Help! Book club and I have not read the book

[Montypig]

Its Philomena - and its about the 10,0000 time in a row that I have not done my homework

Give me something intelligent to say ! I can't cancel at this late stage

Oh dear oh dear oh dear

[DrNick]

go and agree with everyone

god knows why people join book clubs

[ZeroSomeGameThingy]

Next time choose something I've read. Then I'll be happy to help.

[TawdryTatou]

Say that you thought the protagonist's journey was both literally and metaphorically speaking a tour de force. The relationships examined in the novel show that human relationships are at once as fragile as cobwebs and as strong as the cables that hold bridges together - indeed, our relationships are the bridges that we cross daily, in our interactions with the world. Say that the story arc was reminiscent of a Greek odyssey, and the denouement left you panting like a satisfied lover, yet, ironically, unsatisfied, as you longed to turn back to page one and start again.

Then lean back and eat all the crisps and neck the warm wine while the rest of the group...regroup

[ZeroSomeGameThingy]

Or

"Would you agree with me that the writer tells you everything you need to know about this book in the very first sentence?...."

[Montypig]

You are all so very very wise - why join if I wasn't going to read the books, why didn't I pick a book Zero had read, and now that I have the response to every book ever written, I never need read any of the books again.

I thank you oh Mumsnet wise ones ( getting into the swing of the language needed this evening now !)

[elmerelephant]

I always find Amazon reviews very informative if you havent read the book club book, or even Wikipedia at a last resort

[MysteriousHamster]

read the goodreads reviews!

[LordEmsworth]

I am three quarters of the way through it. It was a gift or I would have stopped by now ;-)

Feel free to air my grievances re. the omniscient narrator who knows exactly how the man - who died long before the book was even thought of - thought and felt about EVERY BLOODY THING.

Mention the interesting references to Ronald Reagan, ask someone to explain what gerrymandering is, say how shocked you were at the situation of gay men as recently as the 70s. That will make it clear you got past the imprisoned single mothers/mostly horrid nuns/self-serving Catholic church bit at the beginning...

[ZeroSomeGameThingy]

I demand a (perhaps slightly sozzled) update.

And anyway I need to know what I should be preparing for your next meeting.....

[TheNunsOfGavarone]

The thread's very title reminds me why I'm not in a bookclub..... OK sorry not helpful at all. I hope the evening wasn't too bad and you got to the wine and crisps part quickly!

[hackmum]

LordEmsworth is right. Bloody awful book, in my view. Look up gerrymandering before you go, so you can sound knowledgeable about it.

[Montypig]

Thank you all for the help: actually it was a lovely evening and everyone else had lots of opinions so I could nod sagely and pass the wine!

Outing myself completely - Times Arrow is the next one - and I have read it already so smug smug smug

[Montypig]

OH and Zero - thank you in advance - let me know what I think please !

[AnneWentworth]

I am not reading this months book club book - I just decided not to and to read The Three Musketeers instead and I sort of run the book club. I will pop along to eat cake and tell them about the swashbuckling heroes because we are the sort who digress.