May 252015
 

9780141184999We had been warned and blithely ignored the advice. A well wisher told us we would not finish ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez in one month and that we had set ourselves a task too big for book group. We met on the 30th June 2014. We each in turn, except one, owned up that we had not finished the book. We are prepared to persevere. So this month is a roll over and we will continue to discuss this book and its magical realism again. Our opinion so far is that we love the book even if the genre is challenging. We are also going to read a graphic novel ‘Fun Home’ by Alison Bechdale. We will meet again on Monday 28th July 2014. As usual at about 8pm. In the last News and Views Colin wrote a very probing article about the book group and our activities. A question was left hanging in the air: So how could the book group be better? The last sentence has been suspended in cyberspace since last month. Here it is now.  Probably the best way for it to be a better group would be if YOU would come along and join us!

Book Group II We met again, last night, on the 28th July 2014. We continued to discuss ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. A thoughtful exchange of opinions and insights on the book was had. Reflecting on the poetic language, characterisation and concept of time in the novel. We wondered if the emergence of a utopian village, its economic development and demise was a metaphor for the rise and fall of Columbian wealth. Or maybe it wasn’t. The discussion meandered in and out of the novel’s themes. In stark contrast we then discussed ‘Fun Home’ by Alison Bechdale. This is a graphic novel about a young American woman’s evolving sexuality. The central relationship is her understanding of her father and his complex sexuality. Although the graphic novel is a genre unfamiliar to us we loved the brevity of words and detail of the drawings. We are welcoming a new member to the group. She has chosen our next book. It is ‘The Return’ by Victoria Hislop. We will meet on the last Monday in the month. That will be Monday 25th August.

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