Book Club: Suite Francaise

[dinahsmum]

Just a reminder that the book for March is Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky. Discussion will begin on 1 April.
(If anyone wants to post suggestions for the April book, maybe they would find a suitable old thread (the main Book Club one?) or possibly start a new thread)

[Rockmaiden]

Oooh there's a book club??

Only joined this site yesterday and I'm loving it!
Can anyone join the book club??

I look out for the book you mentioned and try and read it as fast as I can for the discussion.

[dinahsmum]

Of course!
We're not terribly 'learned' or intellectual in our discussions of the books - we just talk about them as we feel. Have a look at the threads for the books we've done previously and you'll see.

[Rockmaiden]

Yes I will do.

Thanks for that.

[dandysmom]

Nice to have another member, Rockmaiden, welcome!

[yola]

Of course!
We're not terribly 'learned' or intellectual in our discussions of the books - we just talk about them as we feel. Have a look at the threads for the books we've done previously and you'll see.

Meep is!!! :shock: I read her analysis of The Time Travellers Wife and wilted. I could never interrogate a piece of writing to that extent - nor could I write so intelligently on what I had read. :oops: :oops: :oops:

[dinahsmum]

She's young Yola - her brain hasn't been worn out as much as ours! :)
Don't be intimidated! Just chirp up

[dandysmom]

Meep is!!! :shock: I read her analysis of The Time Travellers Wife and wilted. I could never interrogate a piece of writing to that extent - nor could I write so intelligently on what I had read. :oops: :oops: :oops:

Lol, Yola, I agree! I could have done it many many moons ago when I was in college, but I've been out of it more years than Meep is old! But I do enjoy her analyses!

[yola]

Don't get me wrong - I thoroughly enjoyed her crit, it made really great reading and made me look at the story in a slightly different way. A good thing!

Yes, I too might have been able to write like that 25 years ago when studying literature - brain's atrophied since then sadly.

[dandysmom]

Don't get me wrong - I thoroughly enjoyed her crit, it made really great reading and made me look at the story in a slightly different way. A good thing!

Yes, I too might have been able to write like that 25 years ago when studying literature - brain's atrophied since then sadly.

:-D I SO agree with you, Yola!

[Rockmaiden]

Thank you very much.

Will look at for the book at the next visit to the library.

[calismum]

Hi RM - great to have another bookclub member.

[dandysmom]

Has everyone finished. and are we ready to discuss now?

[calismum]

I'm about three quarters thru'. Hope to finish by Sunday.

[angieh]

I'm dropping out yet again! I am SO sorry, but haven't even started it yet.

[yola]

I have got to page 4 . . . just haven't got the time at the moment :(

[dinahsmum]

What would everyone like to do? Extend the reading period or just go ahead?
I think I would vote for extension. IMO it is a very good book, well worth discussing and maybe with more enjoyment to be found by such discussion.
However - if the concensus is for going ahead - I'll go ahead :)

[angieh]

That's kind to offer an extension DM. I appreciate though that some readers have finished (and maybe a while ago). I think it's really up to those people to decide.

[dandysmom]

Extension s fine with me. I remembered to keep notes this time; when we did TTW it had been about 2 weeks between the time I finished and the discussion; I'd read several books by then and the details were getting a bit hazy! "We get too soon old and too late smart." !

[calismum]

Given I've not finished yet, I'll need to go for the extension option. Only problem is we start lambing next week and cannot predict when/if I'll have time to complete.

I'd agree with DM that it is a really good book and well worth the effort.

[smokytopaz]

I have read about a third of it, but I have sort of drifted away from it. Not that it is badly written or anything, it just was not grabbing my attention. :oops: I went right back to the Eragon series....... which was entertaining me.

Sorry, just didn't appeal to me. Maybe the next choice will!!

[Magenta]

Oooh, a book club! Excellent! Count me in when the next book is started :)

[dandysmom]

Welcome to the Book Club, Magenta!

[smokytopaz]

What happened to the dicussion? Is there a new book Where is it? Ooooooo I am confused!:?

[yola]

I don't think it reached any conclusion sadly. I'm still only about a 1/4 way through the book.

Finding it very painful going as there are strong parrallels with this and my own parents' exodus/forcible eviction from Poland during WWII. I am determined to read it though and have mentally earmarked it for taking to Italy with me in August.

[smokytopaz]

Ah Yola I thought maybe it would be a bit too much for those with connections, perhaps the next book should be chosen then. If you are going to the med, maybe you should try Bitter Lemons (Cypriot based) very lemon and olive oil based!

[angieh]

Do you mean the Lawrence Durrell "Bitter Lemons", Smokytopaz? If so I read that absolutely ages ago, but still have my copy!

Sorry, I have not even started Suite Francaise, although I have started A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami for another book club - they've already discussed it though. Only on page 59 and it's sort of weird. That's good as I like weird.

[smokytopaz]

Yup I did mean Bitter Lemons, made me really enjoy my visits to Cyprus.. his brother Gerald spent time there too, trying to remember his book, ummmmm My family and other animals?

Anyway maybe we should have a new book then as the last one sorta didn't grab the attention.

Who chooses? Or who holds list of poss candidates up for election. Can I claim expences?

[dandysmom]

I love all of the Durrell animal books! I have most of them in paperback; too lazy to go upstairs and check the titles! We just sort of toss around some suggestions and come to a decision. Suite Francaise sort of petered out; too many people didn't finish. I've misplaced my notes on it anyway!

[dinahsmum]

Poor Suite Francaise - I loved it, on many levels. I loved the language and find it amazing that it is a translation. It is sooo French, yet reads so well in English. I love the 'tres correct' Frenchness of it and many of the characters. I find it very poignant that the trilogy is not, and never could be, finished :( Obviously the greatest sadness is that the author lost her life, with so many others, but it is also such a shame that the book could not be finished ... I was enjoying it so much when it abruptly ended.

[calismum]

Will we try to resurect this then with a new title?

I have just bought Kathy Reichs - Devil Bones
Karin Slaughter - Fractured
Sebastian Barry - Secret Scripture
and
Getting started with chickens (but I think that may be a minority read ;) )

- any other suggestions?

[dandysmom]

I've read Devil Bones, not the other two, but will check the library...I do like Slaughter; don't know Barry but the title is intriguing. I have the new Patricia Cornwell on hold at the library, will pick up Saturday.

Am currently reading Greg Bear's Quantico; quite good....domestic terrorists and biological warfare and the FBI's attempts to locate them. Just finished Ruth Rendell's End in Tears, and Sheri Tepper's The Margarets (sci-fi)

[angieh]

Just a bit of an aside for those who like Kathy Reichs which includes me. Has anyone seen the Bones series on TV which is based on the books, and what do you think about it?

[dandysmom]

I never watch TV shows/movies adapted from books I've read and loved. It completely ruins it for me, not the same. Odd,perhaps, but that's my reaction.

[angieh]

I read somewhere that Kathy Reichs was involved with the filming behind the scenes - not sure if that's true or not. It's not normally on my "viewing radar" so I have only watched one episode and felt it was a bit frivolous. I know one episode is not much to base an opinion on, so that's why I asked the question.

[dandysmom]

I believe I read that on the dust jacket on one of her recent books also, Angie. I do enjoy her books; I think she's better than Patricia Cornwell, who's gotten very dark in her later books, IMO. her newest one isn't a Kay Scarpetta. I think.

[smokytopaz]

Getting started with chickens, might, just might be a little esoteric - but in these days of credit crunch etc, well it might do!;)

I read a lot of fantasy - have done for years. You know stuff like Chronicles of Thomas Covenant and the Lord of the Rings. I think I will blame the Lord of the Rings. When I was at college you were NOONE without a copy under your arm. And then the habit continued.

I also love science fiction (follows really).

Not all that keen on murder mystery and mayhem.

[smokytopaz]

I have always been really diappointed in movies of books I have loved.......... starting with Gone with the Wind, they miss so much out! Catch 22 another....... oh there are so many they didn't get the point (or what I saw as the point anyway!!)

[dandysmom]

ST, have you read any of Anne McCaffrey's Pern series? Drgonrider, etc? Or Terry Brooks Shannara series? Or the Darkover books, author's name escapes me at the moment ...she also writes fantasy ......

Oh, and it was GWTW that originally turned me off on movie adaptations. The movie was so powerful that it ruined my images of the people, and yes, did leave out too much!

[smokytopaz]

I have!! All of the Pern books - everything! I read the really good stuff but also I read all the wonderful trashy stuff too. Recent favourites are the Eragon series- three books in that lot. But also Stephanie Meyers 'twilight' - they made a movie of that too Trudi Canavan's Black Magician Trilogy, Jude fisher's Fools Gold. Oh and Robin Hobb........... too many maybe!

Oh well I read - a lot!:D

[calismum]

Have to agree that movie of the book is usually quite a let down for me too.

Haven't seen 'bones', but didn't know it was based on the KR books.

Secret Scripture was on the bookshop 'read it today' list. Had a quick look at some reviews and thought it would be a good read.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/0571215289/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

[dandysmom]

ST, sounds as if we have similar tastes in sci fi and fantasy, however I do love police procedurals and psychological suspense also...and I obviously read a lot too!

[smokytopaz]

I forgot to mention my other love is historical ficition - Drothy Dunnet's (sadly passed away now) wonderfully researched books had me glued. Both in the reading and in the following up on the history...

I (admitting this with some embarassment) adored Dan Browns books especially Da Vinci Code.

[dandysmom]

I'm not really big on historical fiction, but I did love Ellis Peters Brother Caedfel books (not the TV series!), and the Da Vinci code also. And any fiction about ancient Greece and Egypt. Also Pearl Buck's China novels (Good Earth). Does anyone still read her?

Forgot to mention Elizabeth Peters Amelia Peabody books!