November 2019: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

November's meeting took place earlier this week in Crawley, to discuss Margaret Atwood's Booker Prize winning sequel to The Handmaid's Tale. It's not often that we choose to read something still in hardback, but this was a special case!

Thank you to Jane for sourcing discussion questions:

1. Clothes play a dual role in the novel. They signal life stages as well as status and class: the pink, white and plum dresses worn by “special girls”; the drab prison-like stripes of the Econofamilies; and the green dresses of the betrothed girls. Did this aspect of the novel strike you as odd? Or is it actually not very different from our own obsession with brands and logos that convey a certain level of wealth and status?

2. Aunt Lydia tells us that Gilead actually has “an embarrassingly high emigration rate.” Can those who manage to leave Gilead ever truly “escape”?

3. Daisy/Jade is, to say the least, a reluctant revolutionary. But if you were her age and were asked to absorb all of the shocking information she has to process in a very short period of time, would you have reacted any differently?

4. After Agnes is assaulted, she recalls other girls who reported such incidents having been told that “nice girls did not notice the minor antics of men, they simply looked the other way,” which is a troubling parallel between Gilead and reality. Do you think there will ever come a time when women will feel unashamed to peak out when they are sexually assaulted? Or has this time already arrived in the age of #MeToo?

5. When Aunt Lydia dons the garb of the female stadium shooters, she says, “I felt a chill. I put it on. What else should I have done?” What would you have done?

6. Agnes’ interpretation of “Dick and Jane” showcases Margaret Atwood’s trademark wit, but there is more to it than that. Discuss the ways in which the author cleverly builds the sense of suspicion and fear that informs the way Agnes processes the events in her life at Ardua Hall.

7. Several references are made to shortages of basic necessities such as food and electricity. Birth defects and juvenile cancer also seem to plague Gilead. What do you think has caused this? Possibly environmental issues? Or the ongoing war?

8. Agnes considers her admittance to Hildegard Library to be a “golden key” that will reveal “the riches that lay within.” But it is here that she learns the truth about the Concubine Cut into Twelve Pieces, as well as the truth about her half-sister. Is there any book that provided you with a similar pivotal and eye-opening experience?

9. When Aunt Lydia relays the Aesop’s Fables story of Fox and Cat, she reveals much about her survival skills. Which are you --- Fox or Cat?

10. Did the book inspire you to take action so that Gilead remains fiction? Did you perhaps become more active in local politics or make a charitable donation to an organization that supports women’s rights?

11. The conclusion of THE HANDMAID’S TALE left readers with many tantalizing questions. Which of your questions were answered by THE TESTAMENTS? Which were not?

October 2019: Sweet Sorrow by David Nicholls

Sweet Sorrow was a funny and engaging novel -  and felt so perceptive about character, youth and the brutal tenderness of first love. 

Luckily, it was written by a man and so won't get dismissed as merely chick lit. 

The first 'leaving school' section was really enjoyable, encapsulating the awkwardness of the leavers' disco very effectively. Likewise the process of getting drunk as a teenager felt very real.  The Romeo and Juliet overlay to the Charlie and Fran story worked well, as did the humour generated by Charlie's theatrical reluctance and dramatically thwarted criminal activity; not to mention the casual character slaughter of residents of Billingshurst! 

It had something of a Sussex feel to it, too.  Full Fathom Five's base wasn't named explicitly but felt as though it was nestling nearby, somewhere in the Downs. 

September 2019: No Way Out by Cara Hunter

Fast-paced, well-plotted and very readable - this was a popular choice. We all enjoyed the canvas of police characters and their engaging back stories. It was a clever crime drama that made highly effective use of a variety of forms (newspaper, comments, official reports, first person narrative, free indirect style, transcripts of interviews) to create multiple voices. In turn this allowed for the development of credible red herrings and satisfyingly complex twists.

July 2019: Milkman by Anna Burns

Not an easy read, but well worthwhile. What a brilliant narrative voice - and superb depiction of place and time (Northern Ireland in the 1970s) to explore the complexity of allegiance. Not to mention the way Burns captures the idea of oppressive, unwanted male attention. 

A great choice to round off the academic year for book club!

June 2019: Circe by Madeline Miller

Miller's reimagining of part of The Odyssey - from a female perspective - tackles childbirth, rape, sexism, vulnerability and the search for identity in a world of powerful men. And includes what is, surely, one of the most fabulous inventions of all time: a house where dust cannot cross the threshold. 

Miller's exploration of spurned first love and its pleasing jealousy that makes one do stupid things rang uncomfortably true.

Circe herself seems to embody 'earthly' womanhood, in spite of her goddess status; while the world of the Titans and Zeus himself provides a suitable background of disempowerment that easily translates from the ancient mythical world to a contemporary one. The masterful stroke is that Circe's true adversaries are all female, and the narrative explores the ways that she is able to make them allies. 

May 2019: Machines Like Us by Ian McEwan

It's not often that we choose a book that is still only in hardback, but we were in agreement that a new McEwan is always a treat - and so it proved to be. Though some of the tropes were familiar, this pushed the consideration of what it means to be human, and moral, even further than he has done before - and I loved the idea of an alternative speculative representation of Turing.

Next month's book is Circe by Madeline Miller, and the meeting is scheduled for the 25th June in Horsham.

April 2019: Education by Tara Westover

This month's meeting takes place in Crawley on Tuesday 23rd April, and the questions below have been adapted by Jane. I'm really sorry to be missing this one. What a story! I thought it was beautifully told; particularly the way that the narrator manages to make much of her early life seem 'reasonable', just as it must have seemed to her whilst experiencing it, and only disturbing later when viewed with a more worldly lens. It was also a particularly timely read given the echoes with the current news story about the trial and life imprisonment of the Turpin parents in California. Happy Easter, and happy discussing, everyone.

Discussion Questions

1. Many of Tara’s father’s choices have an obvious impact on Tara’s life, but how did her mother’s choices influence her? How did that change over time?

2. Tara’s brother Tyler tells her to take the ACT. What motivates Tara to follow his advice? 

3. Charles was Tara’s first window into the outside world. Under his influence, Tara begins to dress differently and takes medicine for the first time. Discuss Tara’s conflicting admiration for both Charles and her father. 

4. Tara has titled her book Educated and much of her education takes place in classrooms, lectures, or other university environments. But not all. What other important moments of "education" were there? What friends, acquaintances, or experiences had the most impact on Tara? What does that imply about what an education is?

5. Eventually, Tara confronts her family about her brother’s abuse. How do different the members of her family respond?

6. What keeps Tara coming back to her family as an adult?

7. Ultimately, what type of freedom did education give Tara?

8. Tara wrote this at the age of thirty, while in the midst of her healing process. Why do you think she chose to write it so young, and how does this distinguish the book from similar memoirs?

9. Tara paid a high price for her education: she lost her family. Do you think she would make the same choice again?

 

March 2019: Winter by Ali Smith

Our March meeting took place in Brighton, to discuss Winter by Ali Smith - following on from Autumn last year that was popularly received.

Winter feels very contemporaneous whilst evoking Shakespeare, Dickens - and even far more ancient and  mythological stories; it celebrates a second female artist (Barbara Hepworth); it cleverly connects with Autumn in a subtle feat of intertwining characters; and manages to explore the complexity of sisterhood through differing sister narratives; all whilst manipulating multiple fictional time periods against the backdrop of recognisable, real ones: this is a sophisticated and 'knowing' piece of meta-fiction. 

I missed the meeting this month, but gather that opinion was somewhat divided. It's certainly not an easy, or a comfortable read as it evolves new ways of telling. I for one am looking forward to Spring.

February 2019: Normal People by Sally Rooney

A forensic look at relationships and identity, with echoes of One Day by David Nicholls.

January 2019: The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley

A violent choice to start our reading year: a dynamic, lyrical, feminist reimagining of Beowulf for contemporary times. Headley's novel provoked rich discussion - about the narrative style and structure in particular; with a chorus of women agreeing about the power of the 'siren' voices in particular. We were also interested in the construction and deconstruction of the hero figure and the notion of what we perceive to be 'monstrous'. Thanks to Hazel for hosting in Horsham.

Next month's book is Sally Rooney's Normal People, and Dawn will host in Crawley.

December 2018: This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay

Laugh out loud funny until the penultimate page, this was universally enjoyed.

November 2018: Master Georgie by Beryl Bainbridge

October 2018: Snap by Belinda Bauer