“Expo 58” by Jonathan Coe (UK) Review Members of our Summer Reading Group liked the differences in writing styles and themes of this year’s four shortlisted books finding most of the stories highly enjoyable. At the end of the discussion, when it came time for voting, a majority picked “Expo 58” as their choice for Best Summer Read 2014. “Expo 58” is set in Brussels … Continue reading Expo 58
“Pure” by Andrew Miller (U.K.) Review Although they thought the historical setting of pre-French revolution was bleak and desolate, readers found this book highly enjoyable and looked forward to delving into it. They liked the language and style, finding it well written with interesting characters, evocative descriptions and a good plot. They quickly warmed to the protagonist and found the interplay between him and the other characters captivating. … Continue reading Pure
“The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka (Czech Republic) Review Readers really enjoyed both the story, which they felt had been honed and polished, and the style of writing, which they described as clear and precise despite some formal language used at times. They all found Gregor Samsa a highly likeable character and felt compassion for his plight. Everyone agreed that the characters’ emotions were powerfully described, … Continue reading The Metamorphosis
“The Brothers’ Lot” by Kevin Holohan (Ireland) Review Readers’ enjoyment of this story was strongly influenced by how close they felt to the subject matter. Some found it a difficult book to read, especially since many of the abuses within church-run institutions in Ireland are still coming to light today. Readers who had the benefit of distance from the subject matter enjoyed the book immensely, … Continue reading The Brothers’ Lot
“A Heart so White” by Javier Marias (Spain) Favourite Quotes The world is full of surprises and secrets. We think we know the people close to us, but time brings with it more things that we don’t know than things we do, comparatively speaking we know less all the time, there’s always a greater area of shadow. Even if the illuminated area grows larger too, … Continue reading A Heart so White
“Seeing” by José Saramago (Portugal) Review Readers really enjoyed this book once they got used to Saramago’s characteristic writing style of long, rambling sentences strewn with commas and little paragraphing. They liked the political theme of a democracy veering towards a totalitarian state and they thought the author had captured the characteristics of the various ministers all too well. They loved the dark humour and … Continue reading Seeing
“Brick Lane” by Monica Ali (U.K.) Review Readers enjoyed this multi-layered book a lot finding that it brought the immigrant experience deftly to life. They liked the parallel stories of the two sisters, Nazneen who went abroad and Hasina who remained behind, and the insights into their different personalities. They warmed immediately to the protagonist, who they described as most personable. Her inner growth from … Continue reading Brick Lane
“Fascination” by William Boyd (U.K.) Review The quality of the writing style in this collection was what appealed most to readers. They loved the richness of the language and the different formats used in each story: from the classical to the contemporary; from the diary form to a series of jump cuts; from a menu to a video recorder! Readers enjoyed the diverse settings and … Continue reading Fascination
Nicola's Book Club 