Booked! discussion

Okay bookworms! It's 1st of November so hopefully you've all got a copy of our book for the month, Maggie O'Farrell's Instructions for a Heatwave (I know some of you have already read it even!).

Shall we try to get through a certain number of chapters in the next two weeks and then start having a real discussion about, say, the first half of the book around that time? Then have another big conversation at the end of the month for our impressions, etc?

I just want to make sure we're regularly active on this group as opposed to just meeting up once a month when we've finished the book.

But what do you all think? Good idea for a phased discussion? Any and all ideas are welcome!

I'm for any format although I feel it can be tricky to follow which chapters at what time as, for instance, I read randomly. Maybe the people who've read it could start the discussion as I'm sure we're aware that by entering this discussion it includes spoilers. But I'll go with the flow

I might have explained that badly - I didn't mean we would go chapter by chapter but maybe we assume people will be halfway through the book in two weeks time - even if people are further than that, if we limit the discussion to the first half of the book, that might reduce the danger of spoilers.

I have just purchased. Hope to start tonight. Wheelmen will have to wait. No Fabrizio I do not want to read 2 Books at once. If I like one more than the other I will not finish it.

Kathi I think your idea is a good one. I will be joining the conversation late, as the price of books on Amazon is just too prohibitive so I'm going to drop into the local library and ask them to hunt a copy down for me if they don't have an "e" one. From the description on Amazon it sounds like an amazing book.

Hey Bonnie - they should have it in the library (fingers crossed) it's already in paperback. :)

I'm sure most of you know already but I had to look it up so I'd like to share.... Aoife is pronounced Ee-fa

Me too Aoife.......

Good tip, Fabrizio - if I'm not sure of how to pronounce something I usually just skip over it and it just becomes a shape. Now, she's more than a shape!

That is my husband to a T. I have to know how it is pronounced. I go over & over until it's right! Thank god for internet.

But does it not explain in the novel how to pronounce it?

only on page 120...a bit late in the book

Not sure of the page number, but for me, the "aha" moment re pronunciation of Aoefe's name was when was when Aoefe's Mom was talking to Mrs Saunders, who insisted on pronouncing Aoefe's name as Eva. I just swapped an "f" for the "v"…

I'm not sure if I like anyone in the book yet. Although that's not a deal breaker for me - I'm finding it a great read. How about everyone else? Anyone I. The story you particularly like or dislike?

Hmmmm. Well, ok…
I'm voting for for Aoefe's as my favorite story. Can't say why just yet.
Monica gives me a splitting headache.
I swear I know Michael Francis; did I have coffee with him the other day?
Mrs Riorden is a Tiger Mom, Gaelic style.

Susan - I know what you mean about Michael Francis. I'm sure I know a few of those. I think she draws out that hopeless helpless feeling that people have when their life is not what they intended - and not in a good way. That quiet desperation.

It's funny because as you get into the book, Mrs Riorden is described as overweight when in fact I'd had pictured her as quite birdlike (saying that, I should have twigged when in the first few pages she's described as practically eating an entire loaf of bread!)

I'm actually taking the slower trains home so I get more uninterrupted reading time with the book!

I am way behind will have to ignore comments until I catch up. I'm loving the book. I'm dropping off when reading in bed. Have to make time for day reading. Art permitting amongst other things!

All the characters are very interesting and you can't fail to see someone you know in them. Aoife's struggle with chronic dyslexia makes you understand the reason for her social shortcomings and it makes me want to hug her and help her out. Monica reminds me of someone in my family and I find her really frustrating to follow. This book has the feel of a tv series and it's so easy not to put down.

It started so well especially as I identified with the area (knowing it so well) also, it took me back to the Heatwave and how we coped. There would be uproar today! Anyway, I started to get bored with the characters who became a pointless array of stereotypes in a soap opera. Identifying with the characters made no difference. What was the point? Flicking through to the end, none. Huge disappointment.

Oh, that's a shame, Jeannette. I have to say, I don't identify with any of the characters but I am enjoying the book. Hopefully the next book will be more intriguing for you!

Nice to have diversity in the book club. My age?

SPOILER ALERT!
I've now finished the book and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It surprised me as the book cover sent alarm bells as it didn't look like the type of book I would pick up. The heatwave of 1976 was not the centrepiece of the story but a mean to take the reader to a specific time and circumstances surrounding that event. Coming from an Italian family I can relate to the unspoken judgments running through relatives and their behaviours, but with an undertone of unadulterated love for all regardless. I found the characters well described. The story was pointless from a literary point of view but most stories borne out of the ordinary are, but often are the ones who make up memories. It all ended well but without changing people's lives, merely displacing acceptance.
Good choice Kathi

Ach, Jeannette, I expect we're probably around the same age so it's probably just preference. :-)

Don't believe it!! I did see those beautiful brown eyes & hairdresser cut!

I love the device of each chapter of this book being a separate story told from the perspective of a different member of the Riorden clan. Each chapter is almost a story in itself, as well as exposing a little bit more of one of the other Riorden siblings or their parents.

Didn’t y'all think the cover of the book was fitting? A key!

I gave the book 4 stars, but I've been re-living the book, and re-reading certain passages, so I'm going to bump it to 5 stars. I gave it only 4 stars originally because because there were no vampires.

Not in Uk edition, there's a table, a window, a beach

I'm only half way through and so far it's been a real challenge to like any if the characters. Michael Francis says early on how frustrated he is by his mother's inability to communicate clearly, her conversation constantly seeming to move off subject and him having to find some thread that makes some sense of her disjointed ramblings, and that seems to be the problem for me with the author's style, and a frustration I share with Michael. I do feel that if I am to be moved by the story I need to sympathise with the family and the trouble is, what I really want to do is bang their heads together. I'm more interested in Aoifa's life in New York. Like Jeannette, being both resident in the same part of north London, and being 17 in 1976, I anticipated a degree of affiliation to the sense of place and time, but both aspects seems so far to be incidental and of no relevance to the story. Early days though as I'm only half way.

Hey Simon - I'm finding it difficult to like any of the characters. I really want to give Monica a good slap and Michael Francis is equally frustrating. I feel sorry for Aoifa but I don't necessarily like her. That said, I'm finding the whole unravelling of the strands quite interesting. I would have to say, however, that Maggie O'Farrell's The Hand That First Held Mine was excellent and not quite as, hmmm, a swirly whirly style of writing. Getting quite a mixed reaction on the book. Which is good! Stimulate conversation!

So have we finished the book and did we like it?

On a scale of 1 to 10, what was your score?

Who was your favourite or most irritating character?

Did anything in particular move you about this book?

Would you recommend this book to someone else?

Give us your opinions, dear readers!

Yes, I did finish "Instructions for a Heatwave". I liked it and reviewed it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

On a scale of 1 to 10 for a score, I'd choose an 8 for this book. I liked the plot, thought the writing was beautiful and the characters were well developed. I did wish the ending was not so abrupt. A little closure would have been nice, but I do see why the author chose this particular ending.

My favorite character was Aeoefe by far. The other characters? Not so much...

What most moved about the book? No one particular thing, but more how the main thread and the individual character stories showed how little we really know about anyone or anything, once we delve beneath the surface.

And yes, I would recommend this book...

Finished and agree with Fabrizio that it didn't add anything to the world of literature. I found the characters annoying and for one moment I hoped they were all going to drown on the ferry. As I recall, one of the factors of the summer of '76 was the huge high pressure that sat over the UK. One effect being the sea was perfectly flat so I'm not entirely sure where that rough crossing came from. Loved Aoifa. Gretta was by far the most irritating. Monica and Michael both shared second place. I really wanted to smack Robert for putting me through this torture. I did understand the kid's anger about the revelation of their parents relationship as I didn't learn that my own father had been previously married until after he died in '74 as it happens. At the time I couldn't understand what the big deal was, but my mother felt she had to confess this dreadful family secret within 24 hours of his death and I was livid. How things have changed. I'd also hoped that Robert had gone back to Dunkirk rather than Ireland. That's partly down to my fascination with WWII, but also I liked the idea that there was this repressed issue that would one day surface. Of course that was the case, but the 'issue' was another character you wanted to punch. I might have found the sibling dynamics a more interesting story without the missing father plot. There was something rather unbelievable about the way that part of the plot was revealed and played out and I was really surprised when Claire drove to pick Gretta up later. I would have thought she would have been well out of any entanglement. No, a strange book with clumsy handling and an annoying writing style. Wouldn't recommend it, and am going to give it 5/10

HA!
So my vote is "Yeah. I liked the book…"
And Simon's vote is "DROWN 'EM!! DROWN 'EM ALL!!"

Ha Ha. Now there's the thing. That's the first laugh I've had with this book Susan. Nicely put. Maybe I'm seeing my own mother in this?

By coincidence I read a tweet this morning- "Does anyone have a miserable Irish childhood they could lend me? I was thinking of writing a novel."

You're on Twitter Simon?
Are you a cyclist?

I have to say, I thought the ending was a bit of a letdown in that within five pages all that traumatic family history was resolved quite nicely? I certainly didn't hate it like Simon but I was disappointed in that I loved Maggie o'farrell's book The Hand That Last Held Mine. She always writes about women and their relationship with their children. Having no children myself, I find the different facets interesting. So I'd give it 7/10 as it did keep my attention - I didn't like any of the main characters so I suppose my favourite would be Gabe; I'd recommend the book carefully but it wouldn't be the first thing I would suggest if someone said 'what can I read that's good?'. Looking forward to the next book for our little reading circle

I wouldn't recommend it, I haven't read any of her previous novels, notice they get excellent reviews. After reading those Katie I can appreciate your choice.

Susan wrote: "You're on Twitter Simon?
Are you a cyclist?"

I am a cyclist, but my Twitter activity is confined to speaking on behalf of a Friends group for a local nature reserve. It takes enough time just monitoring the followers on that account. I've avoided using my own twitter account so as to free up some time, but that does mean I have to avoid controversial threads when I've got my 'spokesperson' hat on.

Hi Simon.
I see you're online…
How do you like the "War of the Roses"? I've been eyeing it myself…

I'm really enjoying it. It's rich in historical facts but written with great sympathy and without the weighty self indulgent strutting of someone like Richard Starkey. I expected there to be a lot more battles, but in fact they seem to have been relatively few, aside from the dealings in Scotland, Wales and France. You do get a very human side to the characters and the politics. My big gripe is there is no family tree to refer back to. Good idea to find one on the net and print it out before you start.