Category: Wenvoe Page Turners

Page Turners

The Book Character Page Turners Would Most Like to Meet

A survey for World Book Day asked ‘leading lights of literary luminaries’ to name the characters who gave them the greatest reading pleasure. The list included Pip (Great Expectations), Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice), Sherlock Holmes (Hound of the Baskervilles etc), Gandalf (Lord of the Rings) and Anne (Anne of Green Gables). The Page Turners were asked to select a character from a book that they would most like to meet.
Sylvia would like a whodunit solved. She would like to meet Mlle de Poitiers, the French Mistress from the book, ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ by Joan Lindsay. Sylvia would be keen to talk with her about the ‘event’ and the pupils involved. The detective Endeavour, from the Morse series by Colin Dexter was Helen’s choice. Helen believes he is a dour, irascible character who has the ability to collate a series of clues. Endeavour also has the prowess to effortlessly complete The Times crossword every day, and Helen would greatly appreciate meeting him to obtain some tips!! Tess would like a walk down memory lane and meet up with Sir Wilfred Thesiger author of ‘Arabian Sands’ and ‘The Marsh Arabs’. Tess spent many years in the Middle East and would like to chat with Sir Wilfred of their shared experiences of crossing the Empty Quarter (Rub-al-Khali) and travels in the Middle East. Babs selected the character Olive Ketteridge from the novel of the same name by Elizabeth Strout. This novel comprises of 13 short stories, highlighting characters living in Crosby, Maine. The common thread in each of the stories is Olive, a retired school teacher, who has impacted in many ways on the lives of different characters. Babs believes Olive is cranky, opinionated, complex and fascinating: and she thinks they would become friends if they ever met! Lynne chose Celie, an African-American woman living in the deep American south, from the novel ‘The Colour Purple’ by Alice Walker. Celie was born into poverty and segregation and spends most of her life being mistreated and abused by the men in her life. Celie eventually takes charge of her own destiny and becomes free of her abusive past. A strong, hopeful and combative character that Lynne believes would provoke some stimulating discussions. Sandra had just completed the ‘The Testaments’ by Margaret Attwood and would like to meet the divorced judge, Aunt Lydia. Aunt Lydia is imprisoned with other women in a stadium and endures weeks of squalid conditions. Aunt Lydia emerges as a woman who accepts that she must do what is necessary to stay alive. She becomes a mole. Sandra wonders why she chose to become a mole and behaved so badly, so cruelly and so stupidly. May would like to meet Miss Marple, a character from Agatha Christie books, including ‘The Murder at the Vicarage’. May imagines she would be good for a gossip and might also chat about some of the crime solutions she has been involved in (minus the gory details!)
Which character in which book would you like to meet?

 

---

---

 

Readers Transported To Another Time, Space Or Place

Another month, another missed Page Turners meeting, as lockdown in Wales continued into June. Part of the restrictions imposed on us all have been travel limitations. However, many books enable readers to be transported to another time, space and/or place and to experience new and different cultures, scenery and people. The Page Turners were asked to nominate a book they had read which had taken them on a journey to a different, exciting or new place. Without stepping onto a train, plane, car or liner, join us on our trips and maybe find inspiration for your next book or holiday choice…

Alexander McCall Smith’s “No 1 Ladies Detective Agency” was May’s choice. Having been a volunteer teacher for 2 years in Botswana, the book brought back memories for May of the warmth of the Botswana people, glimpses of their way of life and the desert scenery. May felt very privileged to be able to spend time in such a wonderful country.

Sandra chose “Four Seasons in Rome” by Anthony Doerr, a travelogue of the author’s time in Rome. Sandra loved Rome when she visited and felt Doerr’s descriptions of Rome were breath-taking, vivid and real. There is also an insight into events on St Peter’s square after the death of Pope John Paul II.

Babs’s choice was “A Fine Balance” by Rohinton Mistry, set in India in 1975. Babs believes the characters were well portrayed, in a country where caste, gender, poverty and corruption made every day “a fine balance” between misery and hope. Subsequently Babs visited India which she describes as, not so much a holiday, as an assault on all the senses: the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and emotions she experienced will never be forgotten.

Another novel by Rohinton Mistry was chosen by Jenny. “Family Matters” portrays the fictionalised life of a Parsi family in present day Bombay. Jenny thought it was a very moving novel, bringing alive the colours, smells and overpowering atmosphere of a frenetic Bombay. Jenny dreams of visiting Mistry’s India to experience his India for herself.

Another novel set in India was chosen by Tess. This is the longest novel in the English language so stamina will be needed if you decide to pick this book up. The novel is set four years after Independence and is Vikram Seth’s “A Suitable Boy”. Tess claims Seth takes you through Indian traditions and culture with charming endearment, as well as laying bare its faults. If we are still locked down for the next 3 months, this is an ideal choice to keep you inside and occupied!

“Clouds from Both Sides” by Julie Tullis was Lynne’s selection. The book tells the story of how Julie, at the age of 45, became the first British woman to climb an 8,000m Himalayan mountain. It’s an exhilarating account of her courage and adventures in various mountain environments around the world. You’re never too old to climb a mountain!

Sylvia chose Barbara Kingsolver’s novel “Las Laguna”, which is set in Mexico City and Asheville, North Carolina. Having been to both places, Sylvia enjoyed this “great read”, reliving the epic journey described in the book. Sylvia particularly liked reading about the enigmatic Frida Kahlo whose work she finds fascinating.

Helen’s nomination was a “coffee table” book, “Antarctica” by Mike Lucas. It is a lavishly illustrated account of the geology, history, climate and wild life which makes up this area. Helen believes the book is totally inspirational and an evocative read. Helen is lucky enough to have travelled to this continent, and although the panoramas in the book are spectacular, she feels they do not do justice to the reality…..but in lockdown to travel to an ice-covered continent, courtesy of Mr Lucas, would be special.

“One should always have something sensational to read on a train,” wrote Oscar Wilde. I hope you will find a “sensational” book in the list above, that will find its way into your luggage when you pack for your next journey….

 

---

---

 

 

This month, the Page Turners were asked to suggest which of their favourite authors they would invite to a post-lockdown dinner party and why.

May issued her invitation to Jane Austen, author of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Emma’, amongst many others. May would ask her if she wrote romances based on her personal feelings, or because they were popular and provided her with an income.

Sylvia’s choice of guests would be Annie Proux, the Pulitzer prize winning author of ‘The Shipping News’ and ‘Brokeback Mountain’. Her latest novel is ‘Barkskin’s’, whose theme is deforestation. Sylvia’s dinner party discussions would centre on the meticulous research undertaken for her books.

Lynne would like Michelle Obama who wrote ‘Becoming’ at her table. Michelle (presumably I would be on first name terms if she was in my house!!) was the first African American First Lady of the USA and has inspired a generation of women. Conversations with her on education, poverty, politics and empowering women would be very interesting.

Helen’s guest would be Sir Thomas More, the 16th century humanist, martyr and statesman who wrote several books, including ‘Utopia’ and ‘Richard III’. He was also a prolific writer of poetry. Helen would like to hear his opinion on Hilary Mantel’s trilogy which makes his nemesis, Thomas Cromwell, a hero. That would be an interesting discussion over a glass of wine!

Tess is hoping to have two guests: C.J. Sansom who has written numerous historical mysteries set in the reign of Henry VIII; Tess is hoping he will be accompanied by the afore mentioned Hilary Mantel who writes about the same period. It seems Hilary is rather a popular choice with some Page Turners. I hope both guests enjoy the Welsh cakes, a Tess speciality, that may be offered to them!

Babs would send her invitation to Marian Keyes who has written numerous novels including ‘Rachel’s Holiday’ and ‘Grown Ups’. Babs started to read her books in the late 1990s when she says she was at her most miserable…A friend told her they would cheer her up, which they did as Babs enjoyed Marian’ s humour. Babs and Marian would hopefully enjoy a happy and humorous conversation about her books together with some chilled wine.

Sandra would invite Victoria Hislop whose novels include ‘The Return’, ‘The Thread’ and ‘Those Who are Loved’. Sandra loves history and feels that Victoria has taught her a great deal about Greece and its people, as many of her novels are stand-alone titles based around historical events in Greece. Sandra wonders whether she should offer Victoria Greek cuisine as they sit and chat about Greece and its history. I’m sure Victoria would love a kebab!

Margaret Atwood would have been one of my choices for a dinner guest. Then I read that she has a note pinned to a board above where she writes and it says: ‘Wanting to meet an author because you like his work, is like wanting to meet a duck because you like pate’. So, I left her off my list….and will ensure I put duck pate on the menu for my dinner guest!

Who would YOU like to invite to your post coronavirus dinner party…do you agree with our choice of guests? We hope this list of authors and their novels has given you some food for thought and tempted you to pick up a book…or two.

 

---

---

 

Page turners was cancelled!

Due to the coronavirus the April meeting of the Page turners was cancelled. As there was no discussion possible of the latest book, no review is available. However, it was decided that the Page turners would reflect on the 90+ books that have been read by members over the last few years, and each member would choose the best book from the selection we have all read. This list may act as a prompt for people in Wenvoe in lockdown to pick up a book …and compare what you think to our reviews.

Here is the list but in no particular order….happy reading!

May chose ‘Tombland’ by C J Sansom. A detailed historical murder mystery.

Sylvia and Sandra both selected ‘The Poisonwood Bible’ by Barbara Kingsolver. This is the story of a missionary’s life in remote Congolese village and is an incredibly detailed portrait of his family and Congolese society.

Tess suggested ‘Anna Karenina’ by Tolstoy. She believes it is the best love story of all time and even when he unbuttoned her long gloves it was very sensual.

Lynne nominated ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The novel tells the story of the Biafran war through the perspectives of different characters. Very vivid storytelling.

Babs and Helen opted for ‘The Invention of Wings’ by Sue Monk Kidd. Babs thought it was a powerful and revealing historical novel based on the life of abolitionist Sarah Grimke and her slave Handful. Helen believes the lessons of history have not been learned and modern day slavery is still rife in some parts of the world.

Jenny really liked ‘All the Light we Cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr. This is an intricate fable of morality and science set against the backdrop of WW2. Jenny loved the myriad cast of characters and thought it was an exciting and moving novel.

This is a diverse selection of favourite reads, reflecting the lively discussions that frequently take place each month after the Page turners have read the chosen novels. We hope the list may inspire you to curl up with a book, or even one of these books selected by the Pageturners, during this period of lockdown. You’re never alone when you have a book to read

 

---

---

 

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

This well-written novel highlights the African American community in the Southern States and has been chosen by Barack Obama as one of his favourite books.

The story unfolds through the voices of the three main characters: the newly married Roy and Celestial and their mutual friend André, who has known Celestial since infancy. A wrongful arrest results in a long prison sentence for Roy and we see the pair developing separate lives. A series of letters charts the disintegration of their marriage. Celestial finds comfort in André’s support and after three years they become closer. Two years later, Roy’s conviction is overturned. When he returns to see his wife, he has to accept that his marriage has ended.

Despite the inevitability of broken relationships, each character finds a positive way of moving forward and the book ends optimistically. Everyone enjoyed reading this book, finding the people relatable and the subject thought-provoking. A score of 7/10.

Thank you very much Sylvia for hosting an enjoyable evening and providing delicious home-made apricot flapjacks.

 

---

---

 

The Sealwomans Gift by Sally Magnusson

These are some of our comments about this book, the debut novel for Sally Magnusson.

Beautifully written, loved this book, rich in wording, descriptions superb, incredible quality of writing, lots of humour even in dire circumstances, superb language, clear storylines, based on a historical event which makes it particularly interesting, no unrealistic ending.

So what’s it all about:- In 1627 Barbary pirates rounded the coast of Iceland and abducted 400 of its people, including 250 from a tiny island off the mainland.

Among the captives sold into slavery were the island pastor, his wife and their 3 children.

In this re-imagining Sally Magnusson gives a voice to Asta the pastors wife. Enslaved in an alien Arab culture Asta meets the loss of her freedom and her children with the one thing she has brought from home, the stories in her head. Steeped in the sagas and folk tales of her northern homeland she finds herself experiencing not just the separations and agonies of captivity but the reassessments that come in any age when intelligent eyes are opened to other lives, other cultures and other kinds of longing.

This book is about the eternal power of storytelling to help us survive. The novel is full of stories, Icelandic ones to fend off a slave owner’s advances, Arabian ones to help an old man die.

The Sealwoman was captured with Asta and lay next to her on the slave ship. Her gift was the saga she recounted which enabled Asta to find peace when she finally returned to Iceland after many years away.

As well as all our comments we further discussed how advanced the Ottoman Empire was, how hard life sounded in Iceland, the decline and fall of civilisations throughout history

Some quotes from the book: “Forgetting gets easier, thinking gets harder”: “It is important to be known”: “Men’s stories come through history, women’s don’t”.

 

---

---

 

FALLING ANGELS

Tracey Chevalier.

This novel tells the story of two families, covering a period from the end of the Victorian and into the Edwardian eras. The author highlights the many social changes through this decade, including the customs and etiquette of mourning and the beginnings of the suffragette movement.

The Colemans and the Waterhouses first meet at a cemetery whilst mourning the death of Queen Victoria. Their family burial plots are next to each other and, despite their very different personalities, the two young daughters Lavinia Waterhouse and Maude Coleman begin a friendship which we follow over the subsequent years, as they become neighbours and grow to maturity.

Each of the short chapters is individually narrated by the numerous characters in the book, including not only the members of the two families but also the household staff and the graveyard employees. The Page Turners agreed that this method of writing gave the impression that the characters were addressing you personally and, as such, were extremely well portrayed. We got to know them very well and very quickly with varying perspectives from the character’s different social backgrounds.

However some of the Page Turners felt there were too many storylines that were only touched upon and not developed sufficiently and as such, preferred the author’s previous novel ‘The Girl with the Pearl Earring’.

Generally it was agreed that the book was very well written, descriptive and a good read which can be recommended. The scores ranged from 7 to 9 giving an overall score of 7.6.

Our thanks to May for the delicious home made ginger cake and other goodies which we all enjoyed following our lively discussion about this novel.

 

---

---

 

 

Miss Garnet’s Angel

by Salley Vickers

The book contains two stories running in parallel, linked by the Angel Raphael. In one, Julia Garnet comes to Venice and gradually transforms from a lonely spinster, to become a sociable retired lady. The transformation is brought about by her growing love of Venice and its art, and her friendship with a variety of people, a young boy, twins, an older man and an American couple. The character of Julia was clearly written, with flashes of humour.

The second story is about the journey of Tobias and the Archangel Raphael, from the Book of Tobit, part of the Apocrypha. Some found this story intriguing, others found it intrusive.

Most felt the book evoked a deep love of Venice, and the ending showed a concern about its flood risk. The audio version was not recommended.

An enjoyable read score 7/10.

 

---

---

 

 

Educated by Tara Westover

Tara was raised in a Mormon survivalist home in rural Idaho. The book is a memoir of her life within this family and how she escaped to become ‘educated’.

Tara and her family grew up preparing for the End of Days but according to the government she didn’t exist. She hadn’t been registered for a birth certificate. She had no school records because she had never set foot in a classroom, and no medical records because her father didn’t believe in hospitals.

As she grew older her father became more radical and her brother more violent. At sixteen Tara knew she had to leave home. In doing so she discovered the transformative power of education and the price she had to pay for it.

Well, this book gave rise to a long, lively and wide-ranging discussion. We talked about how this family operated, our thoughts about present and past days in the USA, and questioned if the story of the Westover family is totally credible. Our conclusion was that it is a book well worth reading and we gave it a score of 8.

 

---

---

 

Tombland by C J Sansom

This is the seventh novel in the series
featuring the lawyer, Matthew
Shardlake. Set in the summer of 1584, Tombland
weaves a murder mystery around the Kett uprising in
East Anglia.
John Boleyn is accused of murdering his wife Edith so
the Lady Elizabeth (Queen to be) takes an interest in
the case leading to extra complications.
For most of us it was a thoroughly enjoyable read, the
descriptions made you feel that you were actually in
the camp with the peasants when they were preparing
for their rebellion. The solving of the murder took
many twists and turns, and the characters really came
alive. The author is a master of Tudor historical
fiction.
Some felt this was one of his weaker plots and it was a
real tome to get through – 800 pages. There was no
wandering in to a second book this month! A few
historical inaccuracies were noted, including one
regarding the emblem of Wales. However, these were
forgiven in a jolly good read. Highly recommended
and we gave it a score of 9.
Tombland has in fact been No I in the Sunday Times
Best Sellers list recently.
Tess rewarded us with some delicious cakes,
especially the Welsh Cakes (actually made by Alan)

 

 

---

---