We had a wonderful and engaging discussion of this fabulous book, thanks to everyone who participated and special thanks to Fiona and Bill Ross for letting us use Bill's Zoom platform. That is much preferable to having my compliance team watch, so thank you! While I can't say we all loved the book, it was certainly thought-provoking and well-written, with an impressively effective translation.
This novel in some ways seemed quite straightforward and in others complex, and in ways hard to explain. The story line was fairly narrative and seemed quite mundane; a newly retired professor of Medieval Literature becomes away of, and then involved with a group of refugees from various parts of Africa, While straightforward, this novel is profound and unsettling while still being subtle. As Richard delves into the individual refugee story, he is drawn in and tries to help.
The self-absorbed, rather remote Richard becomes entangled with the individuals trying to find a life in their new location. He also returns again and again to a disturbing death in his neighborhood. A man has drowned in the local lake, and his body has not been found. The drifting, inert body recurs through the novel, somehow mirroring the stasis of the refugees - between an unattainable future and an inconceivable past.
As we learn more about Richard, as well as these vividly drawn migrants, the degree of his insulated life shown through clearly. As he discovers the rest of the world, one with difficult, urgent and emotional issues, we also see the larger story. This is a remarkable book, one with a story to tell that transcends its time and setting.
And so, on we go. There were too many great reading suggestions to pick just one, so we have a list. Our next meeting will be on April 20, at 6:30 pm. The book will be The Great Influenza by John M. Barry. This is a bit of a tome, but it has gotten lots of praise for its telling of the flu pandemic of 1918 and the race for scientific discoveries to fight it. Let's hope we can be together.
May's book will be Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd. The premise of this historical novel is laughable. A 16-year old girl is left in charge of her family holdings by her absent father in the South Carolina of 1739. It was a surprise to find it is based on an actual historic figure who triumphs in the end and even gets the guy. Feel free to skim the first 100 pages but it is really good by the end. The date is May 18 unless we want to shift.
In June we return to one of our most thought-provoking authors, Marilynn Robinson and her first novel Housekeeping. When we read her novel Home, it was hard to stop talking about it. Robinson is revered in the literary world and it is easy to see why. The date for this meeting is June 15.
Happy reading!
