by Sue
I chose this because it was highly
praised by a friend in whose literary judgment I have complete faith.
Nevertheless, to try and avoid making a recommendation that I
wouldn’t like myself (it would not be the first time), I have
almost read another book by Patrick Gale: Notes From an
Exhibition. I am enjoying this: good plot development and a
variety of interesting characters. So, I’m looking forward to this
second novel. The main character is a priest. It’s a safe bet,
then, there will be a religious dimension to the story. I didn’t
realise that until my copy of the book arrived. Sorry, ladies,
because my third book choice is rooted in religion, too. I am giving
us a surfeit of one theme. On a very selfish plus side, it looks
about the right length for the long plane journey on which I may well
read it.
There’s a lovely picture on the front
cover of my copy of a man and boy playing on the beach at
sunset/rise. But the introductory text reads: “All perfection in
this life hath some imperfection bound up with it; and no knowledge
of ours is without some darkness”. Not an escapist text, then –
and maybe an inappropriate picture. A glance at the blurb on the
book’s back cover suggests we are going to examine the
ramifications of a suicide. That’s one area we might want to look
at: was suicide the answer to the circumstances?
Oh dear – and I’m going on holiday!
Hello Ladies
ReplyDeleteI'm e-mailing because I'm not sure I'll be able to enter a blog successfully. And we go into the desert and other difficult to access places tomorrow, so things won't get an better.
It would be a lovely idea to read Never Let Me Go, if I've remembered the title correctly. Anything you suggest, ladies, is fine by me - and if you want me to suggest other titles I'l happily put my mind to it,
I expect preparations for Christmas are coming on apace in both your families - it would be marvellous to be a fly on the wall in both households. As it is, I'll be in some hills in Kerala.
Have a terrific baby's first Christmas, Katie, and I hope the senior members of your family, Nancy, are pain--free, calm and contented. Indeed, on reflection, I hope we all are.
Wonderful to read your comments - feels like touching base in this very foreign, though fantastic, country.
Love
Sue.
An early posting, ladies, in an effort to do this before going to India, where I fear things may become even more difficult. There will be spoilers, inevitably. I was glad I'd already read Notes From An Exhibition as the structure and setting are similar, and some of the characters reappear: Morwenna and all her family. Her mother's pictures make up the exhibition referred to in the title.
ReplyDeleteI thought the setting was really well done - the area's economy, beauty, its churches and community. I liked the structure, too. It made me think, forced me to make connections, revise opinions, check back on events. The relationships were convincing - for example between Dot and Phuc, Lenny and Nuala. The diversity of characters was interesting, too: Modest Carlsson and Barnaby.
Which brings me to one of the central concerns, religion. Quakers, by the way, were central characters in Notes From An Exhibition, suggesting Gale may be working out some issues himself. For Quakers, hours of silence bring peace. Here, too, religion brings peace and an infused glow to life. You can lead a perfectly good life without religion but "Everything simply lost its meaning and savour and people looked increasingly dull and stupid." The idea of salvation, redemption is strong. Is Phuc a prodigal son? Does Len's last thought, Without spot, mean he is saved? And what does that mean? Anyone read Greene's "The Power and the Glory"? The idea in Gale's book seems to be that belief enables everything: "They can because they think they can."
Attendance at church, though, is clearly not a guarantee of salvation - for example Patience Boyle and Modest Carlsson. And though Barnaby's sister Alice did not go to church her essential goodness and appreciation of the world suggest she will be redeemed, too. Faith comes and goes throughout an individual's life, but as long as there's an essential core of belief, recognition of a larger presence than one's own, then life has meaning. At least, I think that's what Gale is trying to say.
I'm not sure this is a book review, ladies, or me trying to work out the significance of what I've read.
Anyway, I enjoyed the novel at the level of character, plot and structure, so that has to be a good thing. And clearly I've had to think about it.
Hope you both got something from it, too, and that I will be in control of technology which allows me to read and respond to your responses.
Love to you both
Sue
I'm so sorry ladies! My library did not have this book so I had to order it online. Unfortunately it hasn't arrived yet! I'm hoping it will arrive soon so I'm not late with my posting again!
ReplyDeleteHello Ladies,
ReplyDeleteI am officially retired !!!!! Yesterday was my last day at work and at present I am enjoying coffee and a decadent chocolate marmalade brownie/fudge thingy that was a gift from my boss's wife, things are looking pretty sweet from where I'm sitting !!!!!!
I hope you both are also enjoying the culinary delights of the season, Sue, is the food in India amazing? I have always imagined it would be a vegetarians nirvana.
Katie, I trust you have your book by now, but I must also warn of spoilers in my comment.
I thoroughly enjoyed this multi storied story. I feel I would like to read Notes From An Exhibition some time in the future.
I enjoyed the characters and their fallibilities and strengths very much and found them very believable as we all know there is no chance of any of us being perfect ly good people.
I liked the way parts of each character were slowly revealed to us and had many aha and ohh moments upon discovering new information about them. I found it interesting Gale chose to reveal Modest Carlssons past early in his story, yet leaked increments of Barnaby's earlier life after I had formed my opinion of his character.
I have not read "The Power and the Glory" Sue, but I believe your quote would seem to sum up what Gale is trying to say about belief and our need for a faith in something greater than ourselves. Lenny knew instinctually who would give him the greatest comfort at his death and I believe he chose wisely.
My only grumble with the story is at the end when Nuala and Barnaby sail off in the sunset together, I would have been happier with a more realistic understanding of each other.
I really liked the descriptions of the area and as is my habit now visited my friends at google images which always makes me feel so much more connected to the story.
Sue, I hope you and Jay are having a wow of a holiday and seeing loads of amazing things.
Katie, love to you and Franklin and your beautiful son, I hope you have some time off over the holidays to spend with them both.
Thank you Sue, for suggesting this great story. Will I go ahead and add our other suggestion ?
Happy New Year to you!! Just an update. I didn't receive my book until the end of December. I'm reading as fast as I can (and when Benjamin permits). I'm about halfway through. So sorry for once again being tardy!
ReplyDeleteHello Ladies! So sorry for once again being late! The poor weather and the surplus of Christmas packages delayed the arrival of my book. Nancy, congratulations on your retirement! I hope you get to have many travels.
ReplyDeleteI cannot decide if I enjoyed this book or not. It was intriguing and I had a constant desire to know what was going to happen. But I feel that nothing went the way I expected. This was both relieving and disappointing. There was no resolution by act of God, no validation of religion to the reader, the absence of which was very surprising in a novel centered around religion. I felt as though the suicide had very little relevance in the novel. There was no discussion about the ramifications of the suicide; whether or not the characters were for or against assisted suicide. There seemed very little impact from Lenny’s action. The novel was mostly just about the other characters and their interconnecting. This was enjoyable but completely not what I thought it was going to be.
I did not understand the purpose of Modest Carlsson’s character in the novel. As you said Sue, was his only purpose to show us that church attendance does not guarantee salvation? Or to show the reader that church going isn’t enough to make an individual a “good” person? Maybe he was the cause of Dot’s death but then again she could have easily died without him. The interaction between the two that caused Dot’s death seemed more accidental. Modest was trying to instigate but he had no way of knowing his actions would kill her. Before his downfall, we must presume that Modest was a good man who fell to temptation. He changed his name and started a new life, why did he not start over again as a good man? Why does this character choose to continue on a terrible path? Is that the purpose of Modest Carlsson in this novel? That man can make mistakes and then decide if he wishes to continue down the wrong path or rise above.
For all the love he had for her, I felt Barnaby greatly underappreciated Dot. His mourning after her death seemed weak and his quick replacement of her with Naula was a bit unsavory. Otherwise I formed a good opinion of Barnaby pretty quickly. Is he the “good man” of our novel’s title? Is this novel about what a good man our author made him?
I most enjoyed watching the development of Carrie and Phuc. Carrie noticed that she was different from the other girls early on and learned to modify her interaction with them (i.e. Servicing the Barbie car when playing with dolls). Then when she found she could not modify her interactions, such as no car tune up equivalent for liking makeup, she accepted her status as an outsider. She accepted her existence until Morwenna showed up and helped her understand herself. I also enjoyed watching Phuc’s growth through the novel. From his loss of faith and downward spiral to his eventual rehabilitation, it was wonderful to see him pull himself back up.
I hope to be more punctual with our next read! Much love to you both!