General Chat

Previously aimed at the Greaders reading group, I have renamed the thread.

Just to give some idea to people who are interested and for us to have some reviews to go on.

Ann
Glos

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier Some first lines of books we always remember and Rebecca is no exception. The first line “Last night I went to Manderley again” always makes the hair rise on the back of my neck. As does the first chapter which recounts the ‘dream’ about Manderley and tells us that the house is, in fact a ruin. It was about 30 years since I last read the book, maybe longer. I could remember the first line and the ending but could not remember the story with any clarity. It is a wonderful read, written in 1938 it does not feel ‘old fashioned’ at all, I suppose it is timeless. I couldn’t put it down. I wonder how many books there are written where the main character doesn’t actually make an appearance? This is the story of two women a man and a house. And the house dominates. The narrator, whose first name we are never told, although we are told it is a lovely unusual name given to her by her Father, is a companion to a wealthy and snobbish woman when we first ‘meet’ her. Mrs Van Hopper is on holiday in Monte Carlo. They meet Maximilian De Winter, Mrs Van Hopper is taken ill and confined to her bed, her young companion spends a lot of time with De winter, the consequence of which is that, when Mrs van Hopper decides to move on and travel to New York he proposes and she accepts. Back at Manderley she comes up against Mrs Danvers who was first Nanny and then housekeeper and personal maid to the first Mrs De winter – Rebecca. She of course resents the new wife and makes life difficult for her. Rebecca has died by drowning in what was assumed to be an accident, Max has identified a body washed ashore. It is a haunting story with the young wife desperately in love with Maximilian while feeling that she will never take Rebecca’s place. Everything in the house appears to still belong to Rebecca. Eventually Max admits to his new wife that Rebecca didn’t die by accident, he shot her. She had told him that she was pregnant with another man’s child that she intended passing off as his. Rebecca had many affairs and he had not loved her since their honeymoon in Monte Carlo, in fact he loathed her. A shipwreck inadvertently causes a problem when a diver finds the boat that Rebecca was sailing sunk near the shore with holes made in it and a body shut in the cabin. The body is Rebecca’s. A cousin of Rebecca who thought she was in love with him, and who is convinced that she would not have committed suicide, wants Max tried for murder. A visit to Rebecca’s London Doctor proves that she had a terminal illness (she was not pregnant at all) and therefore did have reason to commit suicide letting Max off the hook. Max and his wife travel back to Manderley to start their life together without the shadow of Rebecca hanging over them (Mrs Danvers having disappeared before they went to London).. As they approached home the sky seemed to get lighter like the first red streak of sunrise, she asks if it is in the winter that you can see the Northern Lights, not in summer. “that’s not the northern lights’ he said. ‘That’s Manderley’. And the final line, evocative like the first. “And the ashes blew towards us with the salt wind from the sea”. Du Maurier has apparently (according to the foreword written by Sally Beaumann) put a lot of herself into the character of Rebecca, including a hint at bisexuality, her independence, her love of the sea, her expertise as a sailor and her sexual fearlessness. But she also gave some of her own character to the new Mrs de Winter, her shyness, and her social awkwardness. Although we should be hoping that a murderer (and he thought that he had killed both Rebecca and the baby) would be brought to justice, I found that I was in total sympathy with Max, and his new wife who was an accessory after the fact and I hoped he would not be found out. I found this strange as it goes against all my beliefs. I have actually walked past the house that D Du Maurier based Manderley on (Menabilly), and walked down through the valley to the cove. It was eerie being able to picture and ‘feel’ the atmosphere as the young wife walked to the cove. My edition of the story has a foreword that explains that the two women, the second wife – dutiful and obedient and Rebecca, rebellious and indestructible, were two halves of Du Maurier’s own character. More than a straight novel it is a complex book with many undertones. I fully intend reading it again sometime. Ann Glos

Secrets of a Family Album Isla Dewar Lily, obsessively tidy, a writer who writes about writers, is asked to interview the enigmatic journalist and photographer Rita Boothe. Leafing through a book of Rita’s from the early seventies, Lily notices a picture of an incandescently sexy young woman sitting in a limousine swigging Jack Daniels. It’s her Mother Mattie. Lily isn’t shocked, she is jealous. She wants to be like that, beautiful, abandoned. But Mattie is no longer meltingly gorgeous. In their neglected house, she and her husband scrape by and bicker. Upstairs grandpa flirts on the internet. Marie, Lily’s sister is facing a custody suit and her brother Rory avoids coming home. Lily is usually the one to sort the family out, but she is tired of being boring and dependable. She wants to let go, be a woman of wicked mystery and intrigue. Like the one in the photo. Lily is married to Art, he tries to cure her of her tidying obsession. This is one of the books I read on holiday, I found it entertaining, fairly light to read but with some ‘meat’. It was very much about family relationships, probably better than The family Tree. A good book to balance out the heavier books we have been reading. ann glos

The Spoiled Earth Jessica Stirling The first book of the trilogy about the Stalker family. Excellent book to read if you are interested in what went on in coal mining villages in Lanarkshire (and probably elsewhere) in the 19th century. Women and children no longer go down the pit but are still employed with grading coal on the surface. Some of the descriptions of the type of houses (hovels) the families lived in and the deprivation they faced are very enlightening. Although a lightish novel I found there was a fair bit of sociology in the book. I am now looking for the second book in the trilogy (The Hiring Fair). The Echo Minette Walters I had not read any of her books before, and I don’t usually read mystery/murder books. However, I found this an excellent read (I picked it up from the library shelf in our holiday complex). Billy Blake, a vagrant, dies in Amanda Powell’s garage. James Streeter and Peter Fenton are both listed as missing persons. (Streeter was Amanda’s husband, peter Fenton a diplomat). Michael Deacon is a journalist working for a political newspaper. He is sent to cover the story of Billy’s death, hoping for a political slant (Amanda being a typical Tory, hoping she will rant about homelessness etc). Michael get involved in the story o uncover who Billy really was, with the help of a young homeless lad and a retired lawyer. Very well written, intriguing and entertaining reading. ann glos

The Loving Spirit Daphne Du Maurier After reading Rebecca I spotted this one in a charity shop. I had not read it before. This was her first novel and certainly showed how talented she was and was a taste of things to come. Set in Cornwall starting in the early 19th century and ending in 1930 it is a saga of the Coombe family. It centres around four main characters each of whom have a ‘book’ dedicated to them, Janet, her son Joseph, his son Christopher and his daughter Jennifer. The family are ship builders by trade and Joseph is a sailor. Christopher hated the sea and Jennifer in the late twenties is determined to be independent. This is a romantic novel but is not a light weight book, it is a very good read. There is passion drama and humour in the story, Christopher goes to London and stays in lodgings with a lady of the old school in round about 1900, the humour comes when she begins to lose her hearing and mishears many conversations which emphasizes that although she observed the proprieties and appears to others to be a prude, everything she mis-hears shows her obsessed with sex. Recommended as a good read, especially if you have enjoyed her other books. Ann Glos

Katherine by Anya Seton. This is based on fact as Katherine Swyford married John of Gaunt and it tells of her life from age 15 to when John dies. Is set in the 1400s and full of life and colour of the times including the Peasant's Revolt. It was only when I read this that I realised that Katherine's brother in law was Geoffrey Chaucer and that her and John's children produced the Tudors, Stuarts, Hanover and Windsor royal families. very informative. Green Darkness also by Anya Seton is a tale of love and loss and redemption, told against a sumptuous backdrop in two centuries. Richard Marsdon has brought his American bride Celia home to his family estate in England. Happy in the beginning but as the weeks pass, a strange mood settles over Richard and he withdraws, seeming distant and even brutal at times. Richard's moods become nearly violent, and after one particularly brutal scene, Celia retreats into a catatonic state. A family friend regresses her and Celia is forced to relieve her former life over 400 yrs ago with Richard, then called Stephen, a monk who is tormented by his love for the young, innocent, and beautiful Celia Bohun. A great story not to be missed. Kay.

Like Kay, I have just finished Katherine by Anna Seton for the second time.well worth reading. I have also been reading The Widow Ginger by Pip Granger. Set in 1954 in Soho it is very entertaining easy read.The first book about the family is Not all Tarts are Apples, which I wish I had found first. Ann, like you I have also started to enjoy Minnette Walters,and have read The Echo and The Icehouse.Both very good mysteries. Jill xx:)

Hi Ann I have managed to retrieve these from my 'recycle bin' !!!! Crimson Petal One of the best books I have read for a long time. Brilliantly researched and I would love to see it televised as a period drama. I really felt I was walking the streets with Sugar (figuratively speaking, that is!!) The characters came alive; you could almost smell the smells, taste the tastes and see the sights. The scenes were almost Dickensian, and so typical of the time portrayed. Sugar, whose mother needed to make a living and had decided to do so by setting her daughter up as a prostitute, becomes the mistress of a wealthy man. She then becomes his daughter’s governess, and from the start I got this sinking feeling that she is ‘grooming’ Sophie for a life of prostitution. William’s wife, Agnes, pampered and suffering from a ‘mental condition’ (possibly hormone related do you think?) has nothing to do with her daughter. Eventually William decides to have Agnes ‘put away’ and of the eve of her departure to the asylum she disappears. No conclusive evidence is given that the body that William identifies and has buried is that of Agnes. Then in the final pages Sophie is kidnapped by Sugar and they disappear together. How long will it be before a sequel is written, with Sugar setting up a brothel, Sophie being her prize attraction? Then Agnes will reappear from the dead to rescue her daughter?? -------------------------------------------------------- The Family Tree I was not over impressed with this book Described as a Tragicomic History I found it too superficial to be described as a history and that the way it was written rather spoilt the flow of the story. I especially disliked the footnotes describing the TV programmes of the time; they were, in my mind, totally unnecessary It portrayed a time that I remember growing up in. Back in the 60’s, with the dawning of women’s lib, childbirth outside of wedlock frowned upon; abortion frowned upon; mixed marriages frowned upon; people shopping on a daily basis (as opposed to weekly like we do now) and the whole idea of women having a career was also frowned upon. The nature/nurture debate was covered rather superficially and the references to things like Alzheimer’s disease being genetic were upsetting to me personally. The one amusing incident was the house collapsing!!! I well remember a guy I knew wanting to have a breakfast bar between his lounge diner and kitchen and demolishing a retaining wall with dire consequences for the people in the flat above. Rather disjointed and disappointing really. It didn’t live up to the reviews I had read

Ann, I haven't read The loving Spirit, but love daphne du maurier's books, so I will look out fot it. I thought The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier was especially intriguing. A really fascinating idea, I couldn't put it down.

This is a potted review of one or two of the books I have read this last month Precious Bane – Mary Webb First published in 1924 this book is about Prue Sarn, who was born with a hare lip, and her ambitious brother Gideon. It gives a vivid description of Shropshire village life, including insights into old customs and the old fashioned hiring fairs. Sadly Gideon’s dreams come to nothing and he takes his own life. Prue, however, finds true love. --------------------------------------- The Price of Coal – Barry Hines This book was adapted for TV some years ago. It is about the everyday life of coal miners in the 1970’s. The first part of the book is about the preparations made by the pit for a royal visitor. The second part describes a pit disaster. I enjoy social history and found it a fascinating insight to the life of the period. The author is better known for his children’s book Kes, the book about a Kestrel. I have Dave Bennett to thank for drawing my attention to this book and the book Kicked Into Touch by Fred Eyre, which was about football in the 60’s in Manchester. ------------------------------------- It’s Different for Girls – Jo Brand Jo Brand is best known as a stand up comic, and to be honest she should not have ventured into writing novels. I must admit you can hear her reading it, she has a certain way of describing things!!! This novel is described as being a wonderfully funny and poignant novel about growing up in the seventies, the brittle nature of teenage friendship and the hair raising twists and turns of emerging adulthood. In the first chapter a teenage party goes wrong, when one girl gets knocked unconscious in a fight and another decides she can ‘fly’ out of an upstairs window.

Not much from me I'm afraid, but will give it a go ... Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Re-read this for the umpteenth time. Timeless isn't it?! Found it just as funny, moving, true to life as ever and the characters were just as beautifully drawn and frustrating too. I still want to slap Bingley for being so easily led and to tell lady Katherine what I think of her! In my opinion this just gets better each time you read it and is as relevant today as when she wrote it. Bare - George Michael's biography Lent to me by a friend. Written around 1990 - before George 'came out'. Knowing he is gay, I felt a lot of this was contrived and there was a lot hidden between the lines. I didn't really enjoy it, although I felt I knew more about his relationship with Andrew Ridgeley afterwards and it did show what a single-minded character George has. Made me get my Wham Greatest Hits CD out too - although that may not be an entirely good thing lol!! The Reading Group - Elizabeth Noble Thoroughly enjoyed this. Bittersweet story of a year in the life of 6 women who set up a Book Club. Very clever plot lines - some of the characters link in a way that WE can see, but they haven't found out yet. Some of it was a little predictable, but I don't think that spoilt it at all. Am going to nominate another of hers for the next months read. Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs Very Da Vinci Code-esque - even mentions it in the book! Kathy Reichs is excellent as usual with all the forensic gore and Tempe's ongoing relationship with the gorgeous Andrew Ryan. I did find the plot a bit difficult to follow in parts - too many characters and locations I think - especially when the action moved to the Holy Land. It was interesting to see that, like Dan Brown, some of the story is fact and some is 'genuine speculation' - not just made up by her, but not proven yet either!

Thanks, Some good books there for me to read sometime - I have made a note of them for future reference. Ann Glos

The Brass and the Velvet - by Christabel Burniston. Felicity Hargreaves is the daughter of a gruff and prosperous mill owner who maximises profits by methods best not enquired into too closely by his sensitive, progressive daughter. She and her school friend, the doctor's daughter Belinda Bennett, want to study science at Bradford College and then go to Edinburgh to read medicine. This they eventually do, via what Henry James might have called a 'loose, baggy monster' of a story. On her leisurely way to a traditional fairy-tale ending, Burniston treats us to the time-honoured device of characters turning out to be not quite who they think they are. This book was very good. The service of clouds by Susan Hill At the far end of the long white gallery is a painting of a woman, in pale flowing clothes and lying on a sofa beside an open window. The muslin curtains billow out towards her like clouds. There is a touch of brilliant red, the ribbon on her hat. The rest is the white,cream,palest grey.It is a painting which leads Flora on, beckoning her away from her childhood, her complaining, clinging mother, pert younger sister, and the confines of a small community, to a pround and self-reliant future. But later, its image is to prove the catalyst for the most significant event in her life. Isolation, separation, solitude, betrayal. The shocks of life. The consolations and the beauty of death. A few piercing moments of absolute joy and perfect understanding. The various haunts of men - by Susan Hill A woman vanishes in the fog up on 'the Hill', an area locally known for its tranquillity and peace. The police are not alarmed; people usually disappear for their own reasons. But when a young girl, an old man and even a dog disappear no one can deny that something untoward is happening in this quiet cathedral town. Young policewoman Freya Graffham is assigned to the case, she's new to the job, compassionate, inquisitive, dedicated and needs to know - perhaps too much. She and the enigmatic detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler have the task of unravelling the mystery behind this gruesome sequence of events. From the passages revealing the killer's mind to the final heart-stopping twist you won't put it down.

The Twelfth Card by Jeffery Deaver The latest Lincoln Rhyme novel - the quadriplegic criminalist and his love Amelia Sachs once again battle against time and the odds to solve a series of crimes. As usual the plot is full of twists and turns, with the background this time Civil Rights and American History - with a tiny touch of genealogy to keep us family historians interested! I don't know an awful lot about this subject, but he does make the effort to help us non-Yanks to follow the historical parts. Oh and I didn't guess whodunnit either! Fab ending too leaving you wanting the next in the series NOW! The Black Angel by John Connolly Another Charlie Parker thriller, this time even more involved with satanic ritual and the supernatural. Don't read this if you haven't read the others in the series though - a lot of the plot links back to his previous books and you will be a bit lost. Although exciting, some of it I felt was a bit far-fetched, and for me he analyses Parker's mind too much, we know his past and how it haunts him without it being reprised time and again. Not his best, but I would still read his next. Fight for the Tiger: One Man's Fight to Save the Wild Tiger from Extinction by Michael Day Halfway through this non-fiction book at the moment. Tigers are my favourite animals and this is a real eye-opener into the world of poaching and illegal trade in Thailand and the Far East. Michael is an ordinary bloke with problems - including a failed suicide attempt - who finds a vocation during a holiday in Thailand. Don't know how it comes out yet, but am really gripped by it at the moment! Worth reading if you are an animal lover who likes an exciting tale! After all that, I had read more than I thought !!! Hope I haven't bored too many people! Maz. XX

The Time Waster Letters by Robin Cooper Described as very funny by both Ricky Gervais and Matt Lucas Robin Cooper has been plaguing department stores, collector’s groups, associations and even a children’s book publisher with letters. His correspondence with Debenhams concerning a shoelace he lost in one of their stores is hilarious. He suggests they close the store for ½ hour one day so that he can search for it. Highly recommended

The Good Earth - Pearl S Buck A rags to riches story of a Chinese farmer and his family. They move from their village to a town because of draught and then return to the village to make their fortunes. A lovely description of a train, which they hadn't seen before, being a 'fire wagon' Written at a time when the Chinese sold their little girls into slavery when the family were short of cash.

The Sunday Philosophy Club by alexander McCall Smith Isabel Dalhousie, accomplished philosopher and editor of The Review of Applied Ethica knows all about the difference between good and bad. Which is why, by instinct, she is an amateur sleuth. And instinct tells he that the man who tumbled to his death in front of her eyes after a concert in the Usher Hall didn't fall, he was pushed. a good read. Ann Glos

Wow, what a lot of interesting and inviting reviews. I now have a list nine books long to read. (Besides whatever we choose for the book club read). I think we should keep this thread going as well as the monthly choice and review. That way we can put any books we read and recommend on here. Ann Glos

The Deadly Space Between – Patricia Duncker Described by the Financial Times as ‘A sexy Oedipal page-turner-cum-eerily effective ghost story in the European tradition whose intelligence is as resonant as its sources; Freud, Faust and Frankenstein’ Tom’s mother is only 15 years older than him. She takes up with a fascinating but enigmatic scientist, Roehm. Roehm enters their lives and begins a slow dance of courtship and seduction. A fascinating and disturbing book, I certainly found it hard to put down.

De, that one sounds as if it is not for bedtime reading? Ann Glos