Golden Hill - Background/General (no spoilers)

[Hugh]

I am happy to create the topics for this discussion, but my involvement will be as little as I can get away with, as I didn't choose the book and have not yet managed to start rereading it.

Golden Hill was described as Francis Spufford's first novel, though at least one of his earlier books was at least arguably in novel form. It takes us back to the anarchic early days of New York, and is something of a comic picaresque with some more serious elements.

Who is planning to participate?

[Pamela]

I’m in and will start reading today. I picked the book up in a charity shop a while ago and had forgotten about it, so I’m quite pleased the group chose it. It sounds like fun.

[Sam]

I'd caution anyone thinking of listening to the Sarah Borges audio because of the numerous word substitutions that differed from the text, among other problems.

[Mark]

I read it sometime back, and will join in as much as a faulty memory permits...

[Jenny]

Happy New Year all! 2021 is off to a unpromising start. I had a family emergency and am running late in getting the general discussion started. Thank you for filling in, Hugh.

I hope some of you will join in this month. I’ve listed some reviews to get this general discussion started:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...

The New Yorker“Golden Hill”: A Crackerjack Novel of Old Manhattan

The New York Times › booksReview: Francis Spufford's First Novel Is a Swashbuckling Tale - The New York ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...

Here are a couple of interesting interviews with Francis Spufford:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...

https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/in...

[Jonathan]

I am looking forward to joining the discussion on this one.

In the last couple of years I have read historical fiction that is stylistically similar (where the writer adopts the language and vernacular of the period in question (c. 17th/18th/19th) - Esi Edugan Washington Black and Imogen Hermes Gower The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock .
I thought Spufford's Golden Hill was the best of the three with some great comedic moments.

[Nadine in California]

Jonathan wrote: "I am looking forward to joining the discussion on this one.

In the last couple of years I have read historical fiction that is stylistically similar (where the writer adopts the language and verna..."

This kind of historical fiction is exactly my thing, especially when it deals with the 18th century. I tried reading it a couple of years ago and to my surprise I DNF'ed and I don't know why, It did everything I liked and did it well to boot - and yet ?? I'm going to have to try it again.

[Sarah]

Nadine wrote:
I tried reading it a couple of years ago and to my surprise I DNF'ed and I don't know why, It did everything I liked and did it well to boot - and yet ?? I'm going to have to try it again.

If you have a successful reboot, please share. I am having difficulty engaging with this one and can't figure out why.

[Mark]

Yes, we read Mermaid a while back. There was a brisk discussion. I agree, Spufford shows the history better.

Sam, I'm using the audiobook for my second trip to Golden Hill, and I'm happy with Ms. Borges' reading so far. Where were you dissatisfied?

[Sam]

I listened to a U.S. version. My biggest problem was a different word choice from the text which may have been editorial but when listening while reading the text, the difference seemed like sloopy reading by the narrator, with the different words often sounding similar. I wish I had marked examples but I did not. Some of these were not worth noting but others changed the meaning. I thought the narration a little over dramatized at times as well.

[Mark]

Sam: Found one: The reader (Chap.3) nonsensically said "following piece," obviously misreading "fowling piece." Oops. I've heard slips like that from some of the best readers I know. Waiting for more...

[Eva]

I've started it and I'm loving it so far, very intrigued about the characters and enamored with the old-fashioned prose style. Thanks for the warnings about the audio version, I'll eye-read it instead!

[Franky]

I started a few days ago. I was having a bit of a time figuring out what was going on the first few pages, but I figured it out now that I've read a few chapters. I think it is the writing style that threw me for a loop. I'm interested to see where things go for our mysterious stranger.

[Ang]

Hay Festival has chosen a Francis Spufford book (Light Perpetual) for Book of the Month February. Conversation with the author next Tuesday at 7pm GMT.

https://www.hayfestival.com/p-17398-f...