General Chat

The Highest Tide – Jim Lynch What an odd book. I never realised I could have found out so much about marine life in a novel The story in itself was not one I would have considered reading if it had not been selected this month It game me a few serious points to ponder. One being the one about ‘ People being respected for just being tall’ and one about ‘people feeling a connection with the sea’ – both of which inspired me to post threads on here. The other point was that ‘Life is something you do alone’ which pointed out you can only help and be helped so much. That is so true A fascinating insight into the life of an American teenage boy, and I am glad I read it. His relationship with the elderly Florence was interesting, showing that not all teenagers are thoughtless morons.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover – D H Lawrence What a disappointment. I felt sure I had read this before, and I have certainly read other books by Lawrence. When I was younger perhaps I just read the ‘naughty’ bits, as I didn’t remember much of the plot!! I found his writing style irritating, and not at all captivating. I can’t honestly believe that a certain class of people spoke in that affected way back in the early part of last century. The relationship between Clifford and Mrs Bolton was bizarre, left over from the archaic times when children were raised by Nannies and seemed to have an unhealthy relationship with them. Talk of quivering wombs and so called ‘romantic’ figures of speech!!!! To be honest I found them neither erotic or titillating, they just conjured up images of some guy’s rather odd imagination of what an affair would be like. The final letter from Mellors to Connie was just indescribably boring. I am not sure why Lawrence found it necessary to bring in all the stuff about the class divide and the closure of the pits in those final pages; it did nothing for the story as far as I was concerned All in all a disappointing read.

Review Lady Chatterley’s Lover D H Lawrence Well, much to my amazement I finished it. And also to my amazement, in the end I quite enjoyed it. I found the start very slow and wordy but once I got used to the style it began to ‘flow’ better. At first I found I had to keep re- reading to make sense. Lawrence was certainly a master of descriptive writing. I can’t say I enjoyed the passages where the men were talking, I don’t enjoy that sort of ‘clever’ conversation but it was always well written. I suppose the last time I read the book was in the late fifties and I wasn’t looking for literary content then so all I remembered (in company with most other people of my generation) were the notorious passages, in particular forget-me-nots and John Thomas, and that passage did bring a smile to my face this time, although more because of remembering when I first read it. It is amazing that Lawrence got away with writing the book in 1927, and I note his intension was to liberate the generations who regarded sex merely as an embarrassment or a mechanical act. I found the story very romantic, and the love scenes were just that, not gratuitous sex but beautifully written acts of love. So, yes I enjoyed it. I would love to have had a completely happy ending with Mellors and Connie actually living together, but no doubt we re meant to be left wondering if it would have ever worked out. Amazing to us nowadays that an affair could be so frowned upon and that they had to live apart for 6 months to enable him to achieve his divorce. How times have changed. (For the better?) One phrase I loved and chuckled at. When Mellors was discussing making love and women and he was disparaging about some women saying they ‘had to grind their own coffee’. A real euphemism if ever there was one. I was also a little surprised that Lesbians were so freely mentioned in 1928. Ann Glos

Review The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch If I had picked up this book in a book shop I would have glanced at it and put it back, it definitely doesn’t look the sort of book I normally read. I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised, I actually enjoyed it. I love the sea and found his description of sea life fascinating. For a first novel it is very good, his descriptive writing is excellent, and he draws his characters very well. I loved the human touch of Miles being small for his age and the trauma every month when hid Dad measured him and he hadn’t grown, thus disappointing his dad who himself was small. I also liked the way he used the book by Rachel Carson as Mile’s reference book (and I guess his too) in the story, a good advert for her book I would think. There were a lot of facts in this book that I hope I have retained (memory is not always what it should be these days). Who knows what lies in the deepest ocean. And, did he and Angie get carried out to sea in the end? Lovely ending, a cliff hanger, and we will probably never know, unless he writes a sequel! Yes I liked it and would probably read another of his books if he writes any. Ann Glos

*panics* Morning Ann Got to go out and find an outfit for a christening today, but I promise I'll have my reviews on by the end of the day. I also have a list of books for next month somewhere, but I've been going through my old family history notes and it's got buried on the desk somewhere! lol Jeanette x

Review The Island by Victoria Hislop. Did I enjoy it? Not at first, found it very slow at the beginning and couldn’t see where it was going. Then I found it depressing, with all the description of leprosy. But when I goy into it it got better. I learnt a lot about leprosy that I didn’t know and I hadn’t realised there was so much of it on Crete and mainland Greece in the 30s and 40s. if I am honest I had not realised either the extent to which Crete was affected by the war, so that was informative too. But, about halfway through I suddenly realised that I was enjoying the book for its story and the interaction of the relationships. It was very well researched, she knew Crete very well and had obviously researched the leprosy angle, what a horrific disease it was and still could be. A well written book and I will certainly look out for more of hers. Ann Glos

Please add your reviews for August books. The Island, The Highest Tide and Lady Chatterley's Lover. Ann Glos