Everyone can watch the Ireland AM interview at this address
http://www.tv3.ie/ireland_am.php?video=62192&locID=1.65.74.155
Well done to everyone that took part in the interview on Strumpet City
On 2nd April the Book Club welcomed their guest, writer Catherine Dunne. Catherine who has been publishing novels since 1997 is a well loved and respected novelist both here and in mainland Europe. Her books are especially welcomed in Italy. She came to read and discuss her latest novel, ‘The Things we know now’, which tackles a difficult and sensitive subject – the suicide of a young boy who appeared to have a life of privilege and secure love. Catherine explained that her reason for starting her novel with the tragic death was that she wanted to deal with the issues of why it happened, rather than build a suspenseful story on what might occur. To respect the seriousness of the subject she chose a dignified approach.
The narration moves from one character to another and is especially perceptive where we are shown the backdrop to Patrick, the boy’s father, and his life with his first family. Faults and failings leak out to us – no shouting statements – just a succession of little acts, infidelities and selfishness, that bring him alive on the page.
Catherine was generous with her time and answered many questions from the audience, not only in relation to her book but also about her life as a writer and her method of writing.
We hope she’ll come to see us soon again.
On Tuesday, 5th March 2013, the Tallaght Library Book Club was delighted to host an evening for its members and invited guests to listen to John F. Deane read from, and discuss, his latest book , ‘From Where No Storms come’. The book, set in the west of Ireland tells the story of Dorothy Lohan and Patrick Brennan – neighbours and school friends, whose lives throughout the book are bound and embraced by a rigorous Catholic background, as was the author’s own. As John Deane described it – he lived in a Catholic world appropriate to the Middle Ages. Having followed the trials and difficulties of children away from home, lonely in huge sterile institutions, intimidated by rigorous discipline and adherence to strict rules, John surprised us by saying he had loved his life, and had never felt more safe than in that cloistered environment. He reflected with love on the instruments of his education – the Latin tongue – the Gregorian chant, the meditation, facilitated by the long evening to night silences.
Our group met on Tuesday 5th February and we discussed Claire Kilroy’s ‘All names have been changed’. This got a mixed reception. We were expecting to find it more inviting – the settings being Dublin and Trinity College in particular. However, We were mainly agreed on one point and that was that the characters in total – a group of creative writers - were a very unpleasant bunch and we didn’t really want to know them any better.
It was also felt that in these straitened times it was unlikely that students would wait around for several weeks for a ‘no show’ professor to turn up. The much admired and awaited one – was the least attractive of all.
Our next meeting will be Tuesday 5th March when we will have a reading by John Deane. Hopefully we will all have had time to read his book ‘Where no storms come’.
We welcomed three new members and discussion covered JD Salinger’s ‘Catcher in the Rye’ and ‘The Uncommon Reader,’ by Alan Bennett.
An interesting divide took place on the Catcher in the Rye – more or less half of the group did not enjoy it, some of them didn’t want to finish it. On the other hand the other half of the group thought it a wonderful book. Inevitably some of the fans had enjoyed this book some time ago and retained happy memories of it.
Surrounded in our affluent society with constant pictures of lonely, dysfunctional adolescents we can become impatient with what seems to be self-centred youth. The skill of Salinger is to let us find Holden for ourselves, through his off-centre relationships, his unpleasant roommates and the various women, prostitutes and nuns, that he talks to on his solitary weekend. Where he turns for help to former teachers he is let down by suspicions of mistrust. The love of his family – particularly his little sister – charms us and the loss of his brothers – one dead, one ‘lost to hollywood’ shows us his fragile side.
Holden Caulfield on first glance had everything going for him. A comfortable financial background – expensive private education and an ability to write well. However, through his lonely weekend we fear for his safety.
The book for discussion next month is Claire Kilroy’s ‘All Names have been changed.’ Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 5th February at 6.45 p.m.
The book club meeting due to take place this evening is cancelled, it will take place next Tuesday 15th Jan from 6.45-7.45pm. The Uncommon Reader and All Names have been changed can be collected from today for next month.
A good discussion took place on The Country Girls by Edna O’Brien. Generally the feeling was that it was the work of a naive young girl and hard to see why it would have been banned. We looked at the various attitudes prevailing at the time and reckoned that her own experience with a difficult father was reflected in the book. The scenes in boarding school and in the village generally were deemed to be authentic to the period. There was general agreement on the beauty of the prose in the slow nostalgic passages reflecting the bleakness of her environment.
The next book for review is The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger and the spare copies were left back in Reception so any readers wanting to join our next session can get the book there. Suggestions re type of books for selection was interesting. There was interest in biography – particularly in relation to 1916 and the upcoming anniversaries. Also some interest in historical fiction. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel was suggested as being a great page turning story. We could look at that as a possible choice.
………………..For our MONSTER book club night Tuesday 13th November 6.30-8.30pm
South Dublin Libraries will supply copies of previously ‘banned books’ for book clubs to read and discuss on the night. This is to compliment an exhibition we are hosting called: ‘We Excercise the Power’
http://johnjonesartist.blogspot.ie/2011/05/blog-post.html
If you are interested in participating please email : eperry@sdublincoco.ie for further details.
Book Club meeting Tuesday, 4 September, 2012
There was a good turnout for our first meeting after the summer. Twelve members attended and we welcomed one new member.
The book for discussion over the summer was The Hare with Amber Eyes, by Edward Du Waal. A known potter, Edward Du Waal, used the collection of netsuke he inherited to trace the history of his family, the Ephrussis. The netsuke collection of 264 pieces comprised wood and ivory carvings, each smaller than a matchbox. His story began with the rise of the family from their home in Odessa and took us to Paris, Vienna, Japan and England. At one time the largest grain exporters in the world, the wealthy and powerful Ephrussi family was engulfed by the sweep of history and by the end of World War II had lost their homes and their fortunes. Their palaces throughout Europe were later used by governments and dictators.
The Group was divided in its opinion of the book. It was felt that the netsuke were never properly described or explained. The original collection was fully formed at the start of the book, so we had no tracings of trails to ownership. This, in itself, made the collection seem less interesting .
Most members were in agreement that the chapters on Vienna and the Anschluss were gripping and the horrors of anti Semitism brutally described. Some members enjoyed the earlier years – particularly in Paris where the art collections of Charles Ephrussi encompassed most of the Impressionists and works from the orient.
A book to read again? I think so.
The book selected for next month is ‘Other People’s Money’ by Justin Cartwright.
Copyright © 2013 South Dublin Libraries, all rights reserved. Admin