of the country, especially when she realises that the only way to stop cattle thieves, was to lynch any they found.
While they continued their romance, the Virginian as foreman to the Judge, was sent as head of such a lynching mob, with two cattle thieves who had been caught, and were also suspected of killing if anyone got in their way. Our hero was a gentle man at heart, but knew that there was no other way to keep law and order, and felt he had no alternative, but to carry out his orders.
This unsettled Molly, who had spent any free time available to them together with him, where she had educated him, helping him to read better and lending him books, while he took her out into the countryside showing her the beautiful surroundings. Also she had spent weeks nursing him when he had been attacked and left for dead, reputedly by some rogue Indians. Understanding that her lover had killed, she threatened to leave him, but her love proved too strong and she reluctantly forgave him.
Just before their wedding, the Virginian was challenged to a duel, by Trampas, an adversary who has appeared several times in the book, and who was believed to be one of the main cattle thieves, and also responsible for killing, but there had been no proof. Molly decided that was the last straw for her, and told him that if he killed Trampas, she would leave him. He was torn, but felt he must honour the challenge.
(There followed the first gunfight ever published, a forerunner of many cowboy stories.)
The Virginian let Trampas draw first, but the bullet missed and The Virginian shot Trampas dead. Knowing Molly would leave him, with heavy heart, he told her that he had killed Trampas, but she was so distraught at the thought of losing him, she fell into his arms, and the wedding was on!
So a happy ending, with a beautiful chapter of the secret places that he had chosen to take her on their honeymoon. Then a brief description of their life together and what became of their life and their families.
I chose this book, as I have read it several times from when I was a teenager, and still love the wonderful descriptions of the wild west. Such a different place from the America we think of now, but such a similar story to those classic films that end with a Gunfight. Also the long running TV series "The Virginian" was taken from this book, even though some of the characters were changed, for example in the series Trampas is the Virginian's side kick and friend, rather than the cattle thieving killer he was in the book.
This book seemed to have been enjoyed by most of the book club who attended, although it took some a bit of time to get used to the written language, especially from the Virginian, but most loved the descriptions of the plains and hills, valleys, rivers and streams. There were also some very profound life observations by the narrator, and out takes from the classical books that Molly lent to her lover."
