Come and chat to LOUISE DOUGHTY about Apple Tree Yard (and all her previous books), TONIGHT, 9-10pm

[TillyBookClub]

'It is about the fine line women walk’. That’s how Hilary Mantel described our January Book of the Month by Mumsnet Academy speaker Louise Doughty. APPLE TREE YARD opens with a trial, where Yvonne (52, a well-known geneticist, attractive, happily married) is giving evidence. Yvonne has had a sexual encounter with a man about whom she knows nothing. Her one moment of madness pulls her into an increasingly alarming web of violence and brutality. A brilliantly addictive combination of courtroom drama, crime thriller and literary psychological novel, APPLE TREE YARD is perfectly structured. It is also a fascinating study of how society views an attractive woman in her 50s, and the injustices and manipulations of our justice system. Lots of hidden twists, so be careful not to give the game away…

You can find more, including Louise’s interview with Mariella Frostrup on Radio 4’s Open Book and a profile of her in the Telegraph, on Louise's highly informative website or read an interview with Louise and her editor on Faber's website.

Faber have 50 copies to give to Mumsnetters – to claim yours please fill in your details on the book of the month page. We’ll post on the thread when all the copies have gone. If you’re not lucky enough to bag one of the free books, you can always get your paperback or Kindle version here.

We are thrilled that Louise (author of seven novels, including Whatever You Love, and her non-fiction book A Novel in a Year, based on her hugely popular newspaper column) will be joining us and answering questions about APPLE TREE YARD, her writing career and her previous novels on Tuesday 28 January, 9-10pm.

So please feel free to discuss the book here throughout the month, pop up any advance questions and we will see you all here, Tue 28 January.

spoilers

One big question I have about the book is about the letters on Yvonne's computer. Guy deleted the letters from the computer therefore he was aware of the affair, which suggests that her knew her very well. But then how could he not have known she was deeply traumatised from an attack? That didn't ring true to me at all.

Was the chimpanzee experiment real? That has unnerved me ever since I read it

Like others, I found this a really compelling read. I was struck by the realism of the scenes around Westminster (eg in Portcullis House and Parliament) and the surrounding streets. I thought Apple Tree Yard was probably made up to give a contrast between an idyllic sounding place and less that idyllic action taking place there, and was surprised to see it there in my A to Z (will check it out next time I'm around Picadilly!).

My question for Yvonne is:

Please could you tell us a bit about how you researched the settings for this book, and how important is it for you to use actual vs fictional places?

Many thanks!

I finished reading it this morning. Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed it. I loved the twists and turns, and the raising of moral dilemmas. I have to say there's no way I'd go off to a crypt with a man I'd only just met, however good-looking he was :o

My favourite part was the Old Bailey trial - so atmospheric that I felt I was there watching from the gallery :)

My question is, given that it came out in the trial that Mark was a sexual predator who often searched the security tapes for attractive women to follow, do you think he did feel differently about Yvonne? Did he love her? Did he, in fact, fall under her influence, given what she whispered to him at their meeting in Vauxhall? How innocent was she, then, in the circumstances? He never revealed that fact at the trial, did he? And that would have been damning for her.

Now I'm wondering what to read next that could possibly beat that for drama. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I'm looking forward to chatting to everyone tomorrow night. A word of warning - I may be cagey about giving answers that give away big plot developments...

marking place excitedly

Do you actually live in the metline area of London? I think this is the first time I have ever heard South Harrow mentioned in a book.

I also want to say how much I enjoyed the book, which is so far outside of my Comfort Zone reading (mainly urban fantasy, or science fiction). I found the inexorable progression of deceit so well done.

Met line reference was a nostalgia trip for me too. I (wrongly?) assumed at one point Yvonne lived in Amersham or Chesham - end of the met line.

@sherazade

where do I fill my details to claim a free copy?

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The part that most struck me was the construct of Yvonne and Guys marriage.
His prolonged affair and her cool wife attitude to it. They barely seemed to interact at all which led me to wonder why their marriage was heralded by them as happy. Denial?
I also found the session with Marks' Police Officer friend harrowing as it showed, quite clearly, how rape victims have to be incredibly brave (or naive) in order to seek justice through the courts.
This book will stay with me for a long time.

I'm looking forward to coming online soon but just wanted to say that although I won't have time to reply to everyone, I have read all the comments so far and want to thank all the people who posted some wonderful positive and thoughtful thoughts reactions to the book. I'm in the throes of a new one at the moment and all encouragement is very gratefully received.

I downloaded the book from Audible. If you like an audio book, be warned, you will stay up all night (on a school night) be knackered all day, then do it all over again the next night as it is impossible to switch off...

Crack on with the new book Louise, I'll be booking leave when it comes out

I enjoyed your book enormously and in particular the interplay between the characters and Yvonne's lack of self-respect as she falls prey to a man who is flattering her ego, perhaps, as we learn, repairing the damage her husband's affair has done. I found it appealing to see a strong, intelligent female lead portrayed with depths of insecurity and a reality we rarely see, you have certainly not fallen into stereotypical characterisation.

The only part of the book I found unsatisfying, was the ending. I did not feel that Yvonne would have been a conscious party to murder, much more likely was her unwitting involvement I felt. Did you feel under publisher's pressure to write this ending and if not, why did you feel that it was a possibility.

Hi Louise,

So this is a really cheeky question and I expect you get asked it a lot. Basically, I want to know if you know anyone who has done an 'Apple Tree Yard' in London because, as a Londoner, I can't believe it would ever happen - do you think it ever does?! Should we all be vigilant from now on?!

Also, did you know the Houses of Parliament before you wrote this book? You seemed to write so effortlessly about all of your locations. I am definitely going to have to have a coffee in that cafe opposite Apple Tree Yard now - weird I know. I hope it exists!

Can't wait to read your other books and will be recommending to my non-virtual book club. I particularly like the way you bring sexual equality out as a theme. Such great subject matter. I was shocked, thrilled and dumbfounded. Best wishes.

I also assumed that Yvonne lived at the end of the Met line so I was surprised when she said she lived in Uxbridge. I couldn't see someone like her living there but that's one of the things I loved about the book - having my assumptions challenged.

Am I the only one who felt no sympathy (and certainly no empathy)for Yvonne? The launch pad for her demise was surely her self-importance, the sense that this enigmatic stranger had chosen her to play a starring role in his grubby fantasy. Her home life was far from satisfactory.She and Guy have slipped well and truly into the comfort zone in their marriage, and become almost fraternal.I thought she got off rather lightly, all things considered.I cannot accept that she didn't know what had happened in the house when they go to visit the creep. He thought she thought too much of herself, too. And as for her perjury, that was the only humanising part of her. It was he point at which she seemed to wake up and realise that she was about to be exposed and publicly shamed.

I found the book intriguing and thought provoking, not necessarily enjoyable.

Loved the book, not always a pleasant read but so well written and very thought-provoking. I loved the court scenes, I have never read anything like them, I really felt the claustrophobia. I was not entirely convinced by her lover and wondered why she had been taken in by him so but maybe we see what we want to...

I felt she ignored the actuality of her lover, much in the same way as she did her husband.
She endowed him with imaginary characteristics to feed her fantasy, therefore changing what was really a somewhat squalid affair into a grand passion, IYSWIM?

I absolutely loved this book, and like others, enjoyed having my assumptions challenged. The most interesting aspect for me, was that throughout the book, we only see things in the way Yvonne decides to share them, and I felt that at certain parts of the story she isn't telling the story as it actually happened, more how she perceived it, or how she wanted to believe things. I really liked the end -for me it made me feel that we didn't really know Yvonne all along and showed the bias of story telling and the unreliabilty of witness testimony (not necessarily in the court room sense, but personal accounts of day to day events).

Perhaps this was just my reaction to Yvonne but I found her an unreliable and untrustworthy protagonist. But not in a way that made me dislike her. I think if is a facet of human nature - we believe stories as we tell them but are not always true to our audience or even ourselves.

Loved, loved, loved it. Thanks Louise, can't wait for your next one!

An interesting read i havent managed to read all of the book yet only half due to a house move its a interesting read easy to pick up very different words used i dont usually read this type of book this one is different to other courtroom books i have read very original a lot of thought and ideas has been used for this book looking forward to reading the rest of the book as i cant put the book down now great read

Well, although it is the most gripping book I have read in a very long time I am not yet finished. Thanks for a great read. I sense a twist coming, but no idea what it could be?!? I am mid court scenes and I don't want to read something that spoils the ending for me, so just a quick question before I disappear...
I only realised he was called Mark during the trial, was this avoidance of name deliberate earlier in the book?

Would make a fab film / tv drama. if you could choose anyone, who would play the lead characters?

Thanks again Louise, stunning book. Will be recommending heartily

katiescarlett yes I think idswym so maybe it was deliberate to make us question what she was doing in the same way that you sometimes just can't see what a friend sees in someone but they are clearly smitten.

I have a question - why did she keep using terms of endearment for Mark throughout the court case "my love" etc. - her infatuation must have been completely spent by that point.

Evening everyone

I'm thrilled to welcome back Louise Doughty, who did her first excellent Mumsnet webchat in 2012 on creative writing, and who joins us tonight to discuss her latest novel, APPLE TREE YARD. Alongside writing highly acclaimed novels, Louise has written for radio and broadcast, writes a weekly column for the Daily Telegraph (Short Story Club), is a regular on BBC Radio 4, has taught a Mumsnet Academy course and was a judge of the Man Booker Prize in 2008.

Louise, thank you very much indeed once again for taking the time to be here tonight. And congratulations on such an engrossing, thought-provoking novel. We'll kick off with the advance questions from further up the thread. And then we'll aim to get through as many as possible over the next hour.

I'd also like to ask you the two standard Mumsnet questions we like to ask all Bookclub authors:

Which childhood book most inspired you?

What would be the first piece of advice you would give anyone attempting to write fiction? (you already comprehensively covered this in your last web chat, but wondered what might be your number one top tip!)

Over to you…

@Greedygirl

katiescarlett yes I think idswym so maybe it was deliberate to make us question what she was doing in the same way that you sometimes just can't see what a friend sees in someone but they are clearly smitten.

I have a question - why did she keep using terms of endearment for Mark throughout the court case "my love" etc. - her infatuation must have been completely spent by that point.

@TillyBookClub

Evening everyone

I'm thrilled to welcome back Louise Doughty, who did her first excellent Mumsnet webchat in 2012 on creative writing, and who joins us tonight to discuss her latest novel, APPLE TREE YARD. Alongside writing highly acclaimed novels, Louise has written for radio and broadcast, writes a weekly column for the Daily Telegraph (Short Story Club), is a regular on BBC Radio 4, has taught a Mumsnet Academy course and was a judge of the Man Booker Prize in 2008.

Louise, thank you very much indeed once again for taking the time to be here tonight. And congratulations on such an engrossing, thought-provoking novel. We'll kick off with the advance questions from further up the thread. And then we'll aim to get through as many as possible over the next hour.

I'd also like to ask you the two standard Mumsnet questions we like to ask all Bookclub authors:

Which childhood book most inspired you?

What would be the first piece of advice you would give anyone attempting to write fiction? (you already comprehensively covered this in your last web chat, but wondered what might be your number one top tip!)

Over to you?

Good evening everyone, thanks for having me back. I was obsessed with the Narnia books as a child: they were a real introduction to creating a whole imaginary world. I was devastated when I realised they weren't real. The first piece of advice I would give anyone wanting to write is to read read read - anything and everything you can get your hands on. That's how all writers are born.

I can't work out where I'm supposed to be for this webchat???