Book Group Meeting
Hi Every one
Thank you for coming to Book Club on Monday it was so lovely to see you all. For those of you who couldn't make it last night or have forgotten already this is what we talked about.
This last month we have been reading The Given Day by Dennis Lehane. This epic novel is set in Boston, and starts after the Boston Red Sox's won the world Series in 1919. The prologue of the book cleverly features all of the themes ( race, politics, class, family, immigration, nepotism and corruption) that are in the book leaving you with an understanding of what to expect from the beginning of the novel.
Lehane uses influential figures of the time such as Babe Ruth to add flavor and atmosphere. But he also used Babe's character as a break from the politics and painted a picture of the bubble he created for himself to keep reality out.
It was interesting to read about this period in time that featured so many major events that changed society. The clamp down on civil liberty, prohibition,Terrorism, the Spanish influenza epidemic and of course the Boston Police Strike of 1919
Whilst the majority of the readers enjoyed the book many felt that some of the descriptions and fight scenes were to epic and could have done with better editing, at 702 pages the novel is really quite long. It must also be said that some felt the story lacked depth and complexity suggesting that it would make a great grade B movie !
However we were all left wondering why the book used the title The Given Day and wondered what the relevance of the title was for Lehane.
Once again a lovely meeting and I look forward to seeing you all next month.
Happy Reading
Ellie
Thank you for coming to Book Club on Monday it was so lovely to see you all. For those of you who couldn't make it last night or have forgotten already this is what we talked about.
This last month we have been reading The Given Day by Dennis Lehane. This epic novel is set in Boston, and starts after the Boston Red Sox's won the world Series in 1919. The prologue of the book cleverly features all of the themes ( race, politics, class, family, immigration, nepotism and corruption) that are in the book leaving you with an understanding of what to expect from the beginning of the novel.
Lehane uses influential figures of the time such as Babe Ruth to add flavor and atmosphere. But he also used Babe's character as a break from the politics and painted a picture of the bubble he created for himself to keep reality out.
It was interesting to read about this period in time that featured so many major events that changed society. The clamp down on civil liberty, prohibition,Terrorism, the Spanish influenza epidemic and of course the Boston Police Strike of 1919
Whilst the majority of the readers enjoyed the book many felt that some of the descriptions and fight scenes were to epic and could have done with better editing, at 702 pages the novel is really quite long. It must also be said that some felt the story lacked depth and complexity suggesting that it would make a great grade B movie !
However we were all left wondering why the book used the title The Given Day and wondered what the relevance of the title was for Lehane.
Once again a lovely meeting and I look forward to seeing you all next month.
Happy Reading
Ellie
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