Sunday 16 February 2020

Reading list

Our January book group choice was, 'Leonard and Hungry Paul'. We had been looking for a humorous book after discussing a few too many angst-ridden novels, but this one did little for me, although the opening line made me laugh.
Leonard was raised by his mother alone with cheerfully concealed difficulty, his father having died tragically during childbirth.
It is about two friends who are the opposite of today's youthful obsession with fame and looks. I found Hungry Paul downright annoying. Interestingly,  however, the book provided a really long and lively discussion about present day society.
 
The book group choice for this month is Robert Graves', 'Goodbye to all That', his biography spanning the period from childhood until his departure from Britain after serving in the First World War.
This was a re-read for me and I was able to study it a little more objectively than the first time around, some years ago. What a strong sense of privilege his writing contains, along with descriptions of battle that demonstrate what a stupid waste of life armed conflict is.
I referenced Grave's 'Greek Myths' while reading Pat Barker's, 'The Silence of the Girls'. I enjoyed that book very much and as a result have borrowed, 'Toby's Room' from the travelling library. It is set in the First World War,  covering the same period as the Graves biography, and it mixes real and imaginary characters from the Slade School of Art, which is an added interest for me.
Pat Barker's main area of interest is that of war, but fleshed out with good characterisation.
I've just finished the first of Ferranti's quartet of Neapolitan novels. It's the story of two girls growing up in 1950's Naples. I found it took a while to get going and could have benefited from some crisper editing, but once the large cast of characters had settled into place I enjoyed the read and shall seek out the next book. (It reminded me of my holidays in Italy in the fifties, men walking past and talking to me and pinching my bottom - and my father being absolutely furious!)

3 comments:

  1. Definitely an interesting and very varied reading list!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What has your government done to help save you from your financial instability? you strive to survive and yet you hear stories of how your leaders have become terror in your entities... is time to make a different. for will have made money, and we have also come to help you out from your long time of financial suffering. clearing of credit card is made available, software for hacking ATM machines, bank to bank hacking and transfer, change your school grade and become something useful in the society. we also have other form of services such as Facebook hack, whats-app hack, twitter hack, i cloud hack, tracking of smart phones, hacking CCTV, installation of software on desktop and PC, snap-chat hack, Skype hack, wire wire, bitcoin account hack, erase your criminal record and be free for ever. database hack and many more. e-mail: cyberhackingcompany@gmail.com for your genuine hacking services and we shock we your findings.  

      Delete
  2. What has your government done to help save you from your financial instability? you strive to survive and yet you hear stories of how your leaders have become terror in your entities... is time to make a different. for will have made money, and we have also come to help you out from your long time of financial suffering. clearing of credit card is made available, software for hacking ATM machines, bank to bank hacking and transfer, change your school grade and become something useful in the society. we also have other form of services such as Facebook hack, whats-app hack, twitter hack, i cloud hack, tracking of smart phones, hacking CCTV, installation of software on desktop and PC, snap-chat hack, Skype hack, wire wire, bitcoin account hack, erase your criminal record and be free for ever. database hack and many more. e-mail: cyberhackingcompany@gmail.com for your genuine hacking services and we shock we your findings.  

    ReplyDelete