#86 - The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt (Choice: Gill) (No Meeting)

Apologies: All

The decision was taken to combine this one with the next meeting for Jane's book.

We were mostly Donna Tartt "fans" in as much as that's possible for an author with such a small output and so we'd been eagerly awaiting this book.

In the end though, Jane "liked" this, Gill loved the sense of obsession with an object and we all found the ending a little dissonant.  None of us really like the lead character.  Jen, like me, was confused about what was happening when.  The novel appeared to be post-9/11 yet the narrator, now in his late 20s had an iPod when we was 13 - which means the novel was being written in the near-future, yet without other futuristic elements.

Unfortunately, the general consensus seems to be that The Secret History is so outstanding a novel that it is very hard not to compare subsequent novels unfavourably.  Had I read The Little Friend first, I would have thought it fantastic and then The Secret History even better - the other way around though, The Little Friend became a disappointment.  Had I read this first, I may not have bothered with the others, which would have been a tragedy.

#85 - Life After Life - Kate Atkinson (Choice: Sabine) (No meeting)

Apologies: All

And so the run of poor attendance continues for the year.

The book however was almost universally liked (by those who've subsequently had chance to comment).

Jen found it very Kate Atkinson and did not enjoy the vehicle, whilst appreciating it was clever.  However, this was the closest we have got to criticism.  The said, I loved, loved, loved it so, it is likely that, had Shubha read it, she would have been a very vocal critic!  Given my review, I don't believe she's rushing off to buy it.

Unless something spectacular comes along in the next couple of months, this one will get my vote for book of the year!