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Book of the month

Find reading inspiration on our Book of the Month forum.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

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Original poster

October Book of The Month Discussion - In the Country of Men

166 replies

TillyBookClub · 30/10/2007 11:22

This is the thread to come to for tonight's Book of the Month discussion and live author chat. Just a reminder, we'll kick off at 8pm and chat about the book amongst ourselves for an hour. And then Hisham Matar, our author for this month, will join us at 9pm to answer questions and give us the inside story. We'll probably wrap up around 10pm.

If you can't make it this evening but would like to ask Hisham a question or two, please post them here now and Hisham will post his answers later on.

See you here at 8pm...
Tx

OP posts:

HishamMatar · 30/10/2007 22:36

TillyBookClub,
Thanks. I will keep it in mind.
Now I must clock off. Not to sleep, but to eat.
Thanks to you all. And enjoy The Gathering. Anne Enright is a marvelous writer.

fryalot · 30/10/2007 22:38

well.... it's not me, I have no illusions about my ability to write, but isn't there a book in us all?

It would be great if you could join us for our next discussion

fryalot · 30/10/2007 22:38

bye bye, Hisham, and thanks again.

MNHQ

JustscreamMumsnet · 30/10/2007 22:40

Thank you Hisham for your book and for coming on Mumsnet to talk about it

Original poster

TillyBookClub · 30/10/2007 22:41

I agree, I think her prose is extraordinarily clear yet so unusual. She's very talented. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone here thinks...

Thanks again for being a true star, and I hope you have something delicious waiting for you...

OP posts:

HishamMatar · 30/10/2007 22:41

I miss qouted Bellow, and that is a dangerous thing. So, just before I go, what he said was that a boring book is an unethical book; not that an unethical book was boring. A very different thing indeed. Good night.

FlameInHell · 31/10/2007 00:02

Just got back home and caught up - such a good chat

MadamePlatypus · 31/10/2007 08:20

Maybe next month if DD has stopped waking up at 4am I can stay up past 10pm too! Thanks Tilly and MN towers for organising this.

Notyummy · 31/10/2007 08:34

Thanks from me too...very interesting! I will look forward to the final outcome of the vote so I can order next months book from amazon!

MNHQ

JustscreamMumsnet · 31/10/2007 09:27

Vote here for November Book of the month, if you haven't already.

bossybritches · 31/10/2007 09:47

Thanks for organising that visit from Hisham Tilly-good to get insight to the writers craft!

chocoholic · 31/10/2007 12:13

Thanks from me too.
I was called away from the chat last night and was gutted to miss most of it.
It is great to read back through though. Fantastic having Hisham Matar participating. Thank you Tilly & Mumsnet HQ for arranging.
Looking forward to next month.

Original poster

TillyBookClub · 01/11/2007 13:04

Delighted everyone enjoyed it - Hisham certainly did, so thanks to you too...

Looking forward to seeing tonight's result for November's choice. Just a reminder to vote [http://www.mumsnet.com/bookclub/November2007.html here] if you haven't already

OP posts:

nappiesLaGore · 02/11/2007 11:56

read thebook on holiday (got back yesterday)
really enjoyed it
gutted to have missed ythe chat and Mr Matar himself.
just wanted to stick my oar in and say my tuppence on the characters;

thought the mum was v real, and love HM's saying that she was the real hero of the book. i thought everything she did was totally understandable in the circs she was in. her anger and frustration at having her life dictated at such a young age - who wouldnt be? she was married off to a stranger for rules she didnt understand - and that stranger then had total charge of her destiny. she never once got to decide how she wanted her life to go and i think that can be crippling. the drinking; id have done that too. and it stopped when baba was home because it had to. her feelings for baba and the way they evolved were understandable too - obv she wasnt too keen to start with, but once she is married to him what choice does she have but to accept him and the fact that his fate and actions are inextricably linked to her own?

am surprised at anger towards the boy. with so little info how on earth was he to be expected to deal with the situations put before him? and his concern and affection, almost dependence on, his mothers affection and confidences when she was drinking were so touching.

the father i know least about b/c thats who S knows leastabout. sounds to me like he genuinely wanted to make things better for his country and everyone in it and whats to dislike about that? he should have helped his son (and wife?) to understand better what was happening, or at least how best to help him and survive themselves, but thats easy to say from afar.

thought it was a fab book, with v believable, human characters. bravo.

MNHQ

JJMumsnet · 05/11/2007 11:02

i think it should be the default way plse - for all ads stuff.
what version we on now?

MrsSpoon · 27/12/2007 23:21

I read this on holiday back in October and never got round to joining in the discussion but did want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

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