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.