Cornflower Book Group - September, 2013

 

    We've read 60 books, we've had a break over the summer, now it's time to begin our autumn reading.

    I hope that everyone who has read some or all of the Cornflower Book Group titles and taken part in our discussions so far will be keen to get going again and start a new book. For anyone not already familiar with the group and the way it works, it's a very informal set-up, open to all, involving reading one book every month and then sharing your thoughts on it - briefly or at length, just as you wish - by way of comments on the discussion post. Ours is a friendly group, and while our opinions on a given book will of course often diverge, when we disagree we do so in a good-natured, respectful manner.

   

    To begin the new season I've chosen Crusoe's Daughter* by Jane Gardam, a novel first published in 1985 and said to be the book of which its author is most proud (though she self-deprecatingly qualifies that by adding, "I don't know about proud..."); it's also the one the critics call her finest. It tells the story of Polly Flint and the 80 years she spends in a house by the sea on a bleak coast, the world of books her solace and obsession, and you can read the opening passage here.

    On Saturday, 28th. September, I'll put up a short post on the novel to get our conversation going, then it's over to all of you to join in and have your say. If you haven't taken part before but feel like doing so now, you'll be most welcome, and of course I hope all 'old hands' will return with renewed vigour and enthusiasm.

 

    *(For the benefit of anyone overseas whose local shops or libraries don't have Crusoe's Daughter, you can order it post-free here; it's also available as an e-book.)

Comments

[Elizabeth Guster]

Oh, I loved this book when we did it in my book club about 15 years ago - I read Robinson Crusoe along with it. I hope I can join in with you, it's just a matter of finding the time at the moment.

[Cornflower]

So glad to hear that you loved it, Elizabeth, and I do hope you'll manage to find the time for a re-read.

[Claire]

This sounds good, I'm in and have ordered from you-know-who. Look forward to it.

[Cornflower]

Good! Thank you, Claire.

[Alison]

Great to have the book Group back. I'm in ...just ordered my copy:-)
Alison.

[Cornflower]

Excellent, Alison, thank you.

[Chris]

Looking forward to reading this, I've just ordered my copy too.

[LizF]

Having tracked down my 1980's paperback copy of Crusoe's Daughter I look forward to joining in with the Book Group discussion.
I know that I read a lot of Jane Gardam's work in the early 80's but I can't remember if I read this or whether it fell victim to the maternal brain condition caused by having two chidren under 3, the younger of whom had an aversion to sleeping at night!

[Cornflower]

Lovely to see enthusiasm for it. Thanks, Chris.

[Cornflower]

I remember maternal brain condition ... how few books I read at that stage!

[Danielle]

A perfect excuse to pull this from the TBR pile--I have a lovely new Europa Editions copy of this that has been anxiously awaiting my attention! Wow--60 books--that's impressive. I've only read a handful of them, I suspect, but I very much enjoy reading along when I can. Great choice of books!

[Rebecca]

I think we've run Book Dep. out of copies! Hope it comes back in in time for me to read it for September.