Present were Betty, Colette, Linda, Marg, Michèle et Shirley. Marg had for us, a very nice variety of cheese, crackers, nuts and raisins, wine and some lovely non-alcoholic drinks. We also had a very nice baklava.
This month's book recommended by Colette, was Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. We all very much enjoyed All the Light we Cannot See by the same author and we looked forward to reading this story by the Anthony Doerr that has excellent reviews. Unfortunately of our members present only one person said that she enjoyed the book, though like other members found it a challenge to read.
The book is a collection of 5 stories in different time periods from the 15th century to a future century and each story line has a main character and minor characters. The stories are connected through a lost book by Antonius Diogenes. The challenge is being able to follow the stories and trying to find a connection between the stories.
One of our members who was not able to be present at our meeting found the book captivating and she sent her opinion of the book. It is copied here because it can help all members better understand the stories and the connections. Here is Carla's opinion of the book.
"I didn’t read any reviews before I began reading the book. I found myself confused as to what was going on. Eventually I realized that Diogenes Folio was the thread that tied the stories together.
The main message as I see it is that, stories, books, can unite us, educate us , calm us, and even heal us. The love of , reading learning, libraries, and protecting books ran through all the stories.The characters were very well described as were their motivations which helped me keep track of them as the story jumped from one time period to another. I wanted to know what was going to happen to them and was happy with the resolution of their story lines. Anna and Omeir were able to escape their circumstances and make a life together and have a family.
There was redemption for Seymour ( that must have been gratifying for Linda). Konstance escaped the Argos. Her storyline was captivating.
I began the book being annoyed at all the jumping around but as I continued reading and got into the rhythm of the book, I was captivated.
The book within a book was an interesting vehicle to tie the storylines and timelines together and it was challenging because the book within the book was fragmented, incomplete and needed to be not only translated but interpreted and filled in as needed."
Thank you Marg for being a lovely host on this wintery evening.
Thank you, Carla, for your insightful review - wish I had had it in hand while reading the book!
ReplyDelete