October review of Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

From a list provided by Jeanette of titles she had chosen for their “cult status”.

Well, as far as most book group members were concerned everything was far from illuminated most of our avid readers unable to complete the book.  Linda only managed two pages and admitted defeat.  Some like Joanne only read a couple of chapters before giving up.  Sue was still reading it on the night of the meeting and with the determination of a climber scaling Everest she was not going to give up.  I and Pauline had indeed finished the book, but were still bewildered by the whole experience.  There were so many questions but with Sue still immersed in the story we did not want to say too much.

The story is about an American Jewish young man trying to locate the person who allegedly saved his grandfather’s life from the Nazi’s. With only a tattered photograph and the most improbable group of guides/translators he sets off on a journey into the inner depths of the Ukraine. Initially we are bombarded by the most hilarious and  twisted use of the English language as Alex tries to converse with “The Hero “ and convince him of his family’s worth as a guide. However the story becomes increasingly dark and complex as the odd group including an oversexed dog delve deeper into the past.

The initial story is told alongside an historical account of a typical Jewish village or shetel, its odd inhabitants, bizarre Jewish customs and a mythological tale about how a beautiful child survives a near drowning and is brought up in this traditional yet weird village. The narrative swaps between both stories but also includes some very strange Jewish customs and language, which Sue really found fascinating. I and Pauline are holding out hope that Sue can illuminate us about everything once she reaches the very heart wrenching conclusion.

I found the book difficult and bewildering, but when I started discussing it with Pauline who had made it to the end, it threw up some interesting questions and seemed to make more sense when discussing it in the group. On the heels of reading our previous book Milkman, which also played around with language and style, perhaps we had been over exposed to complex styles. Pauline summed it up by saying   “I was desperate to read a chick lit “

In conclusion I think this novel is one I will put on my READ AGAIN pile but I am not sure when that might happen. I have seldom read anything so funny yet terribly tragic, so that alone must be testament to the writer’s skill. There was perhaps too much going on but that is its unique value. It’s a difficult and frustrating read but strangely now it’s over I would recommend it to others, which while reading it was a definite no!  I also read somewhere that it has been made into a film, HOW was my reaction to that information.

I think it’s best not to attempt a score for this one as only a few of us read it fully.

November’s book is The Confession by Jessie Burton.

Our next meeting will be December 5th for our Christmas Book swap, so no list for that meeting. It’s our intention to try and Book the New Mexican Restaurant, so please let us know if you will definitely be coming along. Places get booked up quickly this time of year. If you are coming please remember to bring along your wrapped book.

We will decide at that meeting who will do this list for January as we all will have different books to read for December. Can I make a suggestion that the person who compiles the monthly list also does the blog/review?

Review written by Anne Marie.

August book review Milkman by Anna Burns

 

August’s read was Milkman by Anna Burns, this was discussed by a small group at The Coach House in September.

“Milkman” is written in an unusual style, where none of the characters is named, only referred to by titles such as “ first brother-in-law or “maybe boyfriend” . The author writes in the first person about a period of the life of a young woman in 1970’s Northern Ireland during The Troubles. There is a great deal of descriptive prose, and the chapters and paragraphs are very long, making finding stopping places a bit difficult.

There were mixed opinions of the book amongst the group. Some like Anne Marie loved it, enjoying the gritty presentation of the story, while Pauline and Joan found it difficult to get into, though it improved as the second half of the story developed. Joan had listened to much of it on audio, and felt that it was much improved by this, the narrator being an Irish female which helped with the atmosphere.

The book was considered by some members as to be too wordy, with Carole and Pauline admitting to missing some chunks out, and some members not able to finish it or even start it !!. It was , however considered by the group to be strongly evocative of how life must have been to live in this violent era in Ireland. Where fear and suspicion were a part of everyday life for ordinary people.

We gave the book a score of 3.5 ( undermarked in AnneMarie’s  view.)

Written by Pauline.

September Read "An American Marriage" by Tayari Jones

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones 

Meeting held at “The Coach House” Low Fell ( 3rd October 2019)

Our September read was given an enthusiastic response both at our monthly meeting and on line. We all agreed we found it to be a tender and humane story with vibrant characterisations and thought-provoking questions on issues of race, love, loyalty and marriage.  

The plot centres on an appalling miscarriage of justice. Recently married, Roy and Celestial are staying in a motel on a visit to Roy’s parents in small-town Louisiana but their lives are turned upside down as Roy is arrested for rape.

A woman, whom Roy briefly met earlier in the evening while fetching ice, has been raped and has identified – with certainty, but no apparent evidence – Roy as the perpetrator. Here the reader is simply given to understand that a black man, in the wrong place at the wrong time, will find retribution meted out swiftly and unquestioningly.

We learn that Roy and Celestial’s marriage is precarious. Despite a strong bond, incompatibilities had already begun to appear before Roy’s arrest and subsequent incarceration. On the evening of Roy’s arrest, they are quarrelling about his propensity to keep secrets, including that of his paternity. The question of whether their marriage would have continued, despite Roy’s tendency to flirt with other women; Celestial’s aspiration to forge a career as a textile artist and her ambivalence over having children, is dramatically left in the air as circumstances develop around them.

This is the story of a man trying to get back home to a waiting wife -  a wife unsure of the extent to which she is permitted to rebuild her own life. Celestial is from a wealthy family and is a talented artist, making extraordinary lifelike dolls which provides her a secure income and a certain sense of freedom and independence. Roy is the son of poor Louisiana parents trying to make his way in the corporate world. 

During Roy’s imprisonment Celestial is devastated and unmoored, and she finds herself struggling to hold on to the love that has been her centre, taking comfort in Andre, their closest friend of long standing. When Roy's conviction is suddenly overturned, he returns home ready to resume their life together, but things have changed dramatically and there are many questions which will need addressing.

Members admitted being moved by the slow devastation of a marriage, finding the characters  totally believable and their circumstances overwhelmingly difficult and often out of their control.

Personally I thought the novel to be flawless but some disagreed, finding aspects of the plot a little far-fetched. Generally, however, we all agreed that there was profound knowledge and wisdom in the writing with its light touch often managing to reach emotional depths.

There was no doubt in our minds that this was a masterpiece of storytelling, An American Marriage offers a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three unforgettable characters who are at once bound together and separated by forces beyond their control.

Awarded 4.5

Future reads:  October     “Everything is Illuminated” by Jonathan Safran Foer

                 
November  “The Confession” by Jessie Burton