Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K Jerome

Eight members of our group enjoyed a convivial evening at The Hundred of Ashendon pub, discussing (among other things) our recent read of this highly entertaining classic.

Three Men in a Boat has never been out of print since it was first published in 1912 and, as with all the older books we have read, we had an impressive array of different editions. These ranged from a 1956 115th edition through to the 2004 Penguin Classics publication, a badly proofed version that had come free with a magazine, and, one of our members even read the book on her Kindle. The latter was genuinely surprised to find that it was written so long ago.

We all understood the 'Kindle surprise' as, despite being over 100 years old, this is a timeless tale.

Jerome meanders through a series of events and incidents that were experienced by him and two friends (young men) during a (camping)'lads' holiday in a (small) river boat on the Thames! The story is told with much use of authors licence and oodles of Victorian sentimentality.

The era is only given away by references to lodging houses, land ladies, tradesmen's delivery 'boys' and steam trains. Oh and by the disparaging comments about women that illustrate a time when women must surely have been quite dim! So dim in fact that they sat around looking pretty while the boys did the work!

We all agreed that this book is absolutely hilarious. Even the somewhat graphic descriptions of river reality are funny: a dead dog floating by, a dead water rat delivered by the dog, rogues collecting money for 'trespass' and so on. The genuinely funny stories are usually of little happenings that could only happen to 'them' such as getting lost in Hampton Court Maze, inappropriate laughter (the German song), making Irish Stew, opening (well failing to open) a tin of pineapple, losing one's shirt to the river etc. What's clever is that JKJ manages to get the humour across without the usual requirement of 'having to have been there' to find it funny.

Did we enjoy it? Yes and we loved the characters who, despite the crisis' and the discomfort they encountered, had a jolly good time.

Would we recommend it? Absolutely yes and the school teachers in the group are already trying to work out how to fit it into the national curriculum! This is a must read for anyone of any age.

Some of us felt we enjoyed this book even more because we know the area and recognise the places they visited. For anyone who would like to see a river camping boat similar to the one our three men travelled in I recommend a visit to the Racing and Riverboat museum in Goring. 

We will be meeting on Thursday 9th January 2014 at 20:00 at The Ashendon Hundred (pub). Julia Sallabank has kindly offered to 'host'. We will be discussing Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole AND our planned book group trip to Paris.

I am often asked to describe our group and I tell people we are very relaxed and enjoy our bi-monthly meetings as an opportunity to get together to chat and share a common love of reading. Tonight a gentleman sat on the table next to us during our meeting backed that up with his comments as we were leaving: "What an entertaining evening I've had listening in - you spent almost as much time making plans as you did discussing a great read."

The Pure Story!

Back in the Summer (it seems so long ago now) we read Pure by Andrew Miller. Sue Lewin has kindly done some research to find out more about the story behind the story and here it is.

During the eighteenth century the burial grounds of Paris were as appalling as those of London; in the case of the Cimetière des Innocents in the Halle district, perhaps even more so. Since the fourth century this ground was the main burial place in the city, particularly for the poor. During the fourteenth century huge pits holding up to 1500 bodies were left open until full. It is estimated that over the centuries between two and six million bodies were buried here.

By 1780 conditions at les Innocents had become intolerable. Around 90,000 corpses had been added in the previous 35 years, the whole area stank, and the soil was incapable of decomposition. In the district, it was claimed that meat rotted within hours and wine turned to vinegar. In May, following heavy rain, The weight of the dead in a burial pit had caused a collapse in nearby cellars and people were asphyxiated.



The ground was closed for burials around 1782, and cleared during the winters of 1785-6. The charniers were emptied and the ground cleared out to a depth of 6 feet . The remains were carted across Paris and deposited in the catacombs.



The Square of the Innocents today.


Thanks Sue - I am feeling a Book Group outing coming on!

Book Choices - November 2013

A Nightingale Sang–  Sally Anderson

The year is 1943. American GIs are pouring into England, bringing with them romance and heartache... 

An American army unit has set up base outside a small Hampshire town in preparation for the D-Day landings. Lieutenant Jack Webster is focused on preparing his men for battle and has no intention of getting involved with a woman while there is a war to fight. But then he meets Samantha Mitchell, a beautiful English nurse whose life has already been shattered by four long years of war, and almost at once his resolve begins to weaken… 

Set against the backdrop of the Second World War and its aftermath, A Nightingale Sang is a heart-warming story that celebrates the triumph of love over the separation of war.

Letters from Skye – Jessica Brockmole

A sweeping story told in letters, spanning two continents and two world wars, Jessica Brockmole’s atmospheric debut novel captures the indelible ways that people fall in love, and celebrates the power of the written word to stir the heart.   

March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence - sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes, and deepest secrets - their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive.   June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn't understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago.

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

 "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view  ... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." 

Tomboy Scout Finch comes of age in a small Alabama town during a crisis in 1935. She admires her father Atticus, how he deals with issues of racism, injustice, intolerance and bigotry, his courage and his love.

We will be meeting on Thursday 14th November 2013 at 20:00 at The Ashendon Hundred (pub). Sue Lewin has kindly offered to 'host'. We will be discussing Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K Jerome.

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson - 2009 (translated from Swedish, 2012)

Allan Karlsson lives in a old-people's home and a birthday party has been organised to celebrate his 100th birthday. But Allan is bored so he decides to give the party a miss and climbs out of his bedroom window. He walks down to the bus station where he boards a bus to a random destination in Sweden. And so unfolds a picaresque story involving criminals, several murders, a suitcase full of cash and incompetent police. As the escapade unfolds, we get flashes of Allan’s past life and his incredible involvement in the main events of the 20th century...

We loved Allan’s odd personality: he is an expert in explosives and gets involved in all sorts of military missions all round the world but Allan always refuses to take any sides politically. Allan is like a Forrest Gump character, focused with the missions he fulfills but not fully understanding the full impact of his actions. He stays detached but also stays true to his word and believes He shows great expertise and cleverness but always stays naive in his approaches and this makes Allan’s character charming and endearing. There are even signs of Asperger syndrome in his personality.  Allan is also a great socialiser and linguist; with the help of a few vodkas and tequilas, he befriends the most powerful men during the last century such as President Truman, Franco...

Allan goes on his escapade with a group of friends who are equally endearing: they are all unique in their own ways, all misfits. We have Benny who nearly knows everything as he was a student for 20 years; we have Beauty, a red-haired fouled-mouthed middle -aged woman who looks after an elephant... and we have Julius, a petty criminal who offers Allan refuge. This singular and incongruous group is bound by true friendship and true affection and concern for each other...as they continuously escape from Detective Aronsson’s grasp.

The backdrop to this charming and comical chase is a detailed account of the world’s main historical events which took place during the last 100 years. In this clever way the author mocks the extremism of politics such as fascism or communism or any extreme movements. We are taken all round the world, from Sweden to Spain, the USA, China, Iran....And, each event is linked together as Allan plays a role in each single one.

We all enjoyed this book, first of all for its title. In fact the author, Jonas Jonasson says that he fell in love with the novel as soon as he had invented the title. It is well written, the style flows easily which makes it a great read. Some comical events made us roar with laughter, especially when the elephant is made to sit on a nasty gangster, flattening him under its weight!

Would we recommend this book? Most definitely! We all loved this incredible tale. And it made us wonder what we will do when we reach 100!

We will be meeting on Thursday 14th November 2013 at 20:00 at The Ashendon Hundred (pub). Sue  Lewin has kindly offered to 'host'. We will be discussing Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K Jerome.

September 2014 - Book Choices

We will return to The HUNDRED of Ashendon (formerly the Gatehangers' Inn) on THURSDAY 12th September at 8pm. We will be discussing The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. Mary has kindly offered to 'host'.

Choices for our next book are:

The Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty

Cecilia Fitzpatrick thinks she knows her husband inside out, so she's surprised to accidentally discover in the attic a dusty sealed envelope with "for my wife - to be opened only the event of my death" written on it in his writing. When she casually mentions it to him on the phone, his reaction makes it clear that the last thing he wants if for her to open that envelope - but why?

Leaving us with this intriguing puzzle the story then jumps to another woman, Tess, whose husband has fallen in love with someone else. Shocked and distraught, Tess makes immediate plans to go and stay with her mother in Sydney, taking her young son with her. Then we move onto a third woman, Rachael, whose much loved daughter died many years previously and whose life now centres on her grandson. Shortly the three women's lives will intersect and the secrete that Cecilia’s husband has been guarding for so long will impact on them all.

Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome

Swallows and Amazons is a book that sits comfortably in the category of "timeless classic". It is the wholesome story of four young children, John, Susan, Titty and Roger who set out in their boat (the Swallow of the title) to an island of adventure. All seems well until they encounter their enemy. At first they are angry at the invasion of their peaceful haven by these Amazon pirates, Nancy and Peggy, who claim ownership of the land. But in time a truce is called and the Swallows and Amazons become firm friends. Camping under open skies, swimming in clear water, fishing, exploring and making discoveries is the stuff of dreams which serves to make this so charming a tale. The author manages to capture the innocence of a time when all this was real and possible. Swallows and Amazons will transport children to a fantastical place where they can play safely and roam freely, without an adult in sight.

Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K Jerome

Published in 1889 this is a humorous account of a boating holiday on the Thames between Kingston and Oxford. The book was initially intended to be a serious travel guide with accounts of local history along the route, but the humorous elements took over to the point where the serious and somewhat sentimental passages seem a distraction to the comic novel. One of the most praised things about Three men in a Boat is how undated it appears to modern readers. The jokes seem fresh and witty even today.

The three men are based on Jerome himself (the narrator J.) and two real-life friends, George Wingrave (who would become a senior manager in Barclay’s Bank) and Carl Hentscehl (the founder of a London printing business, called Harris in the book), with whom he often took boating trips. The dog Montmorency, is entirely fictional but as Jerome admits, "developed out of that area of inner consciousness which, in all Englishmen contains an element of the dog." The trip is a typical boating holiday on the time in a Thames camping skiff. This was just after commercial boat traffic on the Upper Thames had died out, replaced by the 1880's craze for boating as a leisure activity.

A Quick Look Back - Laurie Lee and Slad

In the not so sunny summer of 2011 we read and fell in love with Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee. So much so that some of us even went on a pilgrimage to Laurie Lee's home village of Slad and visited some of the places in the book.

This afternoon I had a lovely surprise, while driving home from a business meeting, as Radio 4's Open Country broadcast their visit to Slad. It was a lovely programme so I thought I would share the listen again link, which also has some lovely photographs.

Click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b039d4bq

And as I have it on my radar to try and add some of our older reviews to this blog, here is our review from our meeting back in August 2011.

Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee - August 2011

Our discussion began with total agreement that this was a very enjoyable book that was so beautifully written it was poetry.

Though almost in living memory the world of Laurie Lee was so different to our own and was written at a time when rural life was changing. Most striking was the references to noise: it seems that from arriving in a silent place the noise grew as Laurie did.

The prose masks a hard life and did not shock or horrify as other tales of the time could (and would have done). Stories of bringing up other people’s children alone, murder, dying in the workhouse, suicide, hunger, cold, terrible accident are all presented, with an underlying beauty, by a poet with a rose tinted childhood memory. In fact despite the harsh reality the stories make you laugh out loud - often.

We drew alignment to our last book – Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson – in the fact that Laurie Lee is writing from memory about personal experience and passion. Events were muddled in time and embellished as he does, or would wish to, remember things.

Our discussion (far lengthier than our notes here suggest) let on to how life in Ashendon would have been during Laurie Lee's childhood, when many of the houses were tiny cottages with large families and farm work was the main employment. Much like Slad we thought, so we ended our chat with an idea that we should perhaps have a Book Group outing to Slad. 

Pure by Andrew Miller

On a lovely sunny evening 7 of us sat in the garden, drinking chilled white wine, nibbling cheese and discussing the grotesque ‘goings on’ in a redundant 18^th Century Parisian Cemetery just before the French Revolution.

The evening summer garden sights, sounds and smells were a far cry from the smell of death and the ghastly gases, that Andrew Miller so eloquently enabled us to imagine while reading, 

We liked the book. From reviews and recommendations it may come as surprise to hear that our response wasn't ‘gushing’ with enthusiasm or excitement. But we did really like it. For a book group this is a good read: there is plenty to reflect upon in the story and the quality of the writing keeps a reader going.

It is a beautifully written book and Andrew Miller has the ability to write descriptions that draw the reader into the scene and situation.

The story takes a while to get going, it is a bit drawn out and one member of our group admitted that she ‘just couldn't wait for it to stop’. That said the story carries the reader along, you want to know what happens next, you are waiting for the twist, wanting to know more about each of the characters and, ultimately, you are dying to find out whether the task is achieved.   

When reflecting on the characters we realised that so many people, representing so many different facets of French society at the time, had been introduced to us. All were a little mad which is not surprising given their situation and surroundings. From these the people who most stand out are:

• Jeanne - a young girl so good and kind - she epitomises her home at Les Innocents and the book title.
• Heloise – a prostitute who is just not what you expect.
• Andre – who could have tipped the balance for Jean-Baptiste (the lead character) but didn’t and was probably more preoccupied with his gang of revolutionaries and their activities.
• Dr Guillotin – some of us were surprised to have met someone of such notoriety!
• Jan Block – for loving Jeanne as much as we did.

Above all we were all pleased about how things turned out for the young engineer, Jean-Baptiste.

We did all wonder if the places in the book, and the actions taken at Les Innocents are in any part true? Perhaps someone can enlighten us at our next meeting. 

Would we recommend this book? Yes. This is a book to talk about with friends.

Our next book is The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. We will return to The HUNDRED of Ashendon (formerly the Gatehangers' Inn) to discuss this book on THURSDAY 12th September at 8pm. Mary has kindly offered to 'host'.

July 2013 - Book Choices

Our next meeting is on Tuesday 9th July, 8.30 pm at Sian's house (I've made it a little bit later as will be dashing in at 8.15). We will be discussing Pure by Andrew Miller. 

Choices for our next book are: 

The Light Between Two Oceans by M L Stedman

After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby…

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

Allan Karlsson is about to celebrate his hundredth birthday and a birthday party is planned at his retirement home. Allan is alert despite his age, but not so interested in the party. Instead he steps out the window and disappears. He gets hold of a suitcase of drug money and becomes chased by both drug dealers and the police.

Filled with lots of adventures, Allan's life story is told in parallel to this. He eats dinner with the future President Harry S. Truman, hitchhikes with Winston Churchill, travels on a riverboat with the wife of Mao Zedong and walks across the Himalayas on foot. Lighthearted and  amusing.

Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos De Laclos

Two former lovers embark on a game of seduction and manipulation to bring amusement to their jaded existences. While the Marquise de Merteuil challenges the Vicomte de Valmont to seduce an innocent girl, the Vicomte is also occupied with the conquest of a married woman. But the consequences prove to be more serious, than they could have guessed.

An epistolary novel – foppish, French and ferocious.

Ashendon's Got Authoring Talent

Ashendon's very own Geoff Pimm has recently published a paperback called 'The Giggle Band' which is available on Amazon (and Kindle).

Geoff's wife, and Ashendon Book Group member, Ruth advises that his book started as a brief history for the family but developed into a tale of a London boy growing up after the war. Having been lucky enough to preview the book, Ruth tells us: 

It is autobiographical but is also a pacy and amusing 'then and now' comparison.  It is a good read and the alien world could be quite an eye opener for the younger generations!

To support our local writer please go to Amazon now and sign up for advance notification of availability.

Ruth has another literary connection in her sister-in-law who publishes light hearted mysteries under the name of Nicola Slade. So far she has written 5 books and is developing a series with the same heroine.  Ruth recommends these books as 'quick escapist reads'.  All are available on Amazon and they will be available for Kindle in the next  few weeks. You can find out more at www.nicolaslade.com

A Young Doctor’s Notebook by Mikhail Bulgakov

The Notebook has seven short stories based on the notes of a young Russian doctor (Bulgakov) and then a second book ‘Morphine’ describes the experience of another young (though we believe fictitious) doctor yet possibly based on Bulgakov’s own experience.

Some of our group were initially concerned about the subject thinking it might be full of the blood, guts and gore of the operating theatre. Their fears turned out to be unfounded and the book was, in fact, an excellent account of life in rural Russia at the start of the last century.

Bulgakov uses plain language to great descriptive effect. He makes excellent, often humorous, descriptions that are genuine and authentic.  He shares his own concerns in an honest, straight-forward style and leaves the reader a little more able to imagine what life must have been like for Russian peasants. Particularly striking are his descriptions of the harsh winter weather and blizzard conditions a doctor would have to travel in to make emergency calls.

Morphine is more haunting than the Notebook and some of the group found it quite boring as it ‘goes on a bit’.

Because each member of our group sources their own copy of each book we read we can have quite an array of different editions when a classic book is chosen. For this book we had two different translated versions. The original translation (A Country Doctor's Notebook) was much straighter in its language than The Young Doctor's Notebook so, for example: The Embroidered Towel became The Towel with the Cockerel Motif.

Despite the differences both versions of the book leave the reader feeling that Mikhail Bulgakov was a conscientious, compassionate man who had a great willingness to learn and was humble and intelligent enough to know when to take advice from others in his team who had more experience.  

Would we recommend this book? Yes, definitely although possibly not for a book group choice as it doesn't lead to extensive discussion.

Our next book and meeting are: Pure by Andrew Miller which we will be discussing on at 8.15pm on Tuesday 9th July. We hope to meet at Gatehangers as usual but that will depend on the new landlords. Sian will host and we will confirm venue with the next book choice. 

May 2013 Book Choices

 Pure by Andrew Miller

A year of bones, of grave-dirt, relentless work. Of mummified corpses and chanting priests. A year of rape, suicide, sudden death. Of friendship too. Of desire. Of love... A year unlike any other he has lived.

Deep in the heart of Paris, its oldest cemetery is, by 1785, overflowing, tainting the very breath of those who live nearby. Into their midst comes Jean-Baptiste Baratte, a young, provincial engineer charged by the king with demolishing it. At first Baratte sees this as a chance to clear the burden of history, a fitting task for a modern man of reason. But before long, he begins to suspect that the destruction of the cemetery might be a prelude to his own.

Children of Eve by Deirdre Purcell

Eve Moraghan broke one of the great taboos when she abandoned her children as toddlers. Now adults, Arabella, Willow and Rowan have heard nothing of their mother since the day she walked out the door, headed no one knows where. Why she went, they just don't know. But now, it seems, they're about to find out. Their mother's been in an accident, and she's sent word that she wants to see her children. The first reaction is to tell her to forget it. She gave up on them - why should they jump when she says so? And yet somehow they each find themselves on that plane, making the journey that will tell them what their past was all about - and open new doors into the future.

 

 

 

Salt by Jeremy Page

“The mud swelled and shrank round the house, dislodging the tiles on the roof and knocking the chimneypot on the huh, as they say in Norfolk. Inside, the floor buckled on imaginary tree roots.” This is the house in which Goose lives, in which her daughter, Lil’, is born, and which Pip, the narrator of Jeremy Page’s novel Salt, comes to know when he runs away from his father. Built on uncertain ground, it is a fitting home for this family of marsh folk. “It ain’t right,” says a friend much later in the novel, “livin’ on land that ain’t really land at all.”

Pip tells the story of three generations of his family, but the telling is itself an uncertain enterprise, connected as it is to the land on which it takes place, a salt marsh on the North Sea coast of England and covering events he did not witness. He must rely on the stories of others, especially his grandmother Goose, with whom the tale begins—but how much is story? How much is fact? How much is true?

 

Hope to see you at our next meeting when we will choose our next book - Tuesday 14th May, 8.15pm at Gatehangars.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

It’s fair to say the group was split.

“I liked it” came a defiant cry from the corner as our group sat down to discuss this book.

“Why?” asked the less than impressed.

So, with gloves off, our discussion began.

Those who enjoyed this book cited their enjoyment of the subject matter. Those who didn't get what was so great about it felt life is too short!

“I expected to be irritated by the third person present tense.” Said one member of our group – “I was” said Felicity. We all agreed it is written in a confusing style.

One suggestion was to read this book in big chunks because it is very get ‘in-to-able’ – I couldn't get ‘in-to-it at all’ was the 'no' team retort.

After the initial dispute we got into some serious chat around the story. We agreed it is in an interesting subject tackled from an interesting angle. It was a good picture of life at the time and gave insight into aspects of life such as the annual plague.

Thomas, an impressively self-made man, seemed to be a good family man and got on with most people, despite his harsh start in life and it didn't feel like his loyalty to others was for his own gain or for his family to climb the ladder. Unlike (for example) the Boleyn family.

But, there were far too many Thomas’ in the story. Oh and Marys’ and Henrys’ but I don’t think we can hold that against the author as they were all real people.

“There are some funny bits and some humour” – that was the only positive comment one member could make.

Of our group (of nine) two had finished the book and two intended to do so. It is an acquired taste. It’s not a page turner and most of us won’t bother reading another Hilary Mantel book.

Enough said I think. Our next meeting is on 14th May when we will be discussing A Young Doctor's Note Book by Mikhail Bulgakov.

March 2013 - Next Meeting

It was so lovely to discuss our next meeting as it reminded us all that Spring is just round the corner.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 14th May, 8.15pm at Gatehangers. Isalda has kindly offered to 'host'.

We will be discussing A Young Doctor's Notebook by Mikail Bulgakov.

We found it a tough choice between this book and Year of Wonder by Geraldine Brooks so if anyone wants to read this book as well I, for one, am up for a bit of additional reading.

Notes from our discussion about Wolf Hall will follow.

March 2013 Book Choices

Tuesday 12th March 2013 is our next meeting when we will be discussing 'Wolf Hall' by Hilary Mantel - don't worry if you haven't finished it I believe a few of us have struggled with it. 

Here are the choices for our next book:

A Young Doctor’s Notebook by Mikail Bulgakov

In this collection of short stories, drawing heavily from the author’s own experiences as a medical graduate on the eve of the Russian Revolution, Bulgakov describes a young doctor’s turbulent and often brutal introduction to his practice in the backward village of Muryovo. In a sharply realistic and humorous style, Bulgakov reveals doubts about his competence and the immense burden of responsibility, as he deals with a superstitious and poorly educated people struggling to enter the modern age. 

This acclaimed collection contains personal and insightful observations on youth, isolation and progress.

Year of Wonder by Geraldine Brooks

When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. As death reaches into every household and villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must find the strength to confront the disintegration of her community and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive and grow, a year of catastrophe becomes instead annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders."

Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene

First published in 1958, Our Man in Havana is an espionage thriller, a penetrating character study, and a political satire that still resonates today. Conceived as one of Graham Greene's "entertainments," it tells of MI6's man in Havana, Wormold, a former vacuum-cleaner salesman turned reluctant secret agent out of economic necessity. To keep his job, he files bogus reports based on Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare and dreams up military installations from vacuum-cleaner designs. Then his stories start coming disturbingly true.

Bloxham Festival of Faith and Literature

Please take a look at the programme for this. It is centred around Bloxham School where Joe goes - just outside Banbury, about an hour away.

I was really impressed at the programme and there are some top authors speaking - including an author we have enjoyed at book group: Philip Gale (Notes From and Exhibition) and another Sue introduced us to Jasper Fforde (The Eyre Affair).

http://www.bloxhamfaithandliterature.co.uk/programme.aspx

Joe is singing at 4.30 in the final event - church service.

Looks like a good event for literary folk like us.

Fame is the Spur by Howard Spring

On a snowy January night 9 of us settled into our cosy corner at Gatehangers Inn and got stuck into our discussion of this epic book. It was difficult to know where to start until Helen pulled out her superbly prepared notes and led the way.

What's it About? she asked and we replied:

• Politics: early Socialist Labour, the rise of Communism, The Suffragette Movement, Organisation of labour (Miners and Factory Workers), the Class System, Party Political Branding (National Labour)  
• Violence, War and Pacifism: The Peterloo Massacre, 2 World Wars, Spanish Civil War, Russian Revolution,
• Economics and The Great Depression
• Personal lives: friendship, ambition, love, marriage, death, tragedy, loyalty, hardship, relationships
• Fiction: a tale of rags to riches
• Reality: Keir Hardy, Ramsey MacDonald, Engels

This is such a rich book, full of content that touches on so many subjects. It is not a book to be read in a week! Every one of the 640 pages gives the reader something to think about. There is so much to take in and so much to consider. Published in 1940 the novel tells a story that spans the late 1880's through to the late 1930's and yet the similarity to current economic and political times is striking.

"It could have been written yesterday."

The fictional story is of a boy - (John) Hamer Shawcross (born to the housemaid) - who is nurtured by his stepfather and who achieves such career and social 'success' that he (Hamer) himself eventually reflects upon his life with a mix of pride and regret. The title comes from a poem by Milton: 'Fame is the spur that the clear spirit doth raise/(That last infirmity of noble mind)/To scorn delights, and live laborious days.' Certainly the author intended the pun of the penultimate word.

By the end of the story an affinity is built with each of the characters and we were sorry to say goodbye to most of them:

• Gordon - Hamer's stepfather - is a really, really good man. Godly, honest, kind. He accepted John and his mother (Ellen) and asked nothing of them. He took in the Old Warrier (Hamer's hero) and defined that Hamer's future would not be as expected in the area they lived, determined that:  'you will not go to the mill.'
• Hamer Shawcross - think of him as a well groomed John Prestcott. We wanted to dislike Hamer but it is hard to do so. He is a self-made political, hypocritical, showman who appears to have little regard (and even cruelty) for the people who care about him and support him. On the other hand he demonstrates genuine affection for people and takes the time out to be with them when necessary. He is not a nasty character, possibly not even as selfish as he seems. Perhaps he is just a little too driven and ambitious.
• Lizzie is way before her time - philanthropic, full of fun and inspirational, she is her own woman. She channelled her own ambitions through those who, at the time, could represent them and win. Hamer, for Lizzie, was a route to political success.
• Anne is an interesting character who came into her own as a Suffragette and fought hard for the cause. We wonder whether this was due to her genuine commitment to the cause or to fill a void in her life? who knows?
• Hannaway - now that's the man to hate - he was manipulative though arguably more honest and true to himself than Shawcross.
• Ryerson - a gentle, genuine man and his beloved wife (Pen) remained true to their beliefs and did not trade them off for career success. They, and their families, are the characters to love.
• Houst - the German doctor, and his family, also deserved our affection- fallen on poor times after WW1 Houst tells Hamer: "there is no peace, you understand, no peace anywhere except in mans own heart."

There are so many other characters who find their way into the hearts and minds of the reader, sharing their thoughts and adding depth to this tale of the 'ever shifting drama of mankind's agony'.

We are of one accord in our recommendation of this book (it might take a little while to find a copy but it will reward your efforts.)

March 2013 Meeting and Book Choice

Our next book and meeting date is:

On Tuesday 12th March we will be discussing Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
We will meet at 8.15pm in Gatehangers and Ruth has kindly volunteered to 'host'.

Last night 9 of us met and discussed Fame is The Spur by Howard Spring which turned out to be an extensive and in-depth discussion around what was considered to be an incredibly rich account of social and political activity at a time of significant change in Britain. I want to capture as much of the commentary as possible so will post the summary as soon as I have had time to do it justice.

In the meantime here is a snippet from last night. Helen brought along some googled images of posters related to the Suffragette movement (one of the subjects covered in the book) - here are a couple of examples.

The Women's Social and Political Union, founded by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel in 1903, used militant tactics. Many suffragettes went to prison as a result of their actions and, while in prison, they often went on hunger strike to gain publicity for the cause and as a result were forcibly fed. In 1913 the Prisoners Temporary Discharge for Ill-Health Act was passed in Parliament, often referred to as the Cat and Mouse Act. According to this, any hunger-striking woman prisoner was released when they became seriously ill, and re-arrested when recovered.

 

With the coming of the First World War the women's suffrage campaign was called off. Afterwards, in 1918, women were given limited voting rights with the Representation of the People Act. Universal suffrage, that is, the vote for men and women on equal terms, was finally achieved with the Equal Franchise Act in 1928 when all men and women were given the vote at 21 years. In 1969 the voting age for men and women was lowered to 18.

Reading books can be a thought provoking experience.

January 2013 Book Choices

Tuesday 22nd January 2013 is our next meeting when we will be discussing 'Fame is the Spur' by Howard Spring - don't worry if you haven't finished it (I am going to request we don't discuss the ending!!).

Blogger currently is not allowing me to upload images so I am sorry this is a bit dull - will edit later. Here are our choices for next book:

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Taken from the poverty of her parents' home, Fanny Price is brought up with her rich cousins at Mansfield Park, acutely aware of her humble rank and with only her cousin Edmund as an ally. When Fanny's uncle is absent in Antigua, Mary Crawford and her brother Henry arrive in the neighbourhood, bringing with them London glamour and a reckless taste for flirtation. As her female cousins vie for Henry's attention, and even Edmund falls for Mary's dazzling charms, only Fanny remains doubtful about the Crawfords' influence and finds herself more isolated than ever. A subtle examination of social position and moral integrity, Mansfield Park is one of Jane Austen's most profound works.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Tudor England. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is charged with securing his divorce. Into this atmosphere of distrust comes Thomas Cromwell - a man as ruthlessly ambitious in his wider politics as he is for himself. His reforming agenda is carried out in the grip of a self-interested parliament and a king who fluctuates between romantic passions and murderous rages.

Blue Monday by Nikki French

The stunning first book in a new series of psychological thrillers introducing an unforgettable London psychotherapist

Frieda Klein is a solitary, incisive psychotherapist who spends her sleepless nights walking along the ancient rivers that have been forced underground in modern London. She believes that the world is a messy, uncontrollable place, but what we can control is what is inside our heads. This attitude is reflected in her own life, which is an austere one of refuge, personal integrity, and order.

The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes a national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when his face is splashed over the newspapers, Frieda cannot ignore the coincidence: one of her patients has been having dreams in which he has a hunger for a child. A red-haired child he can describe in perfect detail, a child the spitting image of Matthew. She finds herself in the center of the investigation, serving as the reluctant sidekick of the chief inspector.

January 2013 - Next Meeting

Happy New Year

Hopefully one of your New Year resolutions is to read more. A book group is a great way to get started and the Ashendon Book Group is very relaxed and friendly so feel free to join us.

Our next book is 'Fame is the Spur' by Howard Spring - we will be discussing this book on Tuesday 22nd January 2013.

This book seems to be a hard one to come by though there are some used copies on Amazon. The 1953 edition with the cover image from the TV show seems to be most available. However if any member has finished reading the book please let Sian know if you are happy to lend it to someone else.

Even if you haven't read the book please still come along to the next meeting to help get your year of reading off to a positive start!