Herb Hamlet's Bluey's War certainly stirred up a hornet's nest! I'm quite cross that I forgot to do the usual round up of scores out of ten as I think they would have ranged between minus five and eleven!
It was fantastic to get such a range of experiences of the book. In many cases, the book evoked a positive response because it connected the reader to experiences in their own lives. However for others the plot line and the language used was enough to get their hackles up despite any connection to their life experiences!
One reader has present family members overseas on deployment so the experience of husbands returning to families and the effect that has on family dynamics was a topic very close to home. She thought the way war experiences were told in very broad terms was the way she had experienced post-deployment discussion. She felt there was no need for detailed description of the horrors of war in this style of book. Because of the family's close association with today's war this reader found she had a close affinity with this book.Other readers spoke of grandfathers, uncles and fathers coming back from the war and that on the whole, the war was a 'no-go' topic of conversation. Some of these relatives took pride in attending Anzac Day Parades while others found the memories were too raw for this reminder and therefore refused to attend.
Another of our readers knows the country around Goondiwindi quite well and while identifying with the landscape, felt that the description was a bit on the bland side. There was a search for adjectives but these were found to be a little thin on the ground and those that were used were somewhat mundane in character. Another knew the Gold Coast really well and was delighted to be transported to childhood haunts by the accuracy of Hamlet's description.
There was a lot of discussion about how this pared back style of writing was appropriate to the time and setting of the book. There was discussion about the book being written by a male and that he had captured the laconic style of the 1940s and 1945s really well.Others thought it might do very well to use this style when relating a neighbourhood yarn but it was not good enough to be published as a book! Some thought that while this direct style was appropriate to this story it could only be considered as a lightweight read and certainly could not be deemed 'literature'. Some admitted to normally disliking this style of writing but were very taken with it in the context of this story.
Our next reader has read a lot of factual books on the Second World War and therefore found this part of the book rather underwhelming in its depiction of prisoner of war camps in South East Asia. Other readers argued that this book was fiction and within the romance genre and therefore not the place for the sort of detail that one would find in memoirs and factual accounts of the war.
One of our book clubbers was quite cross with the 'happy' ending. She could not understand how Ellen could forgive Bluey and that this ending was too romantic and too unrealisitic. Other readers argued that it took incredible strength of character on Ellen's behalf to forgive and possibly empathise with Bluey's behaviour. Others maintained that Ellen's behaviour was quite in keeping with the mores of the time and that one just copes with the situation at hand and that strength of character and bravery have nothing to do with it. Readers who had grown up in small country towns spoke of erratic behaviour by returned soldiers being tolerated and accepted by townsfolk uncluding the local constabulary.
One of our readers enjoyed how Ellen and Bluey's children were depicted. They particularly enjoyed David's protectiveness of his mother when it came to thwarting Humphries' designs on Ellen and how he enlisted his sister's assistance to ensure that his mother and Humphries were never alone together.
One reader noticed that Bluey's speech patterns changed intermittently thoughout the book and they found this changing style frustrating: at times he spoke with a strong country Australian accent and at other times there was no Australian slang in his speech. Others argued that the vocabulary and idiom used was appropriate to that time and place and that his language varied according to the context.
Some of our readers really enjoyed the down-to-earth feel of the book and believed this gave the story credibility and authenticity. Others considered the no-frills style as being unworthy of publishing while others really prefer a book of much more substance and therefore found the lighter touch difficult to cope with.
It was wonderful to hear such a contrast in readers' experiences of Bluey's War. Some readers were keen to experience other books by this author to see whether the story dictated the style or whether his style was consistent while others indicated an almost allergic reaction to the idea of reading another book by this author. Whether the book was loved or loathed, I'm sure everyone's experience of this novel was enhanced by the passionate, animated discussion at book club.
Looking forward to more lively conversation at our next book club at Gordon White Library on Thursday 27 August, 2015.
Thursday, 30 July 2015
Monday, 27 July 2015
We'll be talking about Herb Hamlet's "Bluey's War" this Thursday!
Just a reminder to everyone that this Thursday is the last Thursday in yet another month which means we will be meeting at the Community Meeting Room at the Gordon White Library at 6.00pm to discuss the Australian novel Bluey's War.
Looking forward to hearing about your experience of this book!
Looking forward to hearing about your experience of this book!
Sunday, 21 June 2015
Our July read is Bluey's War
This month's book selection is written by a Queensland author and set in the border town of Goondiwindi. While tracing the relationship of two childhood sweethearts, the book is largely about the impact of the Second World War on our returned soldiers and how, for many of them and their families, their war lasted long after Victory Day.
Here are the reactions from a couple of readers. It is a while since we have read an Australian book, let alone a Queensland based book, so from that perspective it's nice to come home for a bit.
Looking forward to hearing about your experience of this thought-provoking book.
Reading, reading, reading.............
Thursday, 18 June 2015
Discussing 'The Denniston Rose'
We had a great turn up to discuss Jenny Pattrick's novel set on the cold wet coalfields of Denniston in its formative days. Some readers spoke of how effectively Jenny Pattrick described the conditions of the time - our readers felt the cold and the squelch of the mud, the pervading damp and discomfort of the persistent rain and the general inhospitality of the whole environment while others found it difficult to picture the setting, feeling quite removed from it.
We did look at the two different book covers and discuss how one really gave a much clearer picture of the Denniston environment than the other.
Our readers spoke of the capacity of some of the characters such as the Scobies, the Hanrattys and the Rasmussens to create a home in such harsh conditions while people like Eva Storm had not the foggiest notion of home-building and maybe represented the bulk of the population who were more concerned with wealth creation. Readers spoke of how the young Rose was drawn to the homier environments despite, or maybe because she had never had that experience from her mother.
One of our readers spoke of the telling contrast between the plump, generous Bella and the lean mean Eva. Others spoke of Eva's actions being influenced by her deep-seated desperation and how this intense desperation over-rode everything including the safety of her daughter. There was discussion about Eva's perception that she had to have a male to provide for her no matter what the cost. This led to discussion about the vital yet rarely recognised role of women in pioneering times.
Folk spoke of how characters like Bella, Totty and Mary Scobie overcame their difficulties and battled through their despair, becoming stronger and more able and willing to contribute to the greater good while characters like Eva, Jimmie Cork and Billy Genesis are caught in the down-spiralling eddy of their circumstances perceived as being caused by something or someone other than themselves and therefore are never able to move forward.
One of our readers was disappointed with the character development in the novel and spoke of the flatness of the characters. She gave examples of when the author had absolutely nailed a character and they bounced off the page in full 3D but she felt this happened too infrequently which detracted from the novel. Other book clubbers suggested that this was because the author was leaving space for the readers to draw the characters for themselves and that the characters were but one part of an integrated whole and if there was too much concentration on their exact delineation this would reduce the impact of the whole.
It was interesting that the character Rose generated only minimal discussion. Clubbers spoke about how they enjoyed the unlikely relationship between the three children from the three different groups and how this friendship represented a harbinger of the community to come. People spoke of the unifying effect of the miners' strike and referenced the recent film Pride which depicted this same need for unity in the strikes of the 1970s in England under the Thatcher administration.
Most of our readers rated the book around a seven out of ten. One of our readers felt it was one of the best book club selections we had read, rating it a nine while at the other end of the spectrum another reader rated it a five due to the lack of satisfaction with the character development. Readers were keen to see that Jenny Pattrick had written both a sequel, Heart of Coal and a spin-off Catching the Current. (Both are in the library collection for those wanting to read more of Jenny Pattrick.)
Our next read is Bluey's War written by Herb Hamlet, a Queensland writer.
We have a bit longer to read this one!
Happy reading!
We did look at the two different book covers and discuss how one really gave a much clearer picture of the Denniston environment than the other.
Our readers spoke of the capacity of some of the characters such as the Scobies, the Hanrattys and the Rasmussens to create a home in such harsh conditions while people like Eva Storm had not the foggiest notion of home-building and maybe represented the bulk of the population who were more concerned with wealth creation. Readers spoke of how the young Rose was drawn to the homier environments despite, or maybe because she had never had that experience from her mother.
One of our readers spoke of the telling contrast between the plump, generous Bella and the lean mean Eva. Others spoke of Eva's actions being influenced by her deep-seated desperation and how this intense desperation over-rode everything including the safety of her daughter. There was discussion about Eva's perception that she had to have a male to provide for her no matter what the cost. This led to discussion about the vital yet rarely recognised role of women in pioneering times.
Folk spoke of how characters like Bella, Totty and Mary Scobie overcame their difficulties and battled through their despair, becoming stronger and more able and willing to contribute to the greater good while characters like Eva, Jimmie Cork and Billy Genesis are caught in the down-spiralling eddy of their circumstances perceived as being caused by something or someone other than themselves and therefore are never able to move forward.
One of our readers was disappointed with the character development in the novel and spoke of the flatness of the characters. She gave examples of when the author had absolutely nailed a character and they bounced off the page in full 3D but she felt this happened too infrequently which detracted from the novel. Other book clubbers suggested that this was because the author was leaving space for the readers to draw the characters for themselves and that the characters were but one part of an integrated whole and if there was too much concentration on their exact delineation this would reduce the impact of the whole.
It was interesting that the character Rose generated only minimal discussion. Clubbers spoke about how they enjoyed the unlikely relationship between the three children from the three different groups and how this friendship represented a harbinger of the community to come. People spoke of the unifying effect of the miners' strike and referenced the recent film Pride which depicted this same need for unity in the strikes of the 1970s in England under the Thatcher administration.
Most of our readers rated the book around a seven out of ten. One of our readers felt it was one of the best book club selections we had read, rating it a nine while at the other end of the spectrum another reader rated it a five due to the lack of satisfaction with the character development. Readers were keen to see that Jenny Pattrick had written both a sequel, Heart of Coal and a spin-off Catching the Current. (Both are in the library collection for those wanting to read more of Jenny Pattrick.)
Our next read is Bluey's War written by Herb Hamlet, a Queensland writer.
We have a bit longer to read this one!
Happy reading!
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
'The Denniston Rose' under discussion this evening
Just a reminder everyone that we meet a week early this month!
See you all this evening to discuss Jenny Pattrick's The Denniston Rose.
We can meet in the small meeting room or if the YA area is free, we will meet there, so just keep your eye options open when you come in this evening!
The sun is out at the minute but who knows what the weather will be doing when we meet this evening!
See you at 6.00pm!
See you all this evening to discuss Jenny Pattrick's The Denniston Rose.
We can meet in the small meeting room or if the YA area is free, we will meet there, so just keep your eye options open when you come in this evening!
The sun is out at the minute but who knows what the weather will be doing when we meet this evening!
See you at 6.00pm!
Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Off to the cold coalfields of 'The Denniston Rose'
In this month's selection we move from the sinister dark halls of the asylum to the miserably cold squelching mud of the coal mines of the bleak West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand during the 1880s. Life above the Denniston Incline is tough on the adults but for the young Rose it is challenging in the extreme.
For some background on the author Jenny Pattrick we went to "The New Zealand Book Council". The dreary weather we are experiencing at present provides an ideal backdrop for reading this novel.
Don't forget we are meeting earlier this month because of the Annual Mackay Show Holiday.
Looking forward to discussing this novel with you all at the Gordon White Library Small Group Meeting Room at 6.00pm on Thursday 18 June.
Wednesday, 3 June 2015
Catching up on books
As one of our readers had not quite finished reading John Hardy's The Girl Who Couldn't Read (the joys of stretching six books between ten plus readers), and as the ending was such a delightful twist, much of our discussion was conducted in code it seemed, as no one wanted to ruin the final pages for our reader. Everyone just kept encouraging her to finish it and when I ran into her a couple of days later, she was delighted that she had finished it and enjoyed the twist.
There was discussion about the darkness of the novel and how asylums had been used as places to hide people and women in particular who were not conforming to society's norms of the day. Though published in 2014, this novel had the feel of a much earlier time. John Harding certainly suggested an authentic gothic atmosphere. Our readers enjoyed the novelty and logic of Jane Dove's idiosyncratic language as well as the way John Harding's language persuasively evoked an earlier time. There was some discussion about words in other languages requiring a phrase in English and the way Jane Dove's language certainly communicated meaning effectively and often more efficiently.
Our readers appreciated the gothic feel to the book jacket and this provoked talk about the difference between rooks and ravens as explained by Jane Dove.
There was much discussion as to Dr Shepherd's real occupation and the general consensus was that he was an actor who had murdered previously and appeared to have a predilection for girls with long white necks. Some of our readers found it difficult to enjoy this novel as they did not connect with any of the characters. Most of our readers found it difficult to believe that Dr Shepherd did not realise that Jane Dove could read, thus diminishing the denouement. Many of our readers thought that reading John Harding's prequel Florence & Giles would have provided a background to Jane Dove's character which would have enriched The Girl Who Couldn't Read while others thought it may have spoiled the final twist. There was a distinct lack of sympathy for the Dr Shepherd character and most of our readers felt he deserved his fate. However there was further debate as to Jane Dove's past and whether she was developing a habit and whether there would be books to follow her 'progress' in the world.
Generally our readers enjoyed this gothic thriller and for many of them it was certainly a diversion from their preferred fare. As a novel it certainly provoked discussion and there was a desire expressed by many of our readers to read Florence & Giles just in case it offered more clues.
We'll try another location in time and space for our selection for next month.
Meanwhile, keep those pages turning.
There was discussion about the darkness of the novel and how asylums had been used as places to hide people and women in particular who were not conforming to society's norms of the day. Though published in 2014, this novel had the feel of a much earlier time. John Harding certainly suggested an authentic gothic atmosphere. Our readers enjoyed the novelty and logic of Jane Dove's idiosyncratic language as well as the way John Harding's language persuasively evoked an earlier time. There was some discussion about words in other languages requiring a phrase in English and the way Jane Dove's language certainly communicated meaning effectively and often more efficiently.
Our readers appreciated the gothic feel to the book jacket and this provoked talk about the difference between rooks and ravens as explained by Jane Dove.
There was much discussion as to Dr Shepherd's real occupation and the general consensus was that he was an actor who had murdered previously and appeared to have a predilection for girls with long white necks. Some of our readers found it difficult to enjoy this novel as they did not connect with any of the characters. Most of our readers found it difficult to believe that Dr Shepherd did not realise that Jane Dove could read, thus diminishing the denouement. Many of our readers thought that reading John Harding's prequel Florence & Giles would have provided a background to Jane Dove's character which would have enriched The Girl Who Couldn't Read while others thought it may have spoiled the final twist. There was a distinct lack of sympathy for the Dr Shepherd character and most of our readers felt he deserved his fate. However there was further debate as to Jane Dove's past and whether she was developing a habit and whether there would be books to follow her 'progress' in the world.
Generally our readers enjoyed this gothic thriller and for many of them it was certainly a diversion from their preferred fare. As a novel it certainly provoked discussion and there was a desire expressed by many of our readers to read Florence & Giles just in case it offered more clues.
We'll try another location in time and space for our selection for next month.
Meanwhile, keep those pages turning.
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