Harper Lee's second book is up for discussion this evening at the Gordon White Library Community Meeting Room at 6.00pm!
Looking forward to hearing how you experienced this long anticipated novel!
See you there!
Wednesday, 26 August 2015
Thursday, 30 July 2015
'Go Set a Watchman' is next on our list!
The release of Harper Lee's landmark new novel set two decades after 'To Kill a Mockingbird' has created a great buzz in the reading universe. On Sunday 2 August, at 6.00pm (all good book clubs begin at this auspicious time) ABC's Sunday Book Club will be discussing Go Set a Watchman.
Here is what Jennifer Byrne had to say about the new novel in The Sydney Morning Herald.
Here is what Jennifer Byrne had to say about the new novel in The Sydney Morning Herald.
I hope to remember to watch the Book Club on ABC on Sunday to see what other folk are saying about this much anticipated novel.
Reporters from the British newpaper The Telegraph made these comments on Go Set a Watchman.
Reporters from the British newpaper The Telegraph made these comments on Go Set a Watchman.
Looking forward to hearing about everyone's experience of Harper Lee's novel at our next book club!
Books written by Herb Hamlet
For those folks interested in reading more from Herb Hamlet here is the list of his books. We don't appear to have any other books by Herb Hamlet in the library so one would probably need to request an inter-library loan. Some of his books seem to be ebooks and he seems to write either thrillers or stories similar to Bluey's War.
Hope this assists those eager to pursue this author's works.
Hope this assists those eager to pursue this author's works.
"Bluey's War" nearly causes a blue!
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.
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.
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)