Fans of Norah Lofts discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Books For Potential Group Discussion Archived 2019
I just ordered Madselin from Amazon used books. CANNOT believe I don't have this one. If it comes in time I will take it to England with me on the 23rd. Am about halfway through OOTN. 0n page 12 - NL mentions "blossom like the rose" which she used as a title for another book. Colin - although he never lived the high life when growing up - seems to have inherited his mother's snobishness. Would resort to murder of his child so the child would not be a slave.
Barbara, I spoke to this question on another thread before I saw this one; but I'm checking in to officially confirm that yes, I'm ready and willing to read Madselin in July. :-) (Well, I don't have the book; but I can get it through interlibrary loan by then!)
I can read Madselin; looking forward to it.
Sallie, I never saw Colin's killing of his child as an act of snobbishness or elitism. He simply wanted to save it from a life of slavery, as did the many real but nameless slave parents who did the same. In Eugenia Collier's Beyond the Crossroad (about people who were held as slaves in remote parts of the South well after the Civil War), one character tells another how she tried to smother her baby for that reason but couldn't bring herself to do so. It must have been a terrible dilemma, but I suspect that those who went through with it saw their acts as mercy killings.
I agree with you, Mary. I stated it badly. Even though his life's circumstances went from bad in Scotland to worse in St. Crispin's Island Colin maintained a superior attitude. He was Colin of Braidlowerie, a name to be respected. He considered his fellow slaves his friends but not his equal. His mother maintained this mind set as well - what was Colin thinking, walking out with Janet, a girl "like that" - a girl who could not be matched by mother in compassion or generosity or kindness. All Colin thought about was his freedom and in Virginia walked to the top of the hills to gulp in great breaths of freedom's fresh air. It must be such a different perspective - those slaves or oppressed who have never known freedom but can only imagine what it must be like and those who have known it and have lost it.
Barbara, this was a great idea for a thread we can return to about new discussions/reads. I give my yes to voting for Madselin next.Bon Voyage next week, Sallie! Hope your copy comes.
Hi everyone,I'm new here and have just joined goodreads because I saw this group mentioned on an Amazon review.
I've been a fan of Norah Lofts since I was about 12 years old, when I happened across a copy of Gad's Hall that belonged to my aunt. Since then, I've made an effort to collect all her works (though I do have to pace myself, as I don't want to run out of new discoveries too soon).
Anyway, sorry to hijack the thread, but I didn't find an introduction thread. I'd like to join the July discussion and look forward to rereading Madselin with other fans!
Welcome, Ayah, looking forward to hearing more from you! I haven't read Madselin yet so I am really looking forward to it.
Welcome Ayah - to you and all other "discussers" - in order to get one of NL's books on ebay I have had to buy groups to get just one. I would be glad to give any of you one of my duplicates if you are having trouble finding one or more. Just let me know and if I have your missing one I will be happy to mail it to you. Condition of some better than others. My OOTN has no binding so I am literally reading it page by page!!
Big HI from me, too, Ayah! I like to think of Madselin being NL's second book in chronological time (not counting HFTBethlehem)since it starts in 1066. Wayside Tavern would be the first, starting in A.D. 384.Sallie's comments and offers about her duplicate titles made me wonder if we should have a thread where we can all list our duplicate titles for those who are searching and cannot find? If we gave any up, we could go back and edit out those titles. Sorry if I am off-topic here.
Sylvia, what a good idea (our own Norah Lofts book exchange). Everyone is probably aware but just in case, the post office offers a special cheaper rate if you are mailing books. You have to tell them it is a book, though, to get the rate.
Hello Ayah - you are right we don't have an intro thread , but lovely to have you !!Peggy and Sylvia - we have a NL title thread ( or something like that ) I think, don't we? Maybe I'll add a folder re swapping titles to that shall I?
Thanks everyone, for the warm welcome. I look forward to beginning Madselin again.By the way, I think the book swap thread is a great idea. I know I have a duplicate or two and would like to see them go to good homes.
I'll probably be starting Madselin later than the rest of you all --probably around July 12, since I'm on vacation the week of July 4 and we're expecting to be visiting family that week. (We'd planned to go this week, but didn't because Barb had a really bad siege with the flu.) While we're gone, I'll have very little Internet access. But not everyone in a common read will read exactly synchronously, anyway! I'll be prepared to jump in as soon as I get back.
Would you like us to postpone starting Madselin til you can get back and lead Werner? Or shall one of us start and you take over leading when you get back? PS I hope health all well now at your house
Barbara, thanks for asking! If you'd like me to lead the discussion (I hadn't realized you wanted me to --sorry!), I'd say it would be best to wait and plan on starting around July 12, if everyone's okay with that. That'll avoid switching horses in midstream; and if our discussion runs over into early August, there's no law against that. :-) I'll order the book by ILL before I leave for vacation (if we go), so it should be ready and waiting here as soon as I get back.Barb felt pretty well for a couple of days, but got a back-set yesterday, suffered badly in the evening and through the night with a sore throat, and had to miss church again. But, this time it's not accompanied by the other symptoms she had before, and her throat's improved significantly as the day has gone on. So we're in hopes that this will be only a temporary set-back, and that her recovery will proceed quickly! Thanks for asking about her.
Well I for one am happy to wait for you on the 12th . I just thought you leading seemed a natural follow on , but if any one else want to, I;m happy with that too!Poor Barb, it all sounds rather nasty, I do hope it is better now.
I don't mind waiting til the 12th either.
Thanks, Barbara and Peggy. We'll plan on that, then!Barb's on antibiotics now, by prescription from our family doctor; and she's just told me that her throat didn't trouble her last night, and so far hasn't been sore this morning. So we're taking this as a good sign!
I have the date marked, too! Werner, I'm so glad Barb finally brought out the big guns to fight her infection. Is there still a chance you can get away?Has Barb ever considered coming on this forum? Madselin would be a good introduction to NL, in a sense, almost from the beginning. Of course you would both have to tussle for the one copy!
Sylvia, it looks increasingly likely that we'll be able to get away. Barb's feeling perfectly healthy right now, and we're planning on it.Barb likes to read, and reads as much as (or more than) I do. However, she's totally Internet-phobic; her only interest in the computer is for playing Solitaire on it. :-) And her approach to reading isn't analytical at all. So, Goodreads just doesn't attract her!
Hello everyone, just touching base, it's been a while since we finished the last group read (Madselin). Do we want to start one more before the year runs out on us?Any suggestions? Remember if you don't have a book we are considering, most libraries will order a copy for you; it usually takes a couple of weeks.
Hi Pegs my love . Splendid idea - I'm happy with anything really , except The Claw and Checkmate.Maybe one of the historicals? Lots of people like those...The Concubine perhaps?
I'll sit this one out. One of my other groups has a common read coming up next month, and I have reading commitments lined up through the rest of the year (and well into 2012). But I think it would be fine if the rest of you want to do one!
Hi all,I've been ill for some time and not doing much online, but am far better now, so am trying to get back in the swing of things. If anyone is still interested in the group read, I'd certainly like to join. I think I have all NL books, save a few of the nonfiction works, so am happy to read whatever the group decides.
Hello Ayah - I;m so glad you are better again , we missed you. Are you sure you don't have a preference ? Not many people have said yet, so your choice would be as likely as anybody's.
Thank you Barbara, I appreciate your kindness.As you mentioned, one of the historicals would be great. The Concubine is a good choice, as are The Lost Queen, or maybe even Pargeters. Any of these (or any other, really) would be great. Looking forward to reading with everyone again.
Hi Everybody - have we stalled on the idea of a group read do you think? I am still very willing and I think Peggy is too and Ayah is now well enough again . Hopefully , Sylvia may also be well enough now to contemplate it. Is that enough people ? Or shall we leave it to a a later time ? Overall the NL traffic on Goodreads has slowed rather, so perhaps we are on a natural low , or maybe ( I hope this is so ) a group reading would rekindle it.
It would be lovely if Mary and Djo and Cassie and Rita and Damask and Gabi and other 'old timers' were able .....
I'm game! Even if I don't keep up with the (re)reading, I'm sure I can put in my two cents' worth from time to time. :)
I think I will be able to participate, too, though I will be bringing up the rear. I don't care what we read, since everything NL has written is wonderful.
Yay! Mary and Sylvia on board! The suggestions so far are
The Concubine
Pargeters
Lost Queen (aka The Lost Ones)
White Hell Of Pity.
Pargeters and The Old Priory run together in my mind, and I feel rather melancholy about both, since I find that they show NL's craft declining. Still, that in itself may be something to discuss. Any of the above would be all right with me.
Barbara wrote: "Yay! Mary and Sylvia on board! The suggestions so far are
The Concubine
Pargeters
Lost Queen (aka The Lost Ones)
White Hell Of Pity."
Barbara,
I also received emails suggesting "How Far to Bethlehem" and "The Old Priory" to add to your list of 4
I'm thinking that we had a group read of How Far to Bethlehem relatively recently, perhaps last year?
Werner wrote: "I'm thinking that we had a group read of How Far to Bethlehem relatively recently, perhaps last year?"Looking back thru the forum, we didn't formally do a group read but we did discuss this book in quite a bit of detail in three separate threads so perhaps another selection would be better at this time.
I've never read The Lost Queen so I would enjoy that one, but I particularly love The Old Priory with its colorful location and quirky characters (in my opinion)!
It's looking like the Old Priory for several reasons...does anyone want to volunteer to lead?
I'm for The Old Priory. Unless someone else would like to volunteer to lead, I'll give it a try; this would be my first attempt though so I will need all the help I can get. Shall we pick a start date and I will notify everyone and get it posted on the main page.
Great Peggy! Start anytime for me.
I'm on board! Whenever you're ready, then.
I've started a folder for The Old Priory, with a start date of November 16, this Wednesday. I figure that will give us a few days to start reading and thinking about points to discuss.I will be adding a topic for each of the six parts of the book as we progress.
Over on one of our other threads (I forget which one!), we've had some discussion of moving our planned common read of The Devil in Clevely from September to October. I rather like the idea, though we hadn't made a definite decision yet. (There's been no objection in the Supernatural Fiction Readers group to doing it as a simultaneous common read in October.) Now, one of my other groups is exploring a common read for September. So, now that we've all had awhile to think about it, this would be a good time to make our decision. Do we have a consensus to do our read in October?
I'm OK with October. I can send out a group email and ask for a consensus. What were you thinking on a simultaneous common read--how would it work? Or did you just mean you would be reading it with both groups?
Each group will read it in October just the same as they would if they were the only group reading it; but they'll be doing it at the same time. So members who happen to belong to both groups, like myself (and the SFR group has a few other NL group members in it as well) can take part in the discussion thread(s) in both groups. (Instead of having to choose to read one book for one group or a different book for the other! :-) )
Thanks, Barbara! Peggy, did you still want to send out that group message and ask for a consensus, or would you agree that we have enough of a consensus now?
Werner, I will send a group email explaining how another group wants to read the book in October and it would be enjoyable for both groups to "visit" the respective forums.
Already received a very positive response from members excited that another group is going to be reading Norah Lofts for October, so I've changed our start date to October 1.
Excellent, Peggy! I'll plan accordingly.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Fans of Norah Lofts
Books mentioned in this topic
Here Was a Man (other topics)Here Was a Man (other topics)
A Rose for Virtue (other topics)
Crown of Aloes (other topics)
Crown of Aloes (other topics)
More...
Sylvia has already mentioned Madselin as our potential choice for July, and as we are drawing to an end with OOTN, maybe people could start saying if they are ready and willing to 'do' Madselin in July?