Book Club Report: February 2014

Page
A Working for an MP Guide
Parliamentary Book Club
First Published 27 Feb 2014 w4mp
Last Updated 27 Feb 2014 w4mp
Last Reviewed 27 Feb 2014 w4mp
Revision notes

Parliamentary Book Club News

The main Book Club Page

ROVOKING PROSE

 

There were varied discussions on a number of thought provoking reads since our last meeting, and reviews of many of the movies which have featured in both BAFTA and OSCAR nominations – many of which were screenplays adapted from novels.

Ben Elton’s “Two Brothers” showed the depth of his writing and took the fictional Saturday Club children who become friends in Berlin as the 1930s approach and Hitler stamps his mark on the population of the city. Based in part on some of Elton’s family and descriptions of true events that were affecting Germany and wider Europe, the two ‘brothers’ of the novel were in fact not true siblings, and one being a Jew added drama as the story developed into major incidents in their lives. Well worth reading

Richard Yates “Eleven Kinds of Loneliness” is part of a larger collection of short stories, from the author most famous for “Revolutionary Road” (itself also a successful film adaptation) Yates writes on his experiences in post war America and there is much based on military experience and finding refuge in friendship and love from a male perspective. Short stories can disappoint and there is sometimes the feeling of rushed endings, but overall there were some interesting characters and scenarios portrayed.

This month we have three books to tempt you!

“The Last Asylum” by Barbara Taylor

“The Rosie Project” by Graeme Simison

“The Elegance of a Hedgehog” translation/Muriel Barber

 

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 2nd April – 12.30pm meeting at Bellamys 1 Parliament Street. All working across Westminster are welcome. We are a group who enjoy a wide variety of reading, film and theatre and often go out on social evenings and have welcomed guest authors to speak at Westminster.