📚The Mumsnet 'Rather Dated' Book Group - All welcome to join📚

[MotherofPearl]

Welcome to the Mumsnet 'Rather Dated' Book Group, where we read and discuss fiction from the 1930s to the 1990s that would have been described as 'contemporary' in its day.

The best introduction to the 'rather dated' concept would be to read the wonderful thread which inspired this group:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/what_were_reading/4596284-rather-dated?reply=119670989

To summarise, a number of posters expressed disappointment that literature of the 20th Century is often dismissed as 'rather dated' because society has moved on from many of the values and lifestyles described.

Previous posters decided to create a reading group where the literary merits of such fiction can be appreciated, with any 'rather dated' elements being a point of interest rather than a reason to dismiss a novel.

We read one book a month. Our first book, that inspired the original thread, was The Road to Lichfield by Penelope Lively. We have been going for about 18 months now, and each new book gets its own discussion thread, started on the first of the month.

Our March 2024 book is Penelope Fitzgerald's The Bookshop. We will begin the discussion of this on 1 April.

Please do join the thread whether you want to take part in the discussion or just place mark to follow it.

Fellow Rather Dated people, please add anything important I might have missed!

(With huge thanks to ImJustMadAboutSaffron for the original thread and idea).

I hope Antarcticant, who started the last thread, won’t mind that I’ve started this new one.

That gets my vote @CrochetGrannySquare

Oh yes, a Nevil Shute would be great.

Sounds good - I read A Town Like Alice & Requiem for a Wren as a teen & was thinking about rereading / reading more.

It’s also helpfully on Kindle.

I’ve read Pied Piper, fairly recently, so I might either read it again or perhaps sit this one out. I've got so much to read at the moment!

Me too, @Benvenuto , and I think I also read On The Beach. My dad got me into Nevil Shute. I’ve never read Pied Piper though.

Pretty sure Landfall is the only NS I’ve read, and that was years and years ago. But happy with any choice really lol

I haven't read any of them, so I'll go along with the flow.

@StellaOlivetti- I think my library had On the Beach but I didn’t read it as it sounded so bleak.

@Benvenuto I think you were wise. On the Beach is one of the few books that really disturbed me (though I don’t read horror) - found I couldn’t sleep, and was very anxious (and I really don’t suffer from anxiety). I think it’s an indication of what an excellent author Neville Shute was that he could write such different books.

I'm very happy with a Nevil Shute, or anything really. Shall we go for Pied Piper? Is that okay with you, @Terpsichore, given that you have recently read it? You could still join the discussion?

I’m happy with a Nevil Shute. The only one I’ve read is Trustee from the Toolroom (which I loved and highly recommend) so happy to give Pied Piper a go. I’ll have to wait for it to come in at the library though!

Yes, of course - happy to chip in!

Internet Archive has a copy of Pied Piper.
Looking forward to it!

I’ve finished Pied Piper. Could it be that for once I’m the first to finish? Let me know if others are ready for the discussion thread - I’m happy to set one up.

I'll start it next week @MotherofPearl !
I thought I'd remember it better if I started reading it closer to the discussion date.

Just picked up my copy from the library this morning, probably read it at the weekend :)

I'm about to pick up the same edition from my library :)

I’m still waiting for my library request to come through. No idea how long it will take.

I usually look for nice second hand hardback copies of books of this era; alas, the only nice cover I saw is an early reprint dust jacket, but there were no affordable copies (in the UK) when I checked; mountains of 1970s copies though, all of which seem to have garishly awful covers lol. I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader to work out which of my pictures is which ;)

I've picked up mine. I'm looking forward to getting started!

Thanks @Waawo I love looking at different editions.

My copy arrived and I’m really enjoying it. SPOILER ALERT … The shock at the end of chapter one made tears come into my eyes.

I have the same edition, @Waawo and @FuzzyCaoraDhubh

I finished this morning, a quick read, had a little more free time than I expected yesterday lol

Just bought my copy (Kindle) - I was looking at A Town Called Alice earlier (I’ve just reorganised my Kindle to make it easier to find my RWYO & was instantly taken with the opening (had to stop reading as the battery needed charging - this is the only problem with Kindles).

I’ve also found a few Winifred Holtby’s that I downloaded after reading reading The Crowded Street.

I've finished it now too. I started it on a long car journey and finished it on the return trip. I didn't notice the miles; I was so absorbed in the book!