Book Club - 25/07/12

Last night we met up in our usual spot at the Half & Half to discuss ‘The Witch of Portobello’ by Paolo Coelho.  I think we all agreed that it was quite an unusual book which we felt wasn’t a bad book but certainly wasn’t a great book either.  Although the spiritual theme of the story was interesting in some ways, it didn’t come across in a believable way.  There didn’t seem to be enough sceptics in the book and it seemed all too easy for these people to drop everything and follow Athena with very little resistance.  We all agreed that the way the book is written as a collection of accounts by certain characters in the story meant that you never really got the whole picture and never heard Athena’s side, how she felt or what impact the events had on her life.  It also didn’t allow you to fully connect to any of the characters including Athena.  I felt the characters were not distinct enough and sometimes whilst reading had to flick back to the beginning of the chapter to remind myself of who was ‘talking’. 

It wasn’t all negative, the central theme of searching yourself, asking yourself questions about your existence and purpose in life is something I think most people can relate to having been through at some point in their life even if not necessarily in a spiritual way.  It was also clear (to me) that Athena fully believed in what she did and the people who followed her believed in her also.  The references to dance and rhythm were interesting as music can be emotional and you can emerse yourself in music.  It was suggested at one point last night maybe we should all get up and starting trying to dance ‘against the rhythm’…

In conclusion there were too many open questions without answers and so many areas which could have been explored to give the story more depth.  It had potential but didn’t quite get there (for me at least).     

We chose next months book at random again as there were fewer of us and Jennie Greenslade picked out the winning number:

'Suite Francaise' by Irene Nemirovsky

'In 1941, Irene Nemirovsky sat down to write a book that would convey the magnitude of what she was living through, not in terms of battles and politicians, but by evoking the domestic lives and personal trials of the ordinary citizens of France. She did not live to see her ambition fulfilled, or to know that sixty-five years later, "Suite Francaise" would be published for the first time, and hailed as a masterpiece. Set during a year that begins with France's fall to the Nazis in June 1940 and ends with Germany turning its attention to Russia, "Suite Francaise" falls into two parts. The first is a brilliant depiction of a group of Parisians as they flee the Nazi invasion and make their way through the chaos of France; the second follows the inhabitants of a small rural community under occupation who find themselves thrown together in ways they never expected.'

I am really excited about reading this book, it sounds just my cup of tea! Grab your copy and get reading! 

Next Book Club Meet:

Date: Wednesday 29^th August 2012

Time: 7.30pm

Location: Half & Half bar, South Croydon

We were also thinking of having a book club outing to Neil’s Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising as their Jubilee exhibition runs until the 31^st August. So I’ll work out a date (probably a Saturday) and send out an invite via fcbk/email to see who fancies it!

http://www.museumofbrands.com/whatson.html