Good afternoon Bookworms,
Well, after a depressing start to January with the dreary and inconceivable 'Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow', we were all glad of a bit of humour in the form of Rakesh Satyal's 'Blue Boy' last month! Joy has reviewed this for us, her review will be posted here shortly.
We also had our first Bookworms outing of 2014 - to see the film of our favourite read from last year - Markus Zusak's 'The Book Thief' - again Joy has kindly reviewed this for us but suffice to say we all loved it!
This month we're trying something a little different and are tackling a play in the form of Edward Albee's 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' We will be meeting on Sunday April 6th to discuss this - as usual at the Black Lion pub on Welsh Row in Nantwich at 8pm and new members are always welcome.
Our upcoming reads are as follows:
March - 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' by Edward Albee
April - 'Mort' by Terry Pratchett
May- 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte
Remember to keep checking out our twitter @booknantwich or email us at nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
Happy reading!
Kate
Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Joy Cassidy's Review of Blue Boy by Rakesh Satyal
Blue Boy is a tale of a young Hindu boy in America, trying to find his way through the confusion and turmoil of puberty as he transcends from boyhood to adulthood. A fairly straightforward and common synopsis no? No. Satyal's Blue Boy is in fact a flamboyant, effeminate child who likes to secretly put on his Mother's make-up, play with dolls and take ballet lessons. He also likes to look at adult magazine's and partake in voyeurism most sordid, being very childlike in some ways and very adult in others.
On one hand Kieran has his Hindu life, his family dynamics and the wider Indian culture of large parties, food and awkward social conventions. On the other, he has school, talent shows, friends who turn out to be enemies and a heightened sexual awareness. Not fitting in to either life and struggling to find his way on his own is a breeding ground for much of the humour as we follow Kieran on his voyage of self-discovery.
Despite stating otherwise, we felt that much of Kieran's flamboyant and carefree character was a reflection of Satyal's himself and therefore seemed fairly self-indulgent. Especially as Kieran comes to the conclusion that he must be a reincarnation of the Hindu god, Krishna. Adopting Krishna's habits of eating butter, playing the flute and having blue skin, Kieran descends into the bizarre and finds himself in ridiculous situations where we neither feel sorry or despise him.
Blue Boy was a light-hearted, easy read, but not as laugh-out-loud as we had expected. It had moments of comedy as well as poignancy and it provided an interesting insight into another culture, albeit from the perspective of a stupidly smart, blue-tinged adolescent.
March's read is Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and we will be meeting at the Black Lion, Nantwich at 8pm on Sunday April 6th. New members are always welcome to join us! Please contact nantwichbookworms@gmail.com or see the blognantwichbookworms.blogspot.com
Blue Boy is a tale of a young Hindu boy in America, trying to find his way through the confusion and turmoil of puberty as he transcends from boyhood to adulthood. A fairly straightforward and common synopsis no? No. Satyal's Blue Boy is in fact a flamboyant, effeminate child who likes to secretly put on his Mother's make-up, play with dolls and take ballet lessons. He also likes to look at adult magazine's and partake in voyeurism most sordid, being very childlike in some ways and very adult in others.
On one hand Kieran has his Hindu life, his family dynamics and the wider Indian culture of large parties, food and awkward social conventions. On the other, he has school, talent shows, friends who turn out to be enemies and a heightened sexual awareness. Not fitting in to either life and struggling to find his way on his own is a breeding ground for much of the humour as we follow Kieran on his voyage of self-discovery.
Despite stating otherwise, we felt that much of Kieran's flamboyant and carefree character was a reflection of Satyal's himself and therefore seemed fairly self-indulgent. Especially as Kieran comes to the conclusion that he must be a reincarnation of the Hindu god, Krishna. Adopting Krishna's habits of eating butter, playing the flute and having blue skin, Kieran descends into the bizarre and finds himself in ridiculous situations where we neither feel sorry or despise him.
Blue Boy was a light-hearted, easy read, but not as laugh-out-loud as we had expected. It had moments of comedy as well as poignancy and it provided an interesting insight into another culture, albeit from the perspective of a stupidly smart, blue-tinged adolescent.
March's read is Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and we will be meeting at the Black Lion, Nantwich at 8pm on Sunday April 6th. New members are always welcome to join us! Please contact nantwichbookworms@gmail.com or see the blognantwichbookworms.blogspot.com
A Film Review! Bookworms trip to see The Book Thief Film - reviewed by Joy
Having read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak a few months ago, the Nantwich Bookworms went to see the screen adaptation to see if the film measured up to a book that was enjoyed so much by the group. Although met with criticism and mixed reviews by many, we all left the cinema wet-cheeked and teary-eyed as we were captivated by the emotional story once again.
Despite being set during WW2 Nazi Germany, it was beautifully shot as the world was opened up to us through the eyes of the young, illiterate, Liesel. As her journey into young womanhood and literacy develops and the relationships she has along the way explored, the harsh and unforgiving setting of the war, does not overpower the beauty of the story.
We thought it was well cast, with Geoffrey Rush giving a heartwarming portrayal of Hans Hubermann, Liesel's foster father, and the other characters offering a close match to what Markus Zusak had conjured up for us through his words.
As with many adaptations, much of the story was lost in the film, which although inevitable was still a shame. Our only criticism was, given that language and words were the main crux of the story; Liesel learning to read, describe and narrate, using stolen and abolished books, it was a little distracting that the dialogue was mainly in heavily accentuated English, with a few German words thrown in (mainly by the Nazi's), rather than in subtitled German which would have perhaps smoothed the flow and increased a sense of authenticity.
Joy Cassidy
Despite being set during WW2 Nazi Germany, it was beautifully shot as the world was opened up to us through the eyes of the young, illiterate, Liesel. As her journey into young womanhood and literacy develops and the relationships she has along the way explored, the harsh and unforgiving setting of the war, does not overpower the beauty of the story.
We thought it was well cast, with Geoffrey Rush giving a heartwarming portrayal of Hans Hubermann, Liesel's foster father, and the other characters offering a close match to what Markus Zusak had conjured up for us through his words.
As with many adaptations, much of the story was lost in the film, which although inevitable was still a shame. Our only criticism was, given that language and words were the main crux of the story; Liesel learning to read, describe and narrate, using stolen and abolished books, it was a little distracting that the dialogue was mainly in heavily accentuated English, with a few German words thrown in (mainly by the Nazi's), rather than in subtitled German which would have perhaps smoothed the flow and increased a sense of authenticity.
Joy Cassidy
Friday, 10 January 2014
Happy New Year Bookworms!
Happy new year to all our followers! We hope that 2014 will be a year of many new reads and like 2013 a year where we will all discover new authors and new favourite reads.
Our meeting last weekend was short but sweet (we would like to say that December's read was the same but although it was short, it would take a far stretch of the imagination to describe it as sweet!) See Joy's review of 'Coraline' on a post to follow shortly.
Our read for this month is Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg and as always we will be meeting at 8pm on the first Sunday of the month (Sunday Feb 2nd) at the Black Lion, Nantwich.
At our next meeting we will also be planning a bookclub trip for early February to see the film of the 'Book Thief' which was our group's unanimous favourite read last year.
Remember to keep following us on twitter @booknantwich and for any enquiries or questions email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
Happy reading
Kate
Our meeting last weekend was short but sweet (we would like to say that December's read was the same but although it was short, it would take a far stretch of the imagination to describe it as sweet!) See Joy's review of 'Coraline' on a post to follow shortly.
Our read for this month is Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg and as always we will be meeting at 8pm on the first Sunday of the month (Sunday Feb 2nd) at the Black Lion, Nantwich.
At our next meeting we will also be planning a bookclub trip for early February to see the film of the 'Book Thief' which was our group's unanimous favourite read last year.
Remember to keep following us on twitter @booknantwich and for any enquiries or questions email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
Happy reading
Kate
Joy's Review of Coraline
Neil Gaimon's Coraline is a dark and quirky tale of a young girl whose boredom and loneliness takes her on an adventure to a fantastical world, much like her own, but with some very absurd and freakish differences. In fact the scare -factor is at times so apparent that it is easy to forget that Coraline is a children's book, with Tim Burton's adaptation a successful children's film. With a mutilated hand that claws it's way back into Coraline's world, to her 'other' father being an imprisoned slug in the basement who tries to attack her, this is truly the stuff of nightmares whether you are 8 or 48!
The Nantwich Bookworms enjoyed the quirkiness of the novel and the 'through the looking glass' feel that it had, evoking the memories of boring school holidays, the despair at busy parents and the over-active imaginations that often encapsulate our childhoods. The shortness of the novel meant that it was concise, exciting and fast-paced. The imagery used was vivid and powerful, leaving our more sensitive readers slightly unnerved!
At Nantwich Bookworms we try and choose books that cover a wide range of genres to appeal to all members of the group and to challenge ourselves by reading novels we wouldn't necessarily choose ourselves. Over the past year we have discovered books that have become firm favorites and become excited by authors that we had never heard of before. We are always looking for new members so if you would like to join us, please come along on the first Sunday of the month at the Black Lion in Nantwich at 8pm.
February's read is Peter Hoeg's Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow. You can contact us through Twitter @booknantwich, email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com, or see the blog for further detailswww.nantwichbookworms.
The Nantwich Bookworms enjoyed the quirkiness of the novel and the 'through the looking glass' feel that it had, evoking the memories of boring school holidays, the despair at busy parents and the over-active imaginations that often encapsulate our childhoods. The shortness of the novel meant that it was concise, exciting and fast-paced. The imagery used was vivid and powerful, leaving our more sensitive readers slightly unnerved!
At Nantwich Bookworms we try and choose books that cover a wide range of genres to appeal to all members of the group and to challenge ourselves by reading novels we wouldn't necessarily choose ourselves. Over the past year we have discovered books that have become firm favorites and become excited by authors that we had never heard of before. We are always looking for new members so if you would like to join us, please come along on the first Sunday of the month at the Black Lion in Nantwich at 8pm.
February's read is Peter Hoeg's Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow. You can contact us through Twitter @booknantwich, email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com, or see the blog for further detailswww.nantwichbookworms.
Tuesday, 3 December 2013
December's novel and upcoming reads.
Hi Bookworms!
Thanks to all those that attended for lovely Christmas meal on Sunday at Chopstix, it was nice to enjoy a glass of wine and some yummy food with our discussion - we will have to do it more often!
There will be an upcoming cinema trip to see the film of the 'Book Thief' at some point in January - watch this space for details.
As for this month's read, it's a fantasy one for December in the form of Neil Gaiman's 'Coraline'. This is a short but spellbinding read so hopefully we will be able to fit it in alongside all the festivities. We will be meeting on Sunday January 5th at 8pm in the Black Lion to discuss this one.
Upcoming reads for 2014 will be:
January Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg (Meet on Sun Feb 2nd)
February Blue Boy by Rakesh Satyal (Meet on Sun Mar 2nd)
March Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee (Meet on Sun Apr 6th)
April Mort by Terry Pratchett (Meet on Sun May 4th)
As always remember to follow us on twitter @booknantwich and any questions please email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
Thanks, Kate
Thanks to all those that attended for lovely Christmas meal on Sunday at Chopstix, it was nice to enjoy a glass of wine and some yummy food with our discussion - we will have to do it more often!
There will be an upcoming cinema trip to see the film of the 'Book Thief' at some point in January - watch this space for details.
As for this month's read, it's a fantasy one for December in the form of Neil Gaiman's 'Coraline'. This is a short but spellbinding read so hopefully we will be able to fit it in alongside all the festivities. We will be meeting on Sunday January 5th at 8pm in the Black Lion to discuss this one.
Upcoming reads for 2014 will be:
January Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg (Meet on Sun Feb 2nd)
February Blue Boy by Rakesh Satyal (Meet on Sun Mar 2nd)
March Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee (Meet on Sun Apr 6th)
April Mort by Terry Pratchett (Meet on Sun May 4th)
As always remember to follow us on twitter @booknantwich and any questions please email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
Thanks, Kate
Monday, 25 November 2013
Bookworms Christmas Meeting!
Hi Bookworms.
I hope that you're all well and keeping warm on this cold November day.
Is everyone enjoying 'The Kite Runner'? I am looking forward to discussing it!
This month, we are going to have a Christmas meal on Sunday December 1st as well as our usual bookclub discussion, new members are obviously still welcome along. For details please drop me an email at nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
Thanks
Kate
I hope that you're all well and keeping warm on this cold November day.
Is everyone enjoying 'The Kite Runner'? I am looking forward to discussing it!
This month, we are going to have a Christmas meal on Sunday December 1st as well as our usual bookclub discussion, new members are obviously still welcome along. For details please drop me an email at nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
Thanks
Kate
Tuesday, 5 November 2013
November 2013
Hi Bookworms,
Thanks to those that attended on Sunday to talk about Ian Banks' 'The Crow Road'.
This coming of age tale has a bit of everything - sibling rivalry, death, unrequited love, a murder mystery, religion and lots of alcohol!
Some of our members loved this book, empathising with the transition of a young Prentice McHoan through his early twenties against a backdrop of a beautifully described Scotland. Other bookworms felt that the novel dragged pace-wise but as Banks virgins, perhaps we need to read another of his novels before making a proper judgement.
In summary, it was a fairly well-received read although would always struggle to top last month's 'The Book Thief' which we all adored (and still can't stop talking about!)
Coming up we have Khaled Hosseini's 'The Kite Runner' and our meeting to discuss it on December 1st will be combined with a Christmas meal - details to follow!
As always, any questions please email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com and remember to follow us on twitter @booknantwich
Kate :)
Thanks to those that attended on Sunday to talk about Ian Banks' 'The Crow Road'.
This coming of age tale has a bit of everything - sibling rivalry, death, unrequited love, a murder mystery, religion and lots of alcohol!
Some of our members loved this book, empathising with the transition of a young Prentice McHoan through his early twenties against a backdrop of a beautifully described Scotland. Other bookworms felt that the novel dragged pace-wise but as Banks virgins, perhaps we need to read another of his novels before making a proper judgement.
In summary, it was a fairly well-received read although would always struggle to top last month's 'The Book Thief' which we all adored (and still can't stop talking about!)
Coming up we have Khaled Hosseini's 'The Kite Runner' and our meeting to discuss it on December 1st will be combined with a Christmas meal - details to follow!
As always, any questions please email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com and remember to follow us on twitter @booknantwich
Kate :)
Friday, 4 October 2013
Are you ready for a discussion about 'The Book Thief'?
Good afternoon Bookworms!
Just a quick reminder that Bookclub is this Sunday October 6th at 8pm in the Black Lion pub on Welsh Row, Nantwich.
I'm looking forward to discussing 'The Book Thief' with you all and finding out what everyone thought.
As always, follow us on twitter @booknantwich and any questions or comments then please email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
See you Sunday
Kate :)
Just a quick reminder that Bookclub is this Sunday October 6th at 8pm in the Black Lion pub on Welsh Row, Nantwich.
I'm looking forward to discussing 'The Book Thief' with you all and finding out what everyone thought.
As always, follow us on twitter @booknantwich and any questions or comments then please email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
See you Sunday
Kate :)
Monday, 9 September 2013
Bookworms September update & upcoming reads
A very productive meeting took place last night with an interesting discussion about Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird'.
We agreed that this was a thought provoking, well-written novel with shades of Huckleberry Finn intertwined with more serious subject matter and deeper themes of race, prejudice and loss of innocence. (Full review coming soon!)
A thorough discussion took place as to what we should read next and pleasingly lots of ideas were passed around. We've now been able to be very organised and plan which novels will be taking us through Autumn and into Winter. (See below).
As always, we will be meeting on the first Sunday of the Month in the Black Lion pub on Welsh Row at 8pm and new members are always welcome!
September 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak Meeting Sunday October 6th
October 'The Crow Road' by Ian Banks Meeting Sunday November 3rd
November 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini Meeting Sunday December 1st
December 'Coraline' by Neil Gaiman Meeting Sunday January 5th
January 'Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow'
by Peter Hoeg Meeting Sunday February 2nd
Remember to keep following us on twitter @booknantwich and any questions please email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
We agreed that this was a thought provoking, well-written novel with shades of Huckleberry Finn intertwined with more serious subject matter and deeper themes of race, prejudice and loss of innocence. (Full review coming soon!)
A thorough discussion took place as to what we should read next and pleasingly lots of ideas were passed around. We've now been able to be very organised and plan which novels will be taking us through Autumn and into Winter. (See below).
As always, we will be meeting on the first Sunday of the Month in the Black Lion pub on Welsh Row at 8pm and new members are always welcome!
September 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak Meeting Sunday October 6th
October 'The Crow Road' by Ian Banks Meeting Sunday November 3rd
November 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini Meeting Sunday December 1st
December 'Coraline' by Neil Gaiman Meeting Sunday January 5th
January 'Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow'
by Peter Hoeg Meeting Sunday February 2nd
Remember to keep following us on twitter @booknantwich and any questions please email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
Joy's Review of 'The Red House' by Mark Haddon
Book Review: The Red House (Mark Haddon)
Mark Haddon's best known first novel for adults, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2003) was well-rated by the bookclub, but his second A Spot of Bother (2006) less so, which meant The Red House (2012) was approached with slight trepidation mixed with hopeful expectation.
This time Haddon didn't disappoint. Although his disjointed style and array of characters was somewhat difficult to follow at first, once used to his unique writing style, his poeticism and obscurities added depth to an intriguing portrayal of a modern family.
It is remarkable how Haddon has such insight into a wide range of characters, from a young boy who lives predominantly in a fantasy world, to a teenage girl who can't decide whether she is a Christian or a lesbian, and an adolescent boy as he makes his complex journey into manhood. And that's not to mention the sexually aggressive daughter of a secretive mother and her step-father, the sister of whom is mourning the death of a stillborn baby some fifteen years ago and who's husband is revealed to be having an affair. Throw all of these characters together into the pressure-cooker situation of a family holiday in a Welsh cottage for a week, and you can imagine what the results maybe. Not only does Haddon have an understanding of the individual, but also how they work together in familial relationships.
Everyone felt that there was an aspect to The Red House that they could relate to, whether it was the location of the Welsh getaway, or the experience of family relationships, this book was enjoyed by all.
Wednesday, 24 July 2013
Update from Nantwich Bookworms
Hi Bookworms,
How is everyone finding this month's read? (Mark Haddon's The Red House) How spooky that it has links to our old friend Count Dracula our previous bookclub read!
As always, we'll be meeting on the first Sunday of the month and that makes it Sunday August 4th at 8pm in the Black Lion.
New members are always welcome and please spread the word!
Kate
How is everyone finding this month's read? (Mark Haddon's The Red House) How spooky that it has links to our old friend Count Dracula our previous bookclub read!
As always, we'll be meeting on the first Sunday of the month and that makes it Sunday August 4th at 8pm in the Black Lion.
New members are always welcome and please spread the word!
Kate
Joy's review of Bram Stoker's Dracula
Great Summer reads can have long-lasting memories, sitting in the sunshine, ice-cold drink by your side as the kids play in the paddling pool. Bram Stoker's Dracula is not something you would normally associate with this scene; more a wintery day, wrapped up by a roaring fire with a hot cup of something to warm your wits that have been frozen scared by this classic horror. Yet Dracula was the Nantwich Bookworms read for June and it was met with mixed reviews. Despite the incongruity of the novel to the season, Bram Stoker successfully transported the reader to the wild and dark landscape of Transylvania in the opening chapters of this nineteenth century gothic classic, the dwelling place of the Count himself. Written in the format of diary excerpts and letters from five main characters, we agreed that the descriptive narrative was excellent, shrouded with mystery and intrigue as we read on with bated breath anticipating the next spook.
It was interesting to read the origin of where so many adaptations have stemmed and (despite it being written in 1897) the modern definition of the Vampire that existed in ancient folklore. Adaptations from Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula to the ultra-modern Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer, all contain the main themes that are prevalent in the novel, the main ones being the role of women and sexual conventions, and religion.
We decided the novel was interesting rather than particularly enjoyable, with some parts very long-winded, unlike the faster paces of more modern literature. The dialogue too was uninspiring and tedious at times, which made this already long novel almost a chore to read. Stated as one of 1000 Books to Read Before You Die it feels good to be able to tick it off as read, and the scare-factor certainly stays with you as you expect to see the Count lurking in every dark corner, or tapping at your bedroom window in bat-form...or maybe that's just us feeble women...
Nantwich Bookworms meets on the first Sunday of every month at the Black Lion pub in Nantwich.
4th August The Red House by Mark Haddon
September To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
New members are always welcome - please contact us by email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com, or via Twitter @booknantwich or just turn up to a meeting! It is very friendly and informal - hope to see you there!
It was interesting to read the origin of where so many adaptations have stemmed and (despite it being written in 1897) the modern definition of the Vampire that existed in ancient folklore. Adaptations from Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula to the ultra-modern Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer, all contain the main themes that are prevalent in the novel, the main ones being the role of women and sexual conventions, and religion.
We decided the novel was interesting rather than particularly enjoyable, with some parts very long-winded, unlike the faster paces of more modern literature. The dialogue too was uninspiring and tedious at times, which made this already long novel almost a chore to read. Stated as one of 1000 Books to Read Before You Die it feels good to be able to tick it off as read, and the scare-factor certainly stays with you as you expect to see the Count lurking in every dark corner, or tapping at your bedroom window in bat-form...or maybe that's just us feeble women...
Nantwich Bookworms meets on the first Sunday of every month at the Black Lion pub in Nantwich.
4th August The Red House by Mark Haddon
September To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
New members are always welcome - please contact us by email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com, or via Twitter @booknantwich or just turn up to a meeting! It is very friendly and informal - hope to see you there!
Thursday, 20 June 2013
Upcoming Bookworms trips!
Hi Bookworms!
Reaseheath College are once again putting on their lovely summer outdoor theatre shows so we were thinking this would be the perfect excuse for an outing!
On Saturday July 20th at 7pm they will present an open-air garden theatre performance of SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES.
On Saturday August 10th at 7pm, they will be performing PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Tickets are £15, grounds open for picnics from 6pm, bring low backed seating and refreshments will be available!
For tickets please go to www.seetickets.com or contact Reaseheath on 01270 613210 or email them at conference@rreaseheath.ac.uk
If you would like any information or to let us know you'll be joining us then please email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
Reaseheath College are once again putting on their lovely summer outdoor theatre shows so we were thinking this would be the perfect excuse for an outing!
On Saturday July 20th at 7pm they will present an open-air garden theatre performance of SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES.
On Saturday August 10th at 7pm, they will be performing PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Tickets are £15, grounds open for picnics from 6pm, bring low backed seating and refreshments will be available!
For tickets please go to www.seetickets.com or contact Reaseheath on 01270 613210 or email them at conference@rreaseheath.ac.uk
If you would like any information or to let us know you'll be joining us then please email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
Joy's review of 'The Gift of Rain'.
Tan Wan Eng's 'The Gift of Rain' provided an interesting insight into World War Two that is not often explored or portrayed to the Western world.
From the small island of Penang, China, the reader is shown how the effects of the War reach the shores of even the most beautiful and hidden-away parts of the world. Effects that destroy relationships, strengthen mis-guided loyalties and devastate communities.
The sometimes horrific and disturbing scenes of torture and torment are incongruous to the setting of the novel, which Eng depicts majestically through imagery and metaphor. Whether recollecting long gone memories of thousands of fireflies that lit the way for a beautiful romance, or a description of the lush vegetation that crept its way up the mountain cliffs towards the sun – Eng captivates his readers from the outset as we explore a lesser known world.
Although the novel is rich in imagery, there weren't any particular characters that we felt drawn to. The twists and turns of the plot left us mistrusting of anyone in the end, and somewhat frustrated by the customary values held such as ‘saving face’ and honour, that seem to transcend more expected values like familial
love and loyalty.
Told from the viewpoint of a half Chinese and half English teenage son of an influential business man, The Gift of Rain is a coming-of-age tale that is laced with warfare, tragedy, spiritualism and friendship. Beautifully written and intriguingly ambiguous in parts, it is a recommended read from the Nantwich Bookworms.
Want to join our friendly discussion group? Put these on your holiday reading lists and come along the first Sunday of the month at The Black Lion, Nantwich 8pm. Everyone welcome
Dracula (Bram Stoker)
The Red House (Mark Haddon)
To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
All of Joy's reviews along with lots more local news and information can also be seen at www.thenantwichnews.co.uk
From the small island of Penang, China, the reader is shown how the effects of the War reach the shores of even the most beautiful and hidden-away parts of the world. Effects that destroy relationships, strengthen mis-guided loyalties and devastate communities.
The sometimes horrific and disturbing scenes of torture and torment are incongruous to the setting of the novel, which Eng depicts majestically through imagery and metaphor. Whether recollecting long gone memories of thousands of fireflies that lit the way for a beautiful romance, or a description of the lush vegetation that crept its way up the mountain cliffs towards the sun – Eng captivates his readers from the outset as we explore a lesser known world.
Although the novel is rich in imagery, there weren't any particular characters that we felt drawn to. The twists and turns of the plot left us mistrusting of anyone in the end, and somewhat frustrated by the customary values held such as ‘saving face’ and honour, that seem to transcend more expected values like familial
love and loyalty.
Told from the viewpoint of a half Chinese and half English teenage son of an influential business man, The Gift of Rain is a coming-of-age tale that is laced with warfare, tragedy, spiritualism and friendship. Beautifully written and intriguingly ambiguous in parts, it is a recommended read from the Nantwich Bookworms.
Want to join our friendly discussion group? Put these on your holiday reading lists and come along the first Sunday of the month at The Black Lion, Nantwich 8pm. Everyone welcome
Dracula (Bram Stoker)
The Red House (Mark Haddon)
To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
All of Joy's reviews along with lots more local news and information can also be seen at www.thenantwichnews.co.uk
Thursday, 6 June 2013
Bookworms Reads for June, July & August
Good Morning Bookworms,
Well, last Sunday's meeting provided a really thorough discussion of Tan Twan Eng's 'The Gift of Rain'. We all seemed to enjoy the novel and the writer's poetic style although we found it hard to like or empathise with many of the characters. Some of us also found some parts of the book particularly gritty to read. Watch out for Joy's review coming soon!
In the meantime, as a group we have come up with some interesting reads for the next few months.
This month we will be getting to grips with a classic in the form of 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker. For those who are fans of the Kindle this can be downloaded for free!
Our next meeting will be on Sunday July 7th as usual at 8pm in the Black Lion pub, Welsh Row, Nantwich. If the weather is nice we may even venture into the beer garden but if it is our normal great British summer we'll be upstairs as usual!
See below for our upcoming reads:
June Dracula by Bram Stoker Meeting Sunday July 7th
July The Red House by Mark Haddon Meeting Sunday August 4th
August To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee Meeting Sunday September 1st
As always, new members are always welcome and we welcome any suggestions for interesting reads.
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @booknantwich and feel free to get in touch by email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
Happy Reading!
Kate
Well, last Sunday's meeting provided a really thorough discussion of Tan Twan Eng's 'The Gift of Rain'. We all seemed to enjoy the novel and the writer's poetic style although we found it hard to like or empathise with many of the characters. Some of us also found some parts of the book particularly gritty to read. Watch out for Joy's review coming soon!
In the meantime, as a group we have come up with some interesting reads for the next few months.
This month we will be getting to grips with a classic in the form of 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker. For those who are fans of the Kindle this can be downloaded for free!
Our next meeting will be on Sunday July 7th as usual at 8pm in the Black Lion pub, Welsh Row, Nantwich. If the weather is nice we may even venture into the beer garden but if it is our normal great British summer we'll be upstairs as usual!
See below for our upcoming reads:
June Dracula by Bram Stoker Meeting Sunday July 7th
July The Red House by Mark Haddon Meeting Sunday August 4th
August To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee Meeting Sunday September 1st
As always, new members are always welcome and we welcome any suggestions for interesting reads.
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @booknantwich and feel free to get in touch by email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
Happy Reading!
Kate
Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Graham shares his thoughts on David Mitchell's 'Cloud Atlas'.
One of our longest serving bookworms, Graham Wright, shares his thoughts on Cloud Atlas with us...
To read or not to read (before seeing the movie) … I have long held to the opinion that reading a novel, creating mind pictures of the characters and your version of the plot can lead to disappointment when you view the movie (the visualization of Dune by Frank Herbert being one example, Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher is another). Cloud Atlas by David
Mitchell bucks the trend.
Nantwich Bookworms (@booknantwich on twitter) first read, then discussed over a pint (Black Lion) and finally viewed the Cloud Atlas at Stoke Film Theatre (@StokeFilm).
Cloud Atlas is a beautiful, complicated but highly enjoyable read and I approached the movie wondering how the director would handle the books' plot as there are several individual but linked stories across the timelines of the book. I was pleasantly surprised.
The movie travels from Victorian Australasia to Hawaii in a post civilization collapse future with numerous linking characters scattered through the scenes. The memorable cast (Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent et al) appearing as many and diverse characters (male and female) and there is a game to had recognising all the actors many characters. The Sci-Fi elements of the movie remind one of Blade Runner in its visualization (no complaints here!). There are comic moments and the odd moments of violence. The pigeon English used in the Hawaii scenes takes some understanding and 70’s California brought back a few memories.It was all very enjoyable and in my humble opinion Cloud Atlas is destined to become a cult movie and one that will stand several viewings … but please read the book first!
Joy's review of 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry'.
Rachel Joyce's impressive first novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry depicts a heart-warming, yet poignant view of old age, relationships and one man's quest for self-discovery, in a journey that inspires, exasperates and elates.
Joyce's background as a playwright for Radio 4 comes into it's own as the reader is taken on a journey across England that is filled with understated imagery of landscapes, cities and the variety of people our hero, Harold Fry, meets along the way.
His aim is to see an old friend who has informed him she is dying of cancer, so without thinking or preparing, Harold undertakes a pilgrimage to see her. The only request being that his friend waits for him to get there before she dies. Interspersed with flashbacks of Harold's eventful life which are highlighted by themes of neglect, guilt, remorse and breakdowns of relationships, the reader becomes immersed in his journey and walks alongside him as he experiences the highs and lows of being a yacht-shoe'd, blister-footed, penniless, fetid traveller. The highs are harder to come by than the lows, but it is the comradery one feels towards Harold's simple and humble quest that inspires hope, challenges ideas of consumerism and leaves the reader striving for a life with less..baggage (although he could have at least taken a mobile phone with him!).
Nantwich Bookworms meets on the first Sunday of the month at the Black Lion in Nantwich at 8pm. This month we are reading The Gift of Rain by Tan Twen Eng and are meeting on 2nd June. New members are always welcome! You can follow us on twitter @booknantwich or visit our blognantwichbookworms.blogspot.com
Friday, 17 May 2013
Mid-Month Catch-Up
Good Afternoon Bookworms,
Firstly, please accept my apologies for not updating the blog for a few weeks, dealing with a toddler with chicken pox hasn't left me with a lot of spare time!
Anyway, since last posting, we have enjoyed our Bookworms trip out to see the film version of 'Cloud Atlas' (in my opinion, you need to have read the book first! Although said book is swiftly becoming one of my favourite reads of all time!) Look out for the Cloud Atlas review which will be posted here soon.
Following all that excitement, we were ready for a calmer month and fell in love with our poignant April read which was 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' by Rachel Joyce - again we will be posting Joy's review of this over the next couple of days.
May's read is 'The Gift of Rain' by Tan Twan Eng and hopefully you're all well on your way through this one by now as it is another dense novel - I think there'll be a few Costa trips and late night sessions undertaken to be ready to discuss this one on June 2nd.
We now need your help - we need ideas and inspiration for future reads. If you've not joined us before we would love to meet you or hear from you - new members are always welcome and also feel free to email any ideas of books to read to nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
Don't forget to check out our twitter feed to @booknantwich and we'll see you on Sunday June 2nd at the Black Lion, Nantwich at 8pm.
Happy reading!
Kate
Firstly, please accept my apologies for not updating the blog for a few weeks, dealing with a toddler with chicken pox hasn't left me with a lot of spare time!
Anyway, since last posting, we have enjoyed our Bookworms trip out to see the film version of 'Cloud Atlas' (in my opinion, you need to have read the book first! Although said book is swiftly becoming one of my favourite reads of all time!) Look out for the Cloud Atlas review which will be posted here soon.
Following all that excitement, we were ready for a calmer month and fell in love with our poignant April read which was 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' by Rachel Joyce - again we will be posting Joy's review of this over the next couple of days.
May's read is 'The Gift of Rain' by Tan Twan Eng and hopefully you're all well on your way through this one by now as it is another dense novel - I think there'll be a few Costa trips and late night sessions undertaken to be ready to discuss this one on June 2nd.
We now need your help - we need ideas and inspiration for future reads. If you've not joined us before we would love to meet you or hear from you - new members are always welcome and also feel free to email any ideas of books to read to nantwichbookworms@gmail.com
Don't forget to check out our twitter feed to @booknantwich and we'll see you on Sunday June 2nd at the Black Lion, Nantwich at 8pm.
Happy reading!
Kate
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