Background and Reading Schedule

[Tracey]

1. The book has been widely assumed to be based on fact but is in actual fact, fiction, It is considered by some to be one the most important Australian novels of all time...after reading it state how much you agree or disagree with this thought.

2. The author is a very interesting woman, real name being Lady Joan à Beckett Lindsay (16 November 1896 – 23 December 1984).
You can read about her here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Li....

3. Hanging Rock also is very interesting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging...

4. There was a movie made of the book in 1975 which was nominated for many awards and won the BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography in 1976.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picnic_...

Reading Schedule:
The book is 16 chapters with a very small 17th chapter so we will divide the book:

week 1: chapters 1-4
week 2: chapters 5-8
week 3: chapters 9-12
week 4: chapters 13-17

[Rosemarie]

I picked my copy from the library today.

[Tracey]

Rosemarie wrote: "I picked my copy from the library today."

Great, looking forward to the discussion

[Dianne]

This looks interesting! I just requested from the library.

[Tracey]

Dianne wrote: "This looks interesting! I just requested from the library."

It's not too long a book and I am glad you are joining in.

[Tracey]

Setting the scene:

The novel is set in 1900 in Queensland, Australia. England is still regarded as the mother country and to be English was to be superior. Those of wealthy families behaved much as they would in England and had to same clothes and manners.
Life was very constraining for women in many ways including the clothes they had to wear.

The story is aptly set in February, in fact on Valentine's Day.

I believe there will be much to discuss about the time period and it's ideals and beliefs. Also about the status of women at the time.

[Joseph]

I noticed the timing also.
It takes place on Valentine's Day,
and Valentine's Day is this week.

[Tracey]

Joseph wrote: "I noticed the timing also.
It takes place on Valentine's Day,
and Valentine's Day is this week."

Yes indeed. I find it strange how often the books I read parallel in some way my own life or mood.

[Rosemarie]

I have read the first chapter. It is set on a hot sunny day in Australia and we are having a blustery snowy day. Such a contrast. I looked up Hanging Rock on google and there are stills from the movie in the "images" section.