The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Thank you to Gill for hosting June's meeting in Brighton. Here are the discussion questions:

1. Donna Tartt has said that the Goldfinch painting was the "guiding spirit" of the book. How so—what do you think she meant? What—or what all—does the painting represent in the novel?

2. David Copperfield famously says in the first line of Dickens's book,

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will beheld by anybody else, these pages must show.

Because of the many comparisons made between Dickens's work and The Goldfinch, that same question could rightfully be asked by Theo Decker. What do you think—is Theo the "hero" of his own life? What, in fact, does it mean to be the "hero" of a novel?

3. Tartt has said that "reading's no good unless it's fun."  A good book should propel readers from page to page, in part because they care about the characters. Has Tartt accomplished that in The Goldfinch? Did you find yourself rapidly turning the pages to find find out what happens to the characters? Does the story engage you? And do you care about the characters? If so, which ones?

4. How convincingly does Tartt write about Theo's grief and his survival guilt? Talk about the ways Theo manifests the depth of his loss and his sense of desolation?

5. What do you think of Andy's family: especially Andy himself and Mrs. Barbour? Are we meant to like the family? Is Mrs. Barbour pleased or resentful  about having to take Theo in? What about the family as it appears later in the book when Theo re-enters its life? Were you surprised at Mrs. Barbour's reaction to seeing Theo again?

6. Talk about the ways in which the numerous adults at his school try—to no avail, as it turns out—to help Theo work through his grief. If you were one of the grown-ups in Theo's life, what would you do or say differently to him. Is there anything that can be said?

7. Many reviewers have remarked on Boris as the most inventive and vividly portrayed character in the book. How do you feel? Are you as taken with him as both Theo and book reviewers are? Talk about his influence over Theo—was it for better for worse?

8. Readers are obviously meant to find Theo's father negligent and irresponsible, a  reprobate. Are you able to identify any redeeming quality in him? What about his girlfriend?

9. Talk about Hobie and how Tartt uses his wood working and restoration as a symbol of his relationship to Theo. How does Theo disappoint him...and why? Theo fears he will, or already has, become like his father. Has he?

10. Tartt asks us to consider whether or not our world is orderly, whether events follow a pattern (which could indicate an underlying meaning), or whether everything that happens is simply random—like the explosion that killed Theo's mother. What does Theo's father believe...and what does Theo believe? Do Theo's views by the end of the story?

11. The book also ponders beauty and art. Why is art so important to the human soul? What are its consolations...and what are its dangers? In what ways can we allow ourselves to be trapped by art or beauty? And HOW does this relate to the Goldfinch, the painting at the heart of this story— a painting of a bird chained to its perch and a painting that Theo clings to for 14 years.

12. What do you think the future holds for Theo? Why do you think Tartt left the book's conclusion open as to whether he will end up with Pippa or Kitsy?

13. If you were to cut portions of the book, where would you make those cuts? *

14. If Tartt were to write a sequel of 700+ pages, would you read it? *

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

Our Booker- prize winning book choice for May 2016.

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

Thank you to Dawn for hosting this month's meeting and to June for sourcing the questions:

1. All of the characters in this novel have their failings and as a result they are all fully human. Are you surprised by the secrets Elinor and Michael Mompellion each reveal to Anna about their marriage? How do they change your feelings about each character? Do they make either seem weaker in a way?

2. The Bradford family bears the brunt of Mompellion's rage when they leave town to save themselves. However, weren't they only doing what every other noble family did in those days: run because they had the means to run? Setting aside the events near the end of the novel (which make it clear that one would be hard-pressed to find a redeeming quality in any of them), can you really blame the Bradfords for running?

3. How much of Mompellion's push for the quarantine had to do with the secrets he shared with Elinor? Did his own dark side and self-loathing push him to sacrifice the town or was he really acting out of everyone's best interests?

4, Keeping in mind that this story takes place a good twenty-five years before the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts, what is the role of the Gowdie women in the novel? What is it about these women that drives their neighbors to murderous rage? How does their nonconformity lead to their becoming scapegoats?

5. How would you explain Anna's mental and spiritual unraveling? What are the pivotal experiences leading up to her breakdown and her eventual rebirth?

6. Discuss the feminist undertones of the story. How does each female character—Anna, Elinor, the Gowdies, and even Anna's stepmother—exhibit strengths that the male characters do not?

7. In a story where the outcome is already known from the very beginning—most of the villagers will die—discuss the ways in which the author manages to create suspense.

8. The author creates an incredible sense of time and place with richly textured language and thoughtful details—of both the ordinary (everyday life in Eyam) and the extraordinary (the gruesome deaths of the villagers). Discuss some of the most vivid images and their importance to the story and to your own experience reading it.

9. Can we relate the story of this town's extraordinary sacrifice to our own time? Is it unrealistic to expect a village facing a similar threat to make the same decision nowadays? What lessons might we learn from the villagers of Eyam?
(Questions issued by publisher.)

And some others which might be interesting:
In what ways did Elinor and Michael Mompellion become parental figures to Anna?

How and why did the people become divided as the plague devastated the village?

What supernatural beliefs surfaced as a result of the plague, and how did those beliefs conflict with religion?

What about Anys Gowdie appealed to Anna?

How did women in the novel show greater strength than the men possessed?

Lust is one of the sins explored in this novel through Elinor, Jane Martin, Anys Gowdie and Anna. What was the motivation and result of lust for these women?

Anna and Michael Mompellion experienced a loss of faith by the end of the novel. How did they each cope with this loss?

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee - March 2016

The sad news of the death of Harper Lee last month has prompted us to make Go Set A Watchman our focus this time round.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow evening's discussion of this controversial novel.

Here are the discussion questions

1. What is the significance of the title?
2. This book represents one of the most emotive publishing coups in living memory (comparable with Harry Potter releases, perhaps?) What is your position on To Kill A Mockingbird, and what do you know of the circumstances surrounding the writing, publication and reception of Go Set A Watchman?
3. To Kill A Mockingbird and Go Set A Watchman are separated by two (fictional) decades. Do they map onto each other happily?
4. The novel begins with Jean Louise's fifth return journey to Maycomb having 'succeeded in folding herself up into the wall' half-naked and having to be rescued by a porter on her train journey. How does this establish the tone?
5. What was your reaction to page 13's 'nightmare'?
6. Some readers have complained that the wide sociopolitical allusions as well as the contemporaneous popular culture references make the novel difficult to read in the UK in 2016. Did these detract from your enjoyment of the novel?
7. What are the narrative strengths of the novel?
8. And its weaknesses?
9. And the inevitable Atticus question: is he a racist and have your views of him changed?

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

February's book was by Anthony Doerr:

We unanimously loved All the Light We Cannot See and it provoked much discussion about the compelling narrative structure.  Definitely one we’ll all be recommending. 

Thanks to Rosanna for hosting.

Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd

An intriguing start to our reading year with William Boyd's difficult to genre-alise WW1 novel set in Vienna, England and Switzerland.  It deals with relationships, sexuality, psychology and espionage.  (And one or two other things as well.)

Thank you to Dawn for hosting and for providing this month's questions:

1.        The opening of the book has similarities with Atonement.  In your opinion should more of this thread of the story be developed?

2.       Parts of the story are built on espionage and intrigue; how well are those developed?

3.       Lysander struggles with the guilt of killing the men as he tried to get to the French lines of battle; he also uses Psycho-analysis how did you respond to the ways this part of the text is presented.

4.       How do you respond to the presentation of Lysander’s relationships in the text, particularly with Hettie?

5.       How did you find the presentation of the story as a whole?

6.       What is the significance of the title?

7.       Was Lysander’s mother presented as a sympathetic character?  Why or why not?

2015's Year of Books

Another eclectic mix for this year's eleven books. Some old, some new, some good, some bad, some ugly.

December - Remember Me by Melvyn Bragg

November - The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

October -  Mrs Hemmingway by Naomi Wood

September - The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes by Anna McPartlin

July - The Book of You by Claire Kendall

June - Twelve Years A Slave by Solomon Northup

May - Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

April -  Miss Carter's War by Sheila Hancock

March - The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

February - Perfect by Rachel Joyce

January - Skios by Michael Frayn

Thank you to everyone for another year of lively discussions, and apologies for a small blogging gap in the middle of the year. I know what my New Year's resolution will be! 

Happy reading over the Christmas holidays. January begins with Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd. Meeting date: January 18th 2016 7.30pm