The Complete Poems by Emily Bronte

Despite a less than enthusiastic reception, this months choice served to enhance the book groups' credentials as literary critics. The beauty of a collection of poems is that it can be savoured over months and years, dipping in and out as the fancy takes you. For those with a love of all things 'Gothic' these poems will provide pause for thought but for those who enjoy the sunnier side of life they may prove to have a depressive effect . As one of our group noted, reading a collection of poems is like a visit to an art gallery, Bronte's work is the dark subdued, heavy oil paintings, too many and you're left longing for the brightly coloured Vincent van Gogh'. Rather like a fine wine, it's best to savour one poem,  rather than read the book cover to cover. 

Emily Bronte's poems are unique in their evocation of the wild and wonderful moors surrounding her home town of Haworth. She weaves natures beauty, power and ferocity into her work. She draws her inspiration from the dark tempestuous storm clouds of autumn and winter, tending to overlook the gentle breezes of a sun kissed summer meadow. As she herself would say 'Cold in the earth - and one hundred and seventy three wild Decembers' since her death the author  retains the power to move the reader. Her poems are generally preoccupied with death and grief and the pain of loss and for those grieving they are particularly poignant. Emily Bronte's short life was defined by tragedy and loss, her mother died when she was a young child and was closely followed to the grave by her two eldest sisters. It is not surprising then that most of her poems speak of the pain of separation and eternal suffering. She returns again and again to the tortured grief of those left behind to mourn, haunted by the memory of those they have loved and lost. These sentiments are magnified and made incarnate in her only novel 'Wuthering Heights' .

Our next book is a complete change, we will be reading "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" by Mohsin Hamid

The Nightingale By Kristin Hannah

A nostalgic trip through time and space ....

To be continued ......

And now for something completely different :

The night is darkening round me

The wild winds coldly blow

But a tyrant spell has bound me 

And I cannot cannot go 

Next months book takes us to the wind swept moors around Haworth, West Yorkshire and 'The Complete Poems' of Emily Bronte.

Golden Hill by Francis Spufford 

A well written romp through18th century New York 

Combining historical and geographical fiction, Golden Hill by Francis Spufford transported us back to the 18^thcentury, and across the Atlantic to New York. 

 

The story – definitely more of a tale – centres around the mysterious Mr Smith, a young man from London who arrives in New York with a bill of exchange valued for around one thousand pounds.  Understanding more about Mr Smith, who he really is, the nature of his business, and the source of his wealth fuels the plot and ensures that we readers are compelled to keep turning until the very last page.

 

Did our group think that the romp with Mr Smith was time well spent?  Our reluctant verdict was that this was worth reading but probably not a book we would wholeheartedly recommend.   

 

Any hesitance to criticise Golden Hill stems from our admiration for the quality of the writing.  Spufford’s way with words is impressive.  He convincingly leads us back in time to the early years of a somewhat provincial and parochial New York with marked contrasts to the scale and diversity evidence in London at that time.  The portrayal of a young New York was interesting and we were fascinated to learn how influential the early Dutch settlers had been. 

 

However, these strengths were offset by a tendency for the story to move into slapstick territory with pantomime characters acting out a series of unlikely and unfortunate events including a robbery, a murder, a jail sentence, a love affair and a play.  Whilst peripherally entertaining, these colourful events did little to move the plot forward. 

 

Perhaps the swashbuckling approach was a deliberate intention to add levity to the rather weighty themes underlying this tale?  Themes of diversity, inequality, judgement, society, justice and charity. 

 

The long awaited reveal is made in the final paragraphs.  In the end – maybe inevitably given the structure of the tale - it was somewhat of an anti-climax failing to live up to the expectations we had built up over the course of so many pages and frolicking episodes. 

 

We dined at The Blackbird, Ponteland and can heartily recommend that experience.  It was one of our earlier indoor meals after the UK opened up after lockdown and business was booming.  The restaurant was buzzing, we felt safe, and both the food and the service were excellent.  

And so we moved on to the next book of the summer : The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The King's General by Daphne Du Maurier

A swashbuckling Cornish adventure with an unlikely heroine, as usual Daphne Du Maurier did not disappoint!

Published in 1946, The King's General' weaves a fictional love story around the real people and events of the English Civil War. Set in seventeenth century Cornwall, Du Maurier crafts her characters from real people and sets them in their ancestral homes, many of which still exist today. It was the history of her own home 'Menabilly'  that provided the inspiration for the story, a skeleton and a pair of Cavalier's shoes found hidden in a secret passage way, the perfect backdrop for the unfolding drama. 

The novel opens on a rather melancholy note, Honor Harris, who at thirty eight years old is weighed down by the sadness of her earlier life, reflects upon her current circumstances. Now reduced to living on the charity of others, Honor looks back over the events that led her and her brother, Robin, to such a low ebb. Narrating her own story Honor takes the reader back to the family home of Lanrest, where as a ten year old girl she is preparing to meet her new sister in law, a person already shrouded in suspicion. The youngest child in a large and hitherto happy family, Du Maurier skilfully weaves fiction around historical fact.

The dreaded Gartred Grenville is everything Honor hoped she would not be, formed, perhaps, in the same mould as  Du Maurier's most famous creation, Rebecca. A deep  animosity develops between Honor and Gartred, with the latter making several malign appearances, seemingly bent on smiting Honor's happiness to further her own ends. Disappointingly this rivalry never reaches a climax and the much hoped for revenge is never served, the increasingly toxic relationship between Honor and her sister in law just seems to wither. 

At the tender age of eighteen, Honor meets Gartred's brother, the swashbuckling, Richard Grenville and a life long love is born. A tragic accident prevents a happy ending but the catastrophic events of the civil war dwarf the personal struggles of the main characters. Moving to Menabilly, built and owned by the Rashleigh family, Honor sees and feels at first hand the horror and destruction of civil war. The novel covers the main events of the period outlining the struggle of  Cornwall's Royalist's to resist the Rounhead's attempts to capture the County for Parliament. The large cast of characters detracted from the central plot as it was hard to remember who was who or to feel any empathy for those involved. Interesting from a historical point of view but the plot lacked the author's usual rigour, the characters remained firmly on the page. There is a short interview with Daphne Du Maurier, ( Menabilly 'You Tube') during which she reveals that a film company bought the rights to "The Kings General" but it was never made, such a shame as it would have been perfect for Errol Flynn as Richard Grenville, Bette Davis as Honor Harris  and Merle Oberon as Gartred Grenville. If nothing else it was agreed that this novel, although not one of our favourite Daphne Du Maurier novels, did at least ignite the spark of our historical curiosity.

Nestled in the shadow of Hadrian's Wall, The Twice Brewed Inn offers a welcome rest to weary hikers, exhausted from a days trek through the magnificent Northumberland countryside. Steeped in history this welcoming spot seemed the perfect venue to discuss "The King's General". A limited menu offered traditional wholesome pub grub, a hearty filling meal at a reasonable price. In fact as pub grub goes it was better than expected. Despite the relaxation of Covid rules, masks and queues were still the order of the day but the bar was busy with most tables full. The staff were helpful and efficient but clearly very busy. A great place to sate your appetite and quench your thirst after a strenuous hike but not so great for the casual diner. The drive along the military road, however, makes the small gripes worth it, Northumberland's wild and rugged landscape basking in the evening sun is quite a sight to start the night.

We will meet again in early September to discuss .......... 

 

Scoff by Pen Vogler

 Apparently a romp of a book. We will be the judge of that. 

Scoff  !!!  We tried and tried to scoff this down quickly, but we were choking on the content.  Extension after extension found us nibbling away on bite sized pieces which we found more manageable and more digestible.  

Scoff was looking like the perfect choice during lockdown.  A chance to thoroughly investigate the history, social aspect, tradition, trends, etiquette and culture through food from every angle possible.  It touches on every food and the journey of the food through popularity, social class and snobbery.  So in-depth looking at health, changing of laws or simply smiling whilst reminiscing about the favourite snacks of our youth.  Old fashioned recipes still alive today and others buried in the past never to be seen again.  But, sadly it proved  too much of a mouthful for the book group ladies having to dive into another book alongside Scoff to ease the burden.

A little indication and example to show the thoroughness of each topic in this book was the journey of Gin.  Gin has a lengthy journey up and down the social ladder.  Juniper came over from Holland with William of Orange in 1688.  Landowners were encouraged to dump their excess corn on the ever growing numbers of distilleries.  Gin drinking became a duty and pushed aside French Brandy.  But, what turned out to be a social drink also turned out to be a social blight as everyone was self medicating cheaply causing lower classes to lose their jobs, their health and their children.  Even a series of Gin laws couldn’t stop the rot.  Gin was revived in the war periods thanks to the cocktail culture arriving from the U.S  and only very recently Gin is enjoying another revival with hand crafted gins becoming ever more popular still being made in the old copper stills with the marketing and reviving of  all those botanicals aimed at a new young crowd.  It seems to have cast off the old name of ‘Mother’s Ruin’ only to be replaced with the trendy gin bars in 2021 which are now back up and running with gusto after the easing of the Covid Lockdown. 

It is worth a read and makes you think about food during other period books you may be reading.  But, and it’s a big but, it needs to be in small bite sized chunks and possibly in book form, not on a kindle.  Definitely not a summertime read so be warned  ……

With lockdown lifting, at long last, we were able to meet up in one our favourite haunts, The Rat Inn.  Limited menu and table service made for a lovely relaxing night.  We had a lovely starter of Serrano Ham, Fresh Peaches and a drizzle of Olive Oil, followed by an old favourite of Confit of Duck. So lovely not having to cook at home or do the washing up.  

The book we read alongside the never-ending Scoff was The Kings General by Daphne Du Maurier which will be reviewed very soon.  

 

The next read to be reviewed in early September is Golden Hill by Francis Stufford.  

Both books will make you think about the food aspects after reading Scoff.  

Happy Reading

26.07.2021

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

 

Definitely worth a read! 

 

We can finally – and unusually - recommend  a highly acclaimed novel worthy of its hype.   

 

The story is based around a single protagonist  - Count Rostov – who is sentenced to house arrest at the famous Moscow Hotel Metropol.  As the years pass we become close friends with Rostov as he recounts his memories and interacts with the hotel staff and visitors.  We learn a little about Russia and its history and we luxuriate in the gift of Towles’  beautiful writing. 

 

Without giving away any spoilers, this story is exquisitely crafted and the plotting is both clever and delightful.  

 

But it is the writing which makes this book a joy to read.  Each sentence, description and anecdote to be treasured and savoured.  They all coalesce to create a memorable tale, with memorable characters in a realistic setting.  The descriptions are so well delivered, that weeks after completing the book, the Hotel fixtures and fittings are still visible, the conversations endure and each meal lingers on our palate as if we had somehow inhabited the Metropol Hotel at the same time as the Count. 

 

We all enjoyed this book.  Some more than others.  It’s timing might have shaped our views as there were more than a few echoes of UK winter lockdown life - house arrest (effectively), relative social exclusion, and a slower pace of life.  

 

The slowness was mirrored by the structure and pace of the writing.   In normal circumstances, this slowing down would have been very obvious, and perhaps a welcome escape from the seemingly relentless busyness.   During lockdown it was somehow less welcome as we were already well primed to identify almost too deeply with Rostov’s plight . 

 

There were lessons for life too  - both during and beyond lockdown.   The value of the simple things, memories of happier days, daily structure, making the most of any situation and  -as we later learn – being clear about our priorities and planning accordingly. 

Unusually,  we are now reading two books in parallel.  Since we can’t dine together we can read about food  in Pen Vogler’s Scoff: A history of food and class in Britain.  We can also delight our imagine with a story, The King’s General, from one of our favourite authors, Daphne du Maurier

. 

 

Platform 7 by Louise Doughty

 A novel ghost story ?

If you pick this book in the hope of a chilling thriller you'll be sadly disappointed.  However if you enjoy the domestic noir genre then this is a perfect choice for you. Narrated by a ghost, the story should send chills down your spine but this ghoul is a friendly spirit, more 'Rent a Ghost' than 'Poltergeist'.  Watching over the mixed bag of characters who work at Peterborough station, the narrator gives a brief insight into the mundane workings of a major interchange, setting the scene for what is to come. The emergence of a man on Platform 7 piques the readers interest as it becomes clear that he is intent on suicide, the ghostly narrator has no power to alert the living to the impending tragedy, she can only watch. In the ensuing  chapters we discover that the ghost is that of Lisa Evans, initially Lisa can't remember anything about her earthly life and how it ended but gradually her memory returns until suddenly we are thrown back into the months preceding her demise. This adds an interesting dimension to the structure of the story but it is not well executed, it seems like a totally separate narrative. Her life as a ghost is poorly defined, does she have form, can she communicate with others, why can she read some people's thoughts and not others? The sudden switch back in time to her life before death does little to connect with her ghostly form. In fact as the reader becomes engrossed in her love affair with Matty it would be easy to forget that the story began with a supernatural protagonist. If she was given powers to intervene like Clarence the angel in 'Its a Wonderful Life' then her ghostly presence would be validated. Similarly after her untimely death we return to her life as a ghoul, hoping that this may mark the beginning of the end of the tale is just far too optimistic. The story follows a large cast of characters and with each character a new theme or social issue emerges. From coercive control to paedophilia, murder, illegal immigration to drugs and homelessness. Is the unifying theme love or life or death ? This is the underlying problem with this book, it is a blob, it is undefined it is a melting pot of ideas and issues. 

The central theme of the book is coercive control, Lisa narrates her gradual descent from successful, independent thirty something professional, to a terrified neurotic victim. Our group felt that Lisa's character was weak and wet and allowed herself to become a victim, this may have been the authors intention. At one point the author claims that many women make the dangerous mistake of confusing romantic love with possessiveness. There were many points in the story when the reader wills Lisa to toughen up and tell the manipulative Matty to sling his hook but to no avail. All the usual red flags were there, back handed compliments meant to undermine confidence, choosing what she should wear, separating her from her group of friends. The relationship did not go sour gradually but seemed to be quite flawed from the beginning, raising the question of why a woman like Lisa would allow it to continue. There were no twists, no great moments of reckoning, perhaps because Doughty thought it important to reflect the reality of abusive relationships, but if gritty realism is what such a sensitive topic requires why wrap it up in a fantastical ghost story?

The opening section of the book draws the reader in, picking up pace as the repercussions of the man's suicide ripple out through the station into the wider world. The story races along as we discover how Lisa met her death but just like the passenger train slows for the station, so the story slows again then slows again as Lisa becomes the ever predictable victim.  For the last third of the book  the author strings out the ending almost to the point that you are left wondering if she just can't decide what the finale should be. When finally it comes, it comes with no closure, no satisfaction, no revenge, only a long list of goodbyes, goodbyes that cover almost all causes of suicide and death that you can imagine. The horror and waste of drugs, the  woman murdered by her partner. Still the story rolls on and on and on with little reason, it  is unclear why we are treated to a minor characters band practice, perhaps just to ask philosophical questions about suicide. 

Doughty is a very talented writer and can hold the readers attention, recreating settings and believable characters. Using a ghost to narrate  her own sad story is not a new idea but it does add an interesting dimension to the well trodden topic of toxic relationships. There were a few chances to really make this a gripping read but they were not taken. There were so many different themes covered in this book that they all failed to be developed fully.  In its present form it is at least two books rolled into one. A good edit could produce a modern classic. Perhaps when it comes to the small screen it will have been trimmed down to a truly chilling ghost story.

Again Covid 19 has put a stop to a good night out at our local Italian, hopefully things will be much improved for next months discussion of ......