Book Club Reviews >
May 2025 Review
Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie
Following a convivial lunch, we had a good discussion. Thanks to Kath for her review and summary, detailed below:
Norika is only eight when her beautiful mother brings her to her family home in Kyoto in 1948 and abandons her at the gates, making her promise to obey and keep silent. Nori is illegitimate, the product of her aristocratic mother’s affair with a Black American GI. Her appearance and very existence are a deep source of shame to her grandparents.
For two years, Nori remains isolated in the mansion’s attic, cared for by her stern grandmother’s maid and educated well, but she’s subject to regular beatings and attempts to bleach her almond-coloured skin. Her life changes when her teenage half-brother Akira arrives at the house to live after his father’s death. After being hidden away for so long, Nori is hungry for attention but afraid to misstep. She worships Akira for easing her restrictions and standing up for her, which nobody has done before. For his part, Akira clearly cares for his little sister, but he’s a brilliant violinist with plans of his own; she isn’t his entire world, like he is hers.
This book was chosen for its potential to simulate lively conversation and this was achieved. On review sites it averages a rating of over 4 stars but it is clearly apparent that it is a “marmite” book.
As a group we had many issues with this book:
• There were historical inaccuracies.
• Japanese culture was misrepresented in places, eg. A matron wearing a long sleeved kimono. There was disappointment that the background information on Japan could not be relied on.
• The Japanese language was inaccurate in places.
• The long series of misfortunes/tragedies that Nori was exposed to was distressing, and in some cases hard to accept.
• Many thought that Nori would not have been accepted into a family with Imperial connections in the first place.
The ending was controversial. Many members thought that Nori would not have remained in Japan under any circumstances, but others thought that, taking into consideration the era in which the book was set, and Nori’s love for her brother, it was perfectly acceptable.
The discussion was lively and, as hoped, highlighted different viewpoints and conclusions. Thankfully, despite many misgivings and issues, most members were glad they had read the book and agreed that it would stay with them for a long time.
April 25 Review
The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill
The RFYC Book Club met last Friday. Nine of us gathered for lunch before our discussion of the book, and were able to enjoy an al fresco meal on the Yacht Club terrace, which was a real treat.
The book we had read this time was The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill, who will always be best known for his series on Dalziel and Pascoe. The Woodcutter is a stand-alone book, written a couple of years before Hill’s death in 2012. It is a lengthy tome, at nearly 200,000 words, but, we all agreed, it was definitely a page turner.
At its simplest it could be called a tale of revenge. Having risen through his own gargantuan efforts from humble origins to become a hugely successful entrepreneur, Wolf Hadda’s life crashes around him when he is found guilty of a whole raft of charges including massive fraud and paedophilia. He spends years in prison claiming his innocence; then, having manipulated his way to freedom, he sets out to clear his name and ensure justice is done. But it soon becomes clear that simple is one thing this book is not. Wolf’s past is a multi-layered tapestry which keeps revealing new details and aspects. Many of the characters, especially Wolf himself and Alva Ozigbo, the mixed-race prison psychiatrist who is drawn deep into his case and his life, are complex and sometimes bewildering. The plot is positively labyrinthine, and full of surprises. Reginald Hill had an immense and enviable talent for plain old-fashioned readability. It was interesting that it took several of us a while to realise that the young boy featured in the opening pages, who is kidnapped and manages to escape, actually was JC, a leading manipulator of events later on.
We all enjoyed the book, which is quite unusual! Some people felt Wolf lacked credibility and others that some of the turns and twists of the plot were unbelievable. But it was a compelling read that held our attention right through to the rather unpredictable ending. Thoroughly recommended!
March 25 Review
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
An interesting month logistically! Because of other commitments, we had two meetings on consecutive Fridays to discuss the same book, The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. Both groups started off with lovely lunches prepared by new Chef Ian.
With regard to the book, it was a “marmite” choice. Some lively discussions took place. Some people really enjoyed it but some didn’t finish it and gave it a definite thumbs down. But we like books that divide opinion as interesting discussions take place. Further comments follow:
It was an extremely long book and some found it challenging to keep going through it. Everyone found the start a bit slow going, but once we got into it, many found it a really compelling read, which accelerated towards the end. This left some of us in a bit of a state of limbo, as the conclusion was left to our imagination. But others rather liked the idea of no definite ending. We mostly thought it was really well written, and it certainly had us on the edge of our seats. The only negative apart from the start, for some was the lack of punctuation in Imelda's story, which could occasionally be confusing if you got the comma in the wrong place! Apparently the author had chosen to write Imelda’s parts of the book without punctuation to show her lack of education, but we were universal in thinking this pretentious and unhelpful.
The book had been nominated for the Booker. It was also everywhere, as such books are: Online and in seemingly every book shop including Waterstones. Many found the writing beautiful and insightful, amusing and heartbreaking. The topic of the book was the fortunes of the Barnes family who live in a small Irish town. The themes include survivalism, social isolation, illegitimacy, child abuse and guilt over both same sex and heterosexual encounters. Some might say it contains too many themes, but Paul Murray draws them all together skillfully in this novel, that lingered for some long after finishing it.
The style was very modern and apart from the author’s irritating decision to remove punctuation from part of it, the chapters dealing with the teenage boy PJ and his obsession with computer games were not enjoyed by some. But the dissenters had to admit this was a true picture of how things were in the 21st century.
February 25 Review
Love for Lydia by H E Bates. Thanks to Liz for her review of the book, which follows:
“I chose this book, hoping you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. I watched the original series on television in the 70s, and again a few months ago when it was replayed, with my husband, who, despite having vastly different tastes from me, both in literature and music, enjoyed it as much as I did. He thought the characters brilliant, and the acting extremely good, ‘Plum awful’ being one of his favourite expressions (Rollo, Lydia’s uncle).
I decided to read the book, and enjoyed it as much as the series. I especially liked the descriptions of the surrounding countryside, the weather, the way I could feel the cold when it was described. This reminded me of my childhood with no heating, and sleeping on my clothes so they’d be warm on in the morning!
I found Richardson a very intense young man, but so true to that type of character. I could understand, as he was a romantic and would be writer why he couldn’t understand Lydia not wanting to settle down with him, her first love straight away, but wanted to have fun, which she had clearly been denied for so long. This was a beautifully descriptive story of two young people growing up and finding themselves, and having to come to terms with the trials and tribulations along the way of love and loss, and how jealousy, guilt and pride can have such terrible consequences.”
It is fair to say that several of us did not enjoy the book quite as much as Liz did. Some found it dated with overlong descriptions. It was written in 1952 and we didn’t all feel it had stood the test of time. One member likened Lydia to Scarlett O’Hara in her manipulative behaviour. There was a sense of doom pervading the book and we weren’t convinced that Richardson and Lydia would live happily ever after. Their friends Alex and Tom had already died young in tragic circumstances. Opinions amongst our group certainly varied and we had an excellent discussion.
January 2025 Review
The Dinner Guest by B P Walter
All the characters are fairly awful, especially the main two characters who take turns in voicing the story, Charlie and Rachel. Somewhat surprisingly, despite the lack of a sympathetic character, all of us had enjoyed the book and thought the chapters written alternately actually worked rather well.
We start off by witnessing the apparently perfect world of Charlie, a man who has never known a day of hardship in his life and who seems to have everything anyone could wish for. Perfect home, great job, perfect husband, perfect stepson, no financial worries. Then he bumps into Rachel whose life is the exact opposite. For some reason, Charlie’s husband Matthew decides to take Rachel under their wing and, from then on, the perfect facade starts to crack and disintegrate, as if Rachel’s appearance has infected it with rot.
The book jumps around in time, beginning with the aftermath of the murder of Charlie’s husband and then going back to the introduction of Rachel into their lives, and exploring all the characters' back stories until we understand what has happened and why. The author has been extremely clever with the plotting of this novel, building the tension as facts are revealed piece by piece, but taking us off in different directions, so it is impossible to guess what is the truth and who is responsible for what until the very end.
This book is a great psychological thriller, and a real page turner. Few of us had anticipated the twist at the end, and we did wonder if the author is contemplating a sequel.
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 2024
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 2024
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 2024
"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 2024
"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 2024
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 2024
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".
Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie
Following a convivial lunch, we had a good discussion. Thanks to Kath for her review and summary, detailed below:
Norika is only eight when her beautiful mother brings her to her family home in Kyoto in 1948 and abandons her at the gates, making her promise to obey and keep silent. Nori is illegitimate, the product of her aristocratic mother’s affair with a Black American GI. Her appearance and very existence are a deep source of shame to her grandparents.
For two years, Nori remains isolated in the mansion’s attic, cared for by her stern grandmother’s maid and educated well, but she’s subject to regular beatings and attempts to bleach her almond-coloured skin. Her life changes when her teenage half-brother Akira arrives at the house to live after his father’s death. After being hidden away for so long, Nori is hungry for attention but afraid to misstep. She worships Akira for easing her restrictions and standing up for her, which nobody has done before. For his part, Akira clearly cares for his little sister, but he’s a brilliant violinist with plans of his own; she isn’t his entire world, like he is hers.
This book was chosen for its potential to simulate lively conversation and this was achieved. On review sites it averages a rating of over 4 stars but it is clearly apparent that it is a “marmite” book.
As a group we had many issues with this book:
• There were historical inaccuracies.
• Japanese culture was misrepresented in places, eg. A matron wearing a long sleeved kimono. There was disappointment that the background information on Japan could not be relied on.
• The Japanese language was inaccurate in places.
• The long series of misfortunes/tragedies that Nori was exposed to was distressing, and in some cases hard to accept.
• Many thought that Nori would not have been accepted into a family with Imperial connections in the first place.
The ending was controversial. Many members thought that Nori would not have remained in Japan under any circumstances, but others thought that, taking into consideration the era in which the book was set, and Nori’s love for her brother, it was perfectly acceptable.
The discussion was lively and, as hoped, highlighted different viewpoints and conclusions. Thankfully, despite many misgivings and issues, most members were glad they had read the book and agreed that it would stay with them for a long time.
April 25 Review
The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill
The RFYC Book Club met last Friday. Nine of us gathered for lunch before our discussion of the book, and were able to enjoy an al fresco meal on the Yacht Club terrace, which was a real treat.
The book we had read this time was The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill, who will always be best known for his series on Dalziel and Pascoe. The Woodcutter is a stand-alone book, written a couple of years before Hill’s death in 2012. It is a lengthy tome, at nearly 200,000 words, but, we all agreed, it was definitely a page turner.
At its simplest it could be called a tale of revenge. Having risen through his own gargantuan efforts from humble origins to become a hugely successful entrepreneur, Wolf Hadda’s life crashes around him when he is found guilty of a whole raft of charges including massive fraud and paedophilia. He spends years in prison claiming his innocence; then, having manipulated his way to freedom, he sets out to clear his name and ensure justice is done. But it soon becomes clear that simple is one thing this book is not. Wolf’s past is a multi-layered tapestry which keeps revealing new details and aspects. Many of the characters, especially Wolf himself and Alva Ozigbo, the mixed-race prison psychiatrist who is drawn deep into his case and his life, are complex and sometimes bewildering. The plot is positively labyrinthine, and full of surprises. Reginald Hill had an immense and enviable talent for plain old-fashioned readability. It was interesting that it took several of us a while to realise that the young boy featured in the opening pages, who is kidnapped and manages to escape, actually was JC, a leading manipulator of events later on.
We all enjoyed the book, which is quite unusual! Some people felt Wolf lacked credibility and others that some of the turns and twists of the plot were unbelievable. But it was a compelling read that held our attention right through to the rather unpredictable ending. Thoroughly recommended!
March 25 Review
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
An interesting month logistically! Because of other commitments, we had two meetings on consecutive Fridays to discuss the same book, The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. Both groups started off with lovely lunches prepared by new Chef Ian.
With regard to the book, it was a “marmite” choice. Some lively discussions took place. Some people really enjoyed it but some didn’t finish it and gave it a definite thumbs down. But we like books that divide opinion as interesting discussions take place. Further comments follow:
It was an extremely long book and some found it challenging to keep going through it. Everyone found the start a bit slow going, but once we got into it, many found it a really compelling read, which accelerated towards the end. This left some of us in a bit of a state of limbo, as the conclusion was left to our imagination. But others rather liked the idea of no definite ending. We mostly thought it was really well written, and it certainly had us on the edge of our seats. The only negative apart from the start, for some was the lack of punctuation in Imelda's story, which could occasionally be confusing if you got the comma in the wrong place! Apparently the author had chosen to write Imelda’s parts of the book without punctuation to show her lack of education, but we were universal in thinking this pretentious and unhelpful.
The book had been nominated for the Booker. It was also everywhere, as such books are: Online and in seemingly every book shop including Waterstones. Many found the writing beautiful and insightful, amusing and heartbreaking. The topic of the book was the fortunes of the Barnes family who live in a small Irish town. The themes include survivalism, social isolation, illegitimacy, child abuse and guilt over both same sex and heterosexual encounters. Some might say it contains too many themes, but Paul Murray draws them all together skillfully in this novel, that lingered for some long after finishing it.
The style was very modern and apart from the author’s irritating decision to remove punctuation from part of it, the chapters dealing with the teenage boy PJ and his obsession with computer games were not enjoyed by some. But the dissenters had to admit this was a true picture of how things were in the 21st century.
February 25 Review
Love for Lydia by H E Bates. Thanks to Liz for her review of the book, which follows:
“I chose this book, hoping you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. I watched the original series on television in the 70s, and again a few months ago when it was replayed, with my husband, who, despite having vastly different tastes from me, both in literature and music, enjoyed it as much as I did. He thought the characters brilliant, and the acting extremely good, ‘Plum awful’ being one of his favourite expressions (Rollo, Lydia’s uncle).
I decided to read the book, and enjoyed it as much as the series. I especially liked the descriptions of the surrounding countryside, the weather, the way I could feel the cold when it was described. This reminded me of my childhood with no heating, and sleeping on my clothes so they’d be warm on in the morning!
I found Richardson a very intense young man, but so true to that type of character. I could understand, as he was a romantic and would be writer why he couldn’t understand Lydia not wanting to settle down with him, her first love straight away, but wanted to have fun, which she had clearly been denied for so long. This was a beautifully descriptive story of two young people growing up and finding themselves, and having to come to terms with the trials and tribulations along the way of love and loss, and how jealousy, guilt and pride can have such terrible consequences.”
It is fair to say that several of us did not enjoy the book quite as much as Liz did. Some found it dated with overlong descriptions. It was written in 1952 and we didn’t all feel it had stood the test of time. One member likened Lydia to Scarlett O’Hara in her manipulative behaviour. There was a sense of doom pervading the book and we weren’t convinced that Richardson and Lydia would live happily ever after. Their friends Alex and Tom had already died young in tragic circumstances. Opinions amongst our group certainly varied and we had an excellent discussion.
January 2025 Review
The Dinner Guest by B P Walter
All the characters are fairly awful, especially the main two characters who take turns in voicing the story, Charlie and Rachel. Somewhat surprisingly, despite the lack of a sympathetic character, all of us had enjoyed the book and thought the chapters written alternately actually worked rather well.
We start off by witnessing the apparently perfect world of Charlie, a man who has never known a day of hardship in his life and who seems to have everything anyone could wish for. Perfect home, great job, perfect husband, perfect stepson, no financial worries. Then he bumps into Rachel whose life is the exact opposite. For some reason, Charlie’s husband Matthew decides to take Rachel under their wing and, from then on, the perfect facade starts to crack and disintegrate, as if Rachel’s appearance has infected it with rot.
The book jumps around in time, beginning with the aftermath of the murder of Charlie’s husband and then going back to the introduction of Rachel into their lives, and exploring all the characters' back stories until we understand what has happened and why. The author has been extremely clever with the plotting of this novel, building the tension as facts are revealed piece by piece, but taking us off in different directions, so it is impossible to guess what is the truth and who is responsible for what until the very end.
This book is a great psychological thriller, and a real page turner. Few of us had anticipated the twist at the end, and we did wonder if the author is contemplating a sequel.
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 2024
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 2024
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 2024
"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 2024
"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 2024
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 2024
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".
