Quercy Readers

In response to: "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" 366 days old
by iga [Visitor]

hi Val
I just read Your comment re:,,the future home makers of America,,,well commented ,totaly agree with You,though it was not my choice ,it was Margaret,s!!!My book proposal was ,,don,t let,s go to the dogs tonight,,!!!!
thank You for the compliment,I loved the book too. more…

In response to: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" 390 days old
by iga [Visitor]

Sveden!!!!
We know so little about the country and its customs etc.
It was v. refreshing to read it.History and saga of the old family,country laws,country outlook on women,laws of inheritance and all svedishness of the book I enjoyed v.much.
Some characters and situations did not sound possible and logical.ie a girl with the prob more…

In response to: "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" 494 days old
by Val Johnstone [Visitor]

Laurie Graham The Future Homemakers of America.
I quite enjoyed reading this but did get bored towards the end.
I liked the memories of that period in time at Drampton and of life as an airforce wife.I thought the lead character /narrator Peggy was a bit of a drip and why did'nt she get another fella!
I wondered if she was gay more…

In response to: "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" 523 days old
by Camp Rouge [Visitor]

I believe we all felt the boy not to be a real person but a literary creation based on a.o. Oskar from Der Blechtrommel. Another comment most of us shared: all the graphics were irritating and did not add to the story, even distracted (Dresden bombing text corrections). Personally I found the story the grandfather told far more touching, emotionall more…

In response to: "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" 539 days old
by iga [Visitor]

Looking at the book and the format and general design,I was not sure if I wanted to read it.But I did.Of course I did.
And of course I have no regrets.We will talk about the book at the meeting,but at the moment I wander...
Having had two boys myself and I thing they are rather smart,the book boy is miles ,miles,miles smarter.
Is more…

In response to: "Petite Anglaise" 551 days old
by jujulilo [Member]

This book certainly generated discussion even if nobody really liked it. There was some misunderstanding as to where Catherine Sanderson was really coming from, but the general consensus was that she was a rather unsympathetic character and that it didn't really count as a particularly literary piece of work. she was felt to be intelligent but ra more…

In response to: "The Other Side of the Bridge" 576 days old
by iga [Visitor]

Interesting ,how many books and films have a ,bridge ,in their titles...
From the philosophy point of view,this would be first decision we have to make in life:cross the bridge or not to cross .To be or not to be...
Later on in life ,or should I say ,when we have been educated,we learn that, we can actually make other choices;(like beei more…

In response to: "The Other Side of the Bridge" 577 days old
by jujulilo [Member]

This book generated plenty of discussion and was generally appreciated by the book club. The Prologue was considered to be very effective at setting the tone, establishing the characters and creating the dramatic tension. There was some suggestion that the basic story line was a little too predictable and "old hat", but it was generally agreed th more…

In response to: "Before I Forget" 584 days old
by jujulilo [Member]

I didn't make it to the end either, although I had been keen to start and found the opening very well written and exciting. However, I, too, got fed up with the constant sex and referring everything back to it. I found the writing very graphic and powerful at certain points (certain scenes very difficult to get out of my head) and I certainly thi more…

In response to: "Before I Forget" 584 days old
by jujulilo [Member]

You don't need to apologise! We all like to encounter the unknown too, it just so happens that this was an unknown no-one wants to revisit! I did like his writing though, so I will try some other books of his. We have to move out of our comfort zones occasionally.......... more…

In response to: "Before I Forget" 587 days old
by iga [Visitor]

different man,real man,the same continent.the same political problems,but closer in time and reality:peter godwin.
Books title:when a crocodile eats the sun.
First published 2006,but so up to date!!!Elections in Zimbabwe.Amoving meditation on the nature of family and bravery amid disaster,madness and betrayal...
thanks ms for lend more…

In response to: "Before I Forget" 588 days old
by ms [Visitor]

I'm sorry the book was such a disapointment to all of you. I fully agree that Mr. Minnaar (Dutch for lover) is quite presumptious in the way he writes about his women. But he convinced me that he does love them in his own, for me curious way. And I do read books to get to know the unknown. And Brink writes well, but alas, not about physical love. more…

In response to: "Before I Forget" 598 days old
by jrd [Visitor]

I am afraid that I didn' quite make it to the end of this one;by the time i stopped i had long since ceased to care how many women he had slept with or what his fantasies were.
Initially i found the politics interesting but it was never enough to maintain my interest. more…

In response to: "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" 598 days old
by JRD [Visitor]

Salmon fishing in the Yemen struck me as a very good comic read, but as a former director of a large government funded organisation, I also found the politics rung true to life in the way that Yes Minister did a few years ago.The Blair figure could be a portrait of almost every minister thatI met;utterly self serving and with almost no principles t more…

In response to: "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" 626 days old
by Varen82 [Visitor]

This was an easy and entertaining read. But was it more? It was a satire on modern UK government, certainly (obviously exaggerated, otherwise it would be reportage),a morality tale, perhaps - faith can move mountains. A romance, not really, as there are no truly romantic characters. Fred is a sad henpecked man who is fascinated by the unattainable more…

In response to: "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" 629 days old
by Marcia on behalf of Clare [Visitor]

My feelings on Salmon fishing were that it was great fun while being totally implausible. It was a mixture of P.G. Wodehouse, Evelyn Waugh and Yes Minister (but obviously Blairite rather than Thatcherite) and I laughed a lot. Sometimes he went totally over the top - for instance at the moment when the UK was reported as having had no electricity fo more…

In response to: "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" 629 days old
by Marcia [Visitor]

Hi everybody. Thanks for coming to my place on the 6th to discuss Salmon Fising in the Yemen by Paul Torday. The book was suggested by IRD who enjoyed it thorougly, as indeed did most of the readers. JS thought the writer to be good at political satire but less capable of creating characters and describing emotions. JB was reminded of her experienc more…

In response to: "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" 634 days old
by jujulilo [Member]

Dear all,

Thanks for another informative and entertaining (as well as tasty!) book club meeting. Sorry the absentees had to miss out - but they can always add their comments here.......
Anyway, I still haven't quite finished the book, but am still really enjoying it. Very entertaining and funny. Shades of David Lodge in the Fr more…

In response to: "Le Grand Meaulnes - The Lost Estate" 665 days old
by jujulilo [Member]

It just worked for me, so it seems to be ok. more…

In response to: "Le Grand Meaulnes - The Lost Estate" 665 days old
by clare williams [Visitor]

P.S. I just tried that blog and it doesn't seem to work! - but if you Google Reading Group: Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain-Fournier it seems to come up as the first entry. more…

In response to: "Le Grand Meaulnes - The Lost Estate" 665 days old
by clare williams [Visitor]

Bit of a cheat this one but I'm packing and making life easy. Check out elizabethbaines.blogspot.com which I discovered and seems to sum it up for me. NB I'm not the Clare in the blog of course. more…

In response to: "Le Grand Meaulnes - The Lost Estate" 666 days old
by varen82 [Visitor]

Le Grand Moan
Yes, it is a book which despite the superbly atmospheric evocation of turn of the century rural France, leaves you with an unsympathetic view of the central character; less the great gatsby, rather the big jessie.

I loved the writing and the feel of the translation, I liked the narrator (though he too was a bit of a more…

In response to: "The City of Falling Angels" 699 days old
by clare williams [Visitor]

I gather from Iga's blog that there were reservations about the personalities in the City of Falling Angels. I agree - even if they did stress that the Venetians are all one big, happy family with the counts and princes greeting the grocer and the baker etc. Hm. Glamorous though certainly. I felt on the whole Mr Berendt oould have been subjected more…

In response to: "The City of Falling Angels" 706 days old
by Iga [Visitor]

Hi all,
I have given our last meeting a little thouhgt...
Firstly,thank You all for coming on behalf of Sheila.
Secondly,next meeting is on WENSDAY January 16 th and we are reading ,,the lost estate,, chosen by Sheila.Meeting at Sheila,s house but to be confirmed...
Now,to the point of my thoughts;I agree with a lot of point more…

In response to: "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" 708 days old
by iga [Visitor]

To All,
If YOU liked,, The fallen angels of Venice,, You will like ,,Miss Garnet,s angel,, super book!!!!
love to all,Iga more…

In response to: "Ratking" 708 days old
by Margaret [Visitor]

Save my life Juliette! I had a VERY senior moment regarding decembers meeting at Sheila's house. I thought I was coming back from the UK on the 4th Dec, but actually it's not until the 5th, so I will miss the meeting :(

Apologies to everyone, especially Iga!!!

Please tell Claire I am thoroughly City Falling of Angels ummm more…

In response to: "Ratking" 727 days old
by jujulilo [Visitor]

This is an interesting one. "Aurelio" suggested to me the French "auréole" for halo........ although the etymology all points to the latin for gold. Still, we remain in the symbols for purity (not drawn into corruption, etc). The Zen aspect could refer to intuition and an ability to reflect, which from my limited knowledge of him would seem to m more…

In response to: "Ratking" 731 days old
by CW [Visitor]

Thank you to Varen 82 for book ideas. With a longish flight coming up I might try Leonardo Sciascia or Fred Varga.
We didn't talk about the name Aurelio Zen, did we? 'Zen' seems to suggest a certain detachment, coolness? I don't know about 'Aurelio' - golden, solid, wise? I shall try another in the series and see how Zen's character grows more…

In response to: "Ratking" 733 days old
by jujulilo [Visitor]

I'm not a fan of detective novels but this one was more interesting than I expected. I did have trouble with all the dialogue at the beginning as I found it more irritating than enlightening - but that's just personal taste. Odd moments appealed to me, such as the description of his claustrophobic appartment and the childhood that had followed him more…

In response to: "Ratking" 735 days old
by varen82 [Visitor]

I read Ratking some years ago and very much enjoyed the writing and being italophile loved the setting. The notion of corruption in the Italian justice service is well established and Inspector Zen (unlikely name?) is not the first to suffer. But far worse fates have befallen real life magistrates and policemen who dared to cross the mafia and its more…