Book Group

RubyRubyRubyRuby!!!! - Behind the Scenes at the Museum, a Round - Up

I am in the process of being called off to do something and don't want to rush my post/feedback on this book. Needless to say it has ripped my heart out and put it back again while making me laugh at the same time many times whilst reading it.

I know that it's Thanksgiving weekend in the States, so if you're from there and reading along then jump in whenever you can and update us with your thoughts. I will be editing this post over the weekend to include all of mine.

Please don't wait for me, jump in and leave your opinion on this book in the form of a comment.

Wow, what a family, what a book, what a girl Ruby was/is. This book is so astonishingly complete to me. It came full circle and covered all it's bases. It was laugh out loud funny and achingly sad. Just like every family is I suppose. I loved the way Kate Atkinson weaved the family saga together by way of the footnotes. Each one of the female protagonists in the story were fascinating if not extremely flawed. It makes me think of my own family and the stories that it would hold if I bothered to look back and discover them.

The book's saving grace was it's humour, had it not been for that it would have been a tragedy of Shakespearian proportions. Ruby's dry wit and acute observations got her through. I found myself getting so angry with Bunty for not being capable of seeing her daughters as I, the reader, saw them. I wanted to hit Gillian when she pointed to Ruby as Pearl slipped away and yet I know that she was only a child. Poor Ruby, poor poor Ruby.

I don't think Ruby found happiness in Scotland. I think she found herself but I think that by that time happiness, as we know it, may have alluded her. I also think that there are many 'Ruby's' out there in the world. And now I have read this book I shall keep my eyes open for them. Extraordinary women.

"I am alive. I am a precious jewel. I am a drop of blood. I am Ruby Lennox"

One heck of an ending. Appropriate and sufficiently full of explanation. Thank you Kate Atkinson and please don't ever let them spoil it by turning your gem of a novel into a film!!!!

Now, who's ready for a bit of Mr Darcy?

Pride & Predjudice is our next book and I say we take this classic into the Christmas season and have the round up in the first week in January 08.   

Cherry

Date Set for 'Scenes' Round Up

 

I suggest we do the round up for Behind the Scenes at the Museum on Friday 23rd of November. This gives us another two weeks to finish it. If you have already worked your way through it hold on to the thoughts and pop back to post them in the shape of a comment a week on Friday. After that we can enter the season of goodwill with a Jane Austen classic under our arms. This seasons ultimate accessory, don't you think?

Cx

Mrs Dalloway round up AKA - I Tried, The Good Lord Knows I Tried!

I've rather been dreading this.

I have taken Mrs Dalloway on every train journey, on every car journey, I have taken her to bed and I have sat with her on the sofa and I have still only managed to get to page 38.

I wanted so much to get into this book, to whizz through it and to wax lyrical about how much I loved and adored Virginia's prose. But it didn't happen this time around for me. In fact I have read four other books in-between trying to get my teeth into this one.

Now I do think that one has to be at certain places in one's life or mindset to enjoy certain things. For instance my favourite work of fiction is The Secret History by Donna Tartt and yet I struggled with The Little Friend, her second novel. This was about four years ago so perhaps it's time to pick it up again. And I'm entirely certain that I may be sitting out in the garden one day, when I'm a wise old sage and dressed entirely in white linen, pick up Mrs D. once again and chastise myself for not reading it sooner.

So that's that. I'm sorry my darling Tiffany, I wanted to love it just for you as I know how much you adore literature.

I am however VERY much looking forward to what you all thought of the book. I am wide open to learn from all you discovered about the story and perhaps this will have me picking it up a little before my 60th birthday.

I'd very much like to give this blog book club idea another shot, so after having consulted with the chief angel at The Blue Angel Bakery I'd like to suggest two titles. A classic and a modern classic.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen or Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson.

Perhaps I should see how the feedback for this first book goes before launching into deciding on another one? But I can't help but feel like I'd like to give it another go......anyway, we'll see, if you are prompted to play again do let me know which title you'd prefer and the majority wins.

Have a wonderful weekend, I'm digging the garden!

Cx

Would Anybody Care To Join Me In This?

I don't like doing things like this. It feels like organising a party and nobody showing up.

*deep breath*

So, I found a copy of Virginia Woolf's 'Mrs Dalloway' on the shelf of a charity bookstore the day before yesterday. I am embarrassed to say that I have never read it although I adored The Hours, especially the score by Phillip Glass who is an enormous favourite of mine. I read a great deal more in the autumn and winter months and I was wondering if anybody would like to join me in reading or even re-reading it? We could read it together and then document what we thought as a comment on this blog in a few weeks.

I'll wait a few days before I start it to see if anybody is interested.

And now I'm going to go and hide behind the sofa just in case nobody want to play!!!!!

Cherry x