Cecily's comments (member since Nov 09, 2008)

Cecily's comments from the You'll love this one...!! A book club & more group.

Shannon wrote: "Its been about 20 years since I read a bunch of John Wyndham books. I did the same thing, read one and got hooked ..."

I have noticed that he/his characters are quite mysoginistic; something I didn't notice in my 20s, but then that's largely a reflection of his time.

I've just finished reading The Midwich Cuckoos (which some may know from its film adaptation, Village of the Damned), ~20 years since I last read it, when I also read all John Wyndham's other books.

I enjoyed it so much, I'm now rereading The Seeds of Time.

And the reason I've gone back to Wyndham is because someone in this group mentioned him a few days ago. I forget who or which topic it was in, but THANK YOU.

I'm not sure how much trees actually feature in my suggestion, but I've been meaning to read some Hemingway and this seems as good a place as any to start. Also, being a classic, it ought to be quick and easy to obtain from libraries, plus, it isn't too long, which seems to be helpful for group reads.

Across the River and into the Trees by Ernest Hemingway

In the fall of 1948, Ernest Hemingway made his first extended visit to Italy in thirty years. His reacquaintance with Venice, a city he loved, provided the inspiration for Across the River and into the Trees, the story of Richard Cantwell, a war-ravaged American colonel stationed in Italy at the close of the Second World War, and his love for a young Italian countess.

A poignant, bittersweet homage to love that overpowers reason, to the resilience of the human spirit, and to the worldweary beauty and majesty of Venice, Across the River and into the Trees stands as Hemingway's statement of defiance in response to the great dehumanizing atrocities of the Second World War.

Henk wrote: "I have just listened to... Radio 7 adaptation... and there was a certain inevitability about the death of his child, Joseph. ..."

It's a long time since I read it for the first time, but I don't remember it being obvious early on, but that may be a failing in my reading, rather than a difference between the book and the adaptation.

Henk wrote: "One thing in the radio play, the old Kipps has feelings for Stella, his 1st wife; how does his 2nd wife take that? ..."

Interesting. I don't think that's such a strong theme in the book, except in the first chapter, which is a bit muddled anyway.

John Wyndahm - now there's an author who isn't mentioned often nowadays. I read and enjoyed all his books in my 20s and had almost forgotten them. Time for some rereading, methinks. Thanks for the prompt, Henk.

Susanna wrote: "Finnish books :D"

In translation, I hope?

Christmas makes me think of acres of pine trees, so I'll nominate "Woods, forests or trees" as a theme.

Sam and Emma: If you remind me nearer the time, I'll happily reread Titus Groan (and Gormenghast) after Christmas. Two of my favourite books, so maybe I can win you over. (Titus Alone is a totally different book.)

It's not a long book, and the stage adaptation manages to convey all the important aspects of the plot, so I can only assume that whoever did the TV version made a deliberate choice to keep it cryptic. Very strange.

Thanks, Mandy.

Sam wrote: "Now I've heard in other book discussions that Don Quixote is quite heavy in the content too, but I think the person who read wasn't use to such text..."

I didn't find it so. It has echoes with Shakespeare, but is easier to read (I found) because it is a novel not a play. Anyway, my review is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/233... .

The Crossing is the only one of those I haven't read, and I was discussing C&P only an hour ago with a friend via email - spooky!

Anyway, if you've read all of those, W&P should be OK. And if you want something heavy (in pages) but lighter (in content), there's Don Quixote, which is great fun.

Sam wrote: "I figured it's time I challenged myself a bit more with what I read rather than just reading the same kind of books or 'easier' books all the time, you know expand my mind ..."

Absolutely. But you could go half way: read a shorter Tolstoy first or another book that is slightly less challenging. I'm all for expaning one's mind, but I like to enjoy the process.

Sam, if you're "dreading" reading War and Peace, why are you going to, is it an assignment?

Susanna wrote: "Next up is Ian McEwan's In Between The Sheets. I've read Atonement (which I loved) and First Love, Last Rites. I'm trying to read through his works chronologically."

The Child in Time is an early one (from 1987). Very good, but different from many of his others: not as dark, some satire and even a dash of magical realism. (My review is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/684...)

The only books I don't finish tend to be ones that I think are total rubbish, such as Summer Things (and I still finish some of them, more fool me, perhaps).

Some of those mentioned above are my favourites!

With Gormenghast, I suggest you attempt them separately if you find them daunting. I think the first two are utterly brilliant, but the third is very different in every respect.

McCarthy's The Road is depressing, but so so beautiful. And the film looks promising.

One Hundred Years of solitude can be confusing at first, but if you keep notes, that's not a problem.

Kathy wrote: "Oh yes, Jo, I love that mist!"

Yet somehow, it didn't seem clichéd, perhaps partly because although sometimes the weather (which got a lot of mentions) was in parallel with events, and sometimes it was in total contrast (e.g. sun at the funeral).

I'm glad it was a popular choice. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the debate, both here and, in greater numbers, here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2186...

I'm glad you enjoyed it Kathy (and everyone else who did).

Would anyone who read it care to post their star rating here, and (optionally) their review or link to it?

I gave it 5* and my review is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/233...

Ally wrote: "I think that if Susan Hill had added a second narrative told from the perspective of 'the woman in black' maybe from when she was alive so you got a look 'behind' the character, then the true maliciousness could have been captured much better..."

I rather like that idea. It would need to be carefully woven into the story at the right intervals, but it could work well.

Maybe we should have a topic about how we would "improve" particular books?

But without the final chapter, you'd need to rewrite the opening chapter (plus some references elsewhere).

It would also make it easier to dismiss the supernatural aspect of the story and to rationalise things, as Kipps kept trying to do.

For me, although the ending is not startlingly original, I think it makes a better story arc as is.