Those of us who tackled A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole over the Christmas break were one with Dorothy Parker when she said (about another book):
"This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force." Members did want to like it because of the back story.
However, the characters are unlovely and it was possible to become quickly tired of the "ooo-wees" uttered by the principal black character and of the general state of Ignatius's "valve" (don't go there).
Some were reminded of Steele Rudd's On Our Selection novels which are supposed to be humorous but which can become quickly tedious. (Members may beg to differ. Ours is a democratic society.) Others found the novel was raising issues of race which was not a helpful start to 2016.
Anyway, a small mutiny has occurred and we won't be discussing A Confederacy of Dunces at a gathering this month or, indeed, at all. Moreover, it was felt that February's title Rome by Robert Hughes was "too big and too long" for those of us with lives and so an executive decision has been made to bring forward Life After Life by Kate Atkinson for our next meeting set down for Tuesday 2 February.
I hope that I haven't upset any of you who have already ploughed through Rome! You are, of course, welcome to offer your review of it in February (and even insist that it be put back on the list, if need be).
In the meantime, I welcome your suggestions for the April title where there is now a blank. Do you want to try The Three Body Problem?
http://www.npr.org/2014/11/13/363123510/three-body-problem-asks-a-classic-sci-fi-question-in-chinese
As for Life After Life it is, apparently, about a woman, Ursula Todd, who has an infinite number of chances to live her life and is therefore able to live over the turbulent events of the last century again and again, presumably until she (or the world) somehow "gets it right". Kate Atkinson's book was awarded the Costa Novel Award in 2013 and Gillian Flynn described it as "dazzling" (for those who care what she thought).
Are you already in a bookclub?
You may feel that you cannot commit to another bookclub because you are already a member of one (or two!)
We’d still love you to join us just as a Newsletter subscriber. We’d love to hear what other bookclubs are reading and what you think are the pick of the titles that we must read!
In the same way, we hope you will take away from our reviews some pearlers to share with your regular club.
