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JUNE BOOK OF THE MONTH DISCUSSION - come here on Tuesday 1st July for our June bookclub chat

152 replies

TillyBookClub · 05/06/2008 20:32

this is the thread to come to for June's Bookclub chat on Tues 1st July - I'll keep you posted about the author chat..

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Pruners · 01/07/2008 21:50

Message withdrawn

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TillyBookClub · 01/07/2008 21:50

(flagging up an earlier question from billybass)

By billybass on Tue 01-Jul-08 21:27:24
Very funny squonk...

Jonathan who was your favourite character in The rain before it falls and why?

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JonathanCoe · 01/07/2008 21:52

Cristina: well, it turns out in the last of Rosamond's chapters that Ruth has known all along that Rosamond had a greater love, which she has never spoken about, and that she (Ruth) was second best. She doesn't know the name, but she has sensed (and lived with) the existence of this other grand passion all along. So it has never really been a secret between them.

Billybass: thank you, I'm glad you liked the book.

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CristinaTheAstonishing · 01/07/2008 21:53

Why did Rosamond want to kill herself in the end? There was something at the beginning of the book how Gill had been expecting that call for a while but I can't remember if it was made clear at any stage if Rosamond was ill.

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CristinaTheAstonishing · 01/07/2008 21:55

I know Ruth knew she was second best, I was just surprised that they never openly spoke about Rebecca.

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CristinaTheAstonishing · 01/07/2008 21:56

Do you think Rosamond liked Dr May a bit?

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JonathanCoe · 01/07/2008 21:56

"My favourite character"? Well, Rosamond is the one I lived with, and spoke through, for the eighteen months or so that I spent writing it, so she is certainly the one I feel closest to - with all her faults. And I tend to fall in love with at least one of my female characters while I'm writing a book - in this case it was Rebecca. (Not named after Rebecca West by the way - nor is Ivy named after Ivy Compton-Burnett. Funny how the coincidences pile up.)

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CristinaTheAstonishing · 01/07/2008 21:57

What are you reading to your daughters at the moment? (If they're still young enough to be read books.)

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MorocconOil · 01/07/2008 21:58

No I didn't lose sympathy with her, it was just as though the 'fun' side of her disappeared. However as you say she was then very depressed, and I think your description of this was spot on.

I read Notes From an Exhibition, by Patrick Gale just before your book, and I found there were quite a few similarities. Have you read it?

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JonathanCoe · 01/07/2008 21:59

What are you reading to your daughters at the moment? (If they're still young enough to be read books.)

No, they're both reading for themselves now. My seven year old has just finished Cliffhanger by Jacqueline Wilson (v funny), and my ten year old has just read a novel called The Breadwinner. Can't remember the author, but she said it was brilliant.

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JonathanCoe · 01/07/2008 22:02

I read Notes From an Exhibition, by Patrick Gale just before your book, and I found there were quite a few similarities. Have you read it?

No, but I want to. He's another contemporary author I always try to keep up with. I've heard there are similarities between the two books, because his and mine went head-to-head for a place on Richard and Judy. He won. Of course, I'd be bitter about it if he wasnt't such a lovely man ...

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CristinaTheAstonishing · 01/07/2008 22:02

Do your daughters badger you to write children's books?

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TillyBookClub · 01/07/2008 22:02

We should call it a day and let Jonathan get to bed (or at least go and pour himself a very large drink)...

Jonathan, thank you so much for talking to us all. It has been brilliant. Hope the experience has given you some valuable material for the next book...

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ggglimpopo · 01/07/2008 22:02

I will talk personally to the owners of the Femina tomorrow and your invite will be in the post sharpish.

I am the quasi blonde who was simpering from the balcony by the way - I would have come and said hello last time but as I was weaving my way towards you my husband said something dismissive about the swarming groupies and I had to pretend to have been looking for the exit.

I hope they all took you out for a good dinner afterwards.

The bookshop 'Alice' is very hot on having writers in, should Femina not come up trumps. They have a restaurant and a damn fine wine list, so would not be a bad choice. I keep waiting for them to ask me to talk, but alas.

If I had read 'The House of Sleep' first, I would not have read any more of your books. Luckily it was just a borrowed copy and was one of the later ones I read.

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JonathanCoe · 01/07/2008 22:04

A large drink, what a great idea Tilly. Thanks to everyone for their questions. It wasn't quite the ordeal I was expecting. Goodnight everyone!

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fryalot · 01/07/2008 22:05

Jonathan, thank you

twas nice to "meet" you and I very much look forward to reading some more of your books.

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Pruners · 01/07/2008 22:05

Message withdrawn

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CristinaTheAstonishing · 01/07/2008 22:06

Thank you. I look fowrward to your next books.

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Marina · 01/07/2008 22:06

Don't forget your English pals gggl
Thanks for coming to see us Jonathan, you've made a lot of frazzled mothers very happy tonight
Very much looking forward to that next novel - will it be linked at all to The Closed Circle?

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MorocconOil · 01/07/2008 22:08

Goodnight. Thanks and I am going to read more of your books now.

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TheOldestCat · 01/07/2008 22:27

Thanks, Jonathan.

Loved 'The Rotters' Club' on telly too; sad to hear there's unlikely to be a Closed Circle adaptation.

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billybass · 01/07/2008 22:35

Goodnight all thanks for a lovely discussion.

Thanks for organising the author chat Tilly.

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FlossieTCake · 01/07/2008 23:49

DAMMIT

Minor logistical collapse here and only just online I really really wanted to join this one too. JC fantastic and have been saving this one up since my birthday

Tilly, I really wanted to ask about the flute music - whether it was inspired by a real composition or completely invented. Any chance of a post-question??

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sophiewd · 02/07/2008 09:32

I am so sorry I missed this, doing B&B with a 10 day old is not condusive to intellectual conversation, I read this in hospital and took a while to get into but I did enjoy it. I will try to get round to reading some more of his as everyone seems to rave about them.

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TillyBookClub · 02/07/2008 13:15

Flossie, sad you couldn't make it. I'll email Jonathan now about the flute music - its definitely a real piece but can't quite remember what it is.

Sophie, def try The Rotters Club, its incredibly funny.

I'm working on July selection and will put up page soon.

(and thanks everyone for a great discussion last night)

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