Mumsnet book club Sea Glass

[sophiewd]

Ok I will kick off again. I have to say that thank god DH was around, we had no guests and it was a weekend as I couldn't put it down. Consequently it only took me 24hours to read. I loved the different characters and how they slowly became a group through what each had to offer. I didn't know the mill strikes were so bad and that many children, women as well as men were among the victims and that the KKK were so involved. I also like the short chapters that kept you reading. The descriptions of the surroundings plus the characters were beleievable. A really good choice.

Right who's next.

I thoroughly enjoyed it - going straight from "The Devil Wears Prada" to this, I thought it might be a bit slow and gradual, and it ways it was but it was unputdownable. I too like the way the characters were woven together in separate threads but ultimately to form one fabric that was inextricably linked. Books like this make you work for it - you are not given anything for free at the beginning, you have to get your feet wet and draw out the real flesh of the story, but you are rewarded at the end.....

I think Anita Shrieve gives enormous credit to the reader's insight ability in that she drops only subtle hints as to the characters personalities at first, then allows their true make up to become apparent as the plot picks up pace. You are left wondering early on whether Honora really loves Sexton, did she just get swept up in his marriage proposal and pressure from her mother or did she ever actually want to be his wife? And then you realise that yes, social pressure was part of it, and no it was no grand passion, but she did care for him, did find him attractive and did truly believe they could have a good life together.

I thought Vivian entirely believable and really empathised with her character (no shit!! The rich clever attractive one, whose presence there is purely optional! ) I also thought very clever the "half" characters - "The English Girl", Honora's Uncle, McDermott's sister and Alphonse's family etc - all peripheral, and seemingly just sketched, but yet done with such aplomb that they brought real colour and substance........

Hmm sophie....looks like it's just us. Your go again then!

I have a confession to make in that I left it too late ie yesterday to realise that I hadn't read it.
I am a speedy speedy reader, but even I couldn't do it in that time.
I did take the next book ie the secret river with me on holidays so am ready for the next meeting.
I have read SEaGlass before but some time ago and can't remember anything
Beating mysefl around head

Darrell. That is entirely unacceptable. You are banned from attending the midnight feast being held in Margery's dorm tonight,comprising of sardines pressed into gingercake (which tastes surprisingly good) and must take extra French lessons with Madame Dupont. You are also excluded from Saturday afternoon's Lacrosse match.

Will go and sit in the corner with a hat with a D on the top
Maybe write some lines or go to double detention

Sorry I've been out all day......I too really loved this book (in fact have been waiting since 10 Feb to talk about it). I thought the way that Shrieve wove the different character story lines together was very clever. I had been wondering how they were all going to tie together being so far apart socially, economically etc. But it really worked for. I also thought that her characterisation of Sexon and how it changes as Honora finds out about his personality.

We had to study the mining strikes at school, so knew how bad they were, but the portrait she painted was very good.

Though I admit I had been hoping for a different ending (romantic in me I guess) and had hoped that Honora would get what she deserved. But alas, Shrieve was more realistic.

Couldn't get past the first chapter sorry, found it really dull.
Had no interest in Honora at all.
'He kisses her hair.
What makes it so shiny? He asks
Vinegar, She say.'

Rivetting stuff.

I know what you mean DD, Honora was hard to like. A bit robotic, a bit 2 dimensional....or so we could believe if we chose. I think that's what's clever, if you weren't forced to see her in the situations she found herself in, you'd think her very dull. She probably would have described herself as such.....

i might try it again later in the year - more of a summer read maybe?

nah - go with your gut. If you don't like it you don't like it. I could never get to grips with Nelson Mandela's book and everyone I know raved about that........

Cor imagine if we were round at someone's house for this book club - there'd be loads of wine and nibbles to go round wouldn't there, with all the no-shows...DH is taking the piss that I'm the only one writing anything!

Well I'm here eating the nibbles and drinking the wine, and I haven't even read the book.
I did read another fab, less popular Anita Shreve book which had a chilling twist at the endwhich was a wonderful read but can't remeber what it was called so am off to google it, back in a sec

The last time they met

Hi all, my internet has been down most of the day, but here I am.

I really enjoyed this one, although it took me a while to get into it, and I found the jumping from character to character took a bit of getting used to. I found it an interesting contrast between Vivian, who was wondering whether she would like marriage and Honora, who married because it was expected of her. Also, both their lives made a stark contrast with the existence of the mill women.

I really enjoyed the scene where Vivian grilled the communist, Louis, about his background and motives! I found there was something really hypocritical about the way the union was providing food for the strike leaders, and paying Sexton and Honora's mortgage, while the striking workers starved.

I thought there was one point if view missing from the story, which is that of the mill owners. Were they like Vivian, untouched by the Wall Street crash, or were they in a position where they had to keep thed mills going or loose everything?

The only thing I thought didn't ring true is McDermott's age. For someone who is supposed to be 23, he has a wisdom way beyond his years, However, I thought the attraction between Honora and McDermott very moving in the way it was dealt with.

Laughed out loud at that Darrell, being here and eating the nibbles etc. ooooh, my mum's just given me that to read....

Oooh, I like the idea of wine and nibbles.....

Right well I'm off to unload the dishwasher and watch ER, thanks for the nibbles IamBlossom and enjoy the last time they met

Very true Roskva, about Mcdermott's age, I agree, he came across as much older....

Pass the peanuts please.

I think that you would grow up prettyu quickly in those sort of conditions. Alphonse was already working and He was about 12? If your parents had dies and you had responsibilities for your siblings then you tend to grow up very quickly.

Our real life book club involves a meal at whoever is hosting, copious amounts of alcohol and talking about the book for perhaps 5 mins and choosing the next one perhaps 5 mins

I'd love to do that Soph, would anyone mind if I rocked up in my PJs do you think?

Sophie, I want to join your RL bookclub

Let's add drinking wine and eating a takeaway to this Book Club's pre-requisites as well as actually reading the book DARRELL!!!

Just had the take away and the wine and at the age of thirty something and now a mother have finally stopped going to the pub in my pj's so yes pj's fine round here

I'm back and have got crisps and cheese now as felt hungry after all that talk of nibbles.
Anyway, I've already read the next book so I can come next month

Wine over her please!!!
Any ideas for a new read?
I am so out of touch at the moment with what's hot and not.