February book club meeting.

 The book group met for Sunday lunch today to discuss 'Klara and the Sun' by Kazuo Ishiguro a dystopian novel  that imagines a future involving the use of artificial friends, AFs and on the advantages or otherwise of genetic engineering.

The novel met with a mixed response, the majority of our group of eleven people (none of whom have been genetically engineered to be in any way superior!) liked the book. I was not of their number, having found the first half of the book very slow and rather dull. I doubt that I would have finished it if it had not been up for discussion. The latter part of the novel became more interesting and the subject matter really gave us plenty to consider and discuss. The presenter handed round images of  artificial humans already in production and these certainly added to our unease. 

 

 

 

This is a worrying and unhappy book and we are now experiencing extremely worrying and distressing times,  a country acting in a way that I thought could never again be contemplated. In spite of this we had a lovely day. The company of good, kind friends, lively conversation and tasty food is the happiest of combinations. The hosts provide the main course of the meal and the rest of us bring side dishes, puddings and wine. It is always a feast!

My heart goes out to the people of Ukraine, I wish them every success in their fight for freedom.