Discussion Summaries 2020

 

Wednesday, December 9, 2020: There Are Little Kingdoms by Kevin Barry. 

For most of our reading group, “There Are Little Kingdoms” was our introduction to Kevin Barry, and we struggled at first with his style: some found it cryptic and condensed, others poetic and imaginative. These short stories are best when read slowly or read aloud, when the Irish intonation comes out more clearly. Many of the readers found the stories overwhelmingly bleak, focussing on alcoholics, cheating husbands, teenage thieves and drug dealers. Other readers found the stories comic and redemptive, demonstrating how the characters attempt to rise above their backgrounds. We especially enjoyed the descriptions of rural and small-town Ireland, which are not merely backdrops but are inseparable from the characters. ML

 

Wednesday, November 11, 2020: Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor.

Elisabeth Taylor offers insightful character sketches of the residents of the Claremont Hotel in London with wry humor. The main character, Mrs Palfrey, is typical of the widowed in the 60’s- she has gone through life doing what is expected of her, enacting the English way of seeming, with patience, perseverance, acceptance, without self-pity.

 

The book revolves around the disaster that is ageing- the sadness of becoming lonely, loss of freedom, less mobility, put aside by family, no longer needed, no longer giving, only taking. Mrs Palfrey’s young saviour/writer likewise suffers from isolation and lack of purpose. Their relationship started cynically with him storing her conversations for future use in his planned book “We Aren’t Allowed to Die Here”, but developed into something warm and positive.

 

The days are repetitive with little stimulation other than health concerns, knitting, playing cards, reading the papers, watching television. The highlights are the meals especially when rare guests join. Such novelties are met with close observation, envy and commentary.

 

The majority liked the book but found the prospect of our own old age as described,

daunting and sad. We would like to think we are of another generation, more independent, healthier, more open and better networked, so will be spared this ignominy. COVID19 is a timely glimpse of the realities of self-isolation. EK

 

Wednesday, October 14, 2020: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett:

This is the first book discussion via Zoom and we were all very delighted to “see” each other again and be able to discuss books and literature after all this time without being able to meet due to Corona. Thank you again to Ursula and Michelle for initiating and organising the Zoom meeting!

 

The book “The Dutch House” got very mixed responses. It was pretty much a case of either love it or hate it, where 6 liked the book and would recommend it to others and 4 didn’t like it to the extent where some only got to the 3rd chapter or no farther than the first 100 pages. Those who did not take to the book mentioned that they could not relate to the characters, that it was too slow/boring, that it was about a bunch of sad people and that the point of the story was hard to grasp/pinpoint. The discussion nevertheless was very successful as those who had finished the book had plenty to talk about such as:

 

- the portrayal of a sibling relationship. The comparison was even made to the fairy tale “Hänsel und Gretel”

- mothers abandoning their children vs fathers abandoning their families.

- Danny’s character development from boy to adult and how history repeats itself in his likeness to his father. Whether the behaviour he displays at the end of the book is childish self pity or understandable and justified.

- Maeve’s diabetes and her non-existing personal life

- the house as a character and how in the end it comes back full circle into the family’s possession.

- how most of us had difficulty relating to and understanding Elna (Danny’s mother) and whether the end of the book was believable/relatable and whether it was any good at all. 

 

With a few exceptions, it is all in all a book that most of us enjoyed reading and would recommend to a friend. JB

 

Wednesday, February 12, 2020: (Not a book discussion) Excursion to the Gedenkstätte für Flüchtlinge in Riehen. http://gedenkstaetteriehen.ch/:

We visited together this memorial for refugees and displaced persons of WWII. The memorial is located on Swiss territory in the former switchman’s building along the railway line to Basel that was completely under control of Germany during the war. The purpose of this memorial is to inform visitors about the refugees (mostly Jews) who sought refuge and entry here during the war. Many were denied entry because of the ‘J’ stamped in their passports. The memorial documents the difficulties and dilemmas here for Basel residents at that time as well as the politics of the Swiss Federal Council and of Basel’s government. Johannes Czwalina, who founded and is in charge of this memorial, gave us a brief history of the building, the documentation and library. Individually we then spent over an hour immersing ourselves in reading these authentic and terribly tragic stories. We were moved and touched by their mostly hopeless situations and were also impressed by the documentation of the moral courage shown by some people in Basel who risked their lives to help refugees for principles of justice. DD

 

Wednesday, January 8, 2020: Exit West by Mohsin Hamid:

Over the past few years, our group has discussed several books that describe the horrors of war, racial prejudice and migration in graphic detail. Exit West handles these topics more subtly, focusing on how a militant uprising affects a young man and woman who have just met each other. Bit by bit, the institutions that build a society—education, work, housing, infrastructure—break down and the young couple are forced to rely more and more on each other. Their relationship is tested further after they flee to the West through special “doors” and shift from one migration camp to another. Almost everyone enjoyed the description of how the couple’s relationship developed, although a few readers felt that the characters are not well rounded. We all enjoyed Hamid’s gentle sense of humor and his hope for a future in which all cultures can accept and intermingle with each other.

The author discusses his novel with the World Book Club: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/world-book-club/id263658343

ML