The History Book Club discussion

Hello Everyone,

For the week of April 25th - May 1st, we are reading STAYING ON - Chapters Seven and Eight (pg. 75-119)~ Staying On, (pg. 75-119)

The week's reading assignment is:

Week Four- April 25th - May 1st ~ Chapters Seven and Eight -(pg. 75-119)

We will open up a thread for each week's reading. Please make sure to post in the particular thread dedicated to those specific chapters and page numbers to avoid spoilers. We will also open up supplemental threads as we did for other spotlighted books.

This book was kicked off on April 4th.

We look forward to your participation. Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other noted on line booksellers do have copies of the book and shipment can be expedited. The book can also be obtained easily at your local library, local bookstore or on your Kindle. Make sure to pre-order now if you haven't already. This weekly thread will be opened up on April 4th.

There is no rush and we are thrilled to have you join us. It is never too late to get started and/or to post.

Jill will be leading this discussion and back-up will be Bentley.

Welcome,

~Bentley

TO ALWAYS SEE ALL WEEKS' THREADS SELECT VIEW ALL

by Paul Scott

REMEMBER NO SPOILERS ON THE WEEKLY NON SPOILER THREADS - ON EACH WEEKLY NON SPOILER THREAD - WE ONLY DISCUSS THE PAGES ASSIGNED OR THE PAGES WHICH WERE COVERED IN PREVIOUS WEEKS. IF YOU GO AHEAD OR WANT TO ENGAGE IN MORE EXPANSIVE DISCUSSION - POST THOSE COMMENTS IN ONE OF THE SPOILER THREADS. THESE CHAPTERS HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION SO WHEN IN DOUBT CHECK WITH THE CHAPTER OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY TO RECALL WHETHER YOUR COMMENTS ARE ASSIGNMENT SPECIFIC. EXAMPLES OF SPOILER THREADS ARE THE GLOSSARY, THE BIBLIOGRAPHY, THE INTRODUCTION AND THE BOOK AS A WHOLE THREADS.

Notes:

It is always a tremendous help when you quote specifically from the book itself and reference the chapter and page numbers when responding. The text itself helps folks know what you are referencing and makes things clear.

Citations:

If an author or book is mentioned other than the book and author being discussed, citations must be included according to our guidelines. Also, when citing other sources, please provide credit where credit is due and/or the link. There is no need to re-cite the author and the book we are discussing however.

If you need help - here is a thread called the Mechanics of the Board which will show you how to cite books:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Introduction Thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Table of Contents and Syllabus

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Glossary

Remember there is a glossary thread where ancillary information is placed by the moderator. This is also a thread where additional information can be placed by the group members regarding the subject matter being discussed.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Bibliography

There is a Bibliography where books cited in the text are posted with proper citations and reviews. We also post the books that the author used in his research or in his notes. Please also feel free to add to the Bibliography thread any related books, etc with proper citations. No self promotion, please.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Book as a Whole and Final Thoughts - SPOILER THREAD

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

by Paul Scott

Chapter Summaries and Overview

1 - Chapter Seven

This chapter continues the readers' journey of discovery into the Smalleys' past. Lucy reads the letter from Sarah Layton, and launches into a string of memories and imagined happenings.

Sarah has also asked if David can bring anything to Lucy, and as she begins a short note to request her special blue hair rinse. Tusker interrupts her work with a question. Lucy goes on a tirade and it is a first rate tirade. It is a challenge at times to decide if she is speaking to Tusker or to herself.

2 - Chapter Eight

Lucy is searches for an old photo that Sarah Layton has mentioned. Lucy launches into an imaginary dialogue between herself and David Turner. Lucy goes to the graveyard at the church, where the Layton family plot is located. She carries on her conversation with Mr. Turner again.

Lucy meets up with Mr. Bhoolabhoy. He is equally surprised but happy to see Lucy at the church. This Sunday Father Sebastian, accompanied the reverend. In a private conversation with the reverend, Mr. Bhoolabhoy learns that the Father will be standing in at least for a while.

On returning to Smith's, Mr. Bhoolabhoy finds Mrs. Bhoolabhoy (Lila) and is afraid she has sold Smith's. Mr. Bhoolabhoy confronts Lila and makes it clear that he values Smith's. He leaves as she yells at him.

Discussion topics:

For those of you Raj Quartet enthusiasts who have followed the lives of the Laytons through all of these books. What are your memories of Sarah Layton and the Laytons in general and how did you feel hearing from an old friend in the book Staying On?

Did you wish that Sarah had shared more? This quartet had such a familiar and real feeling that you honestly think of these characters as being real (smile).

I wonder how many of you were engrossed with the life of the Laytons in previous books. What were your thoughts on all of them? And why?

Let me start and I hope some Raj enthusiasts join in?

Who were your favorite Laytons?

1. Sarah and the step mother Mabel Layton

Who were the least favorite Laytons?

1. Mildred and Susan

This is a great photo of our protagonists as portrayed in the movie about this book:


Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard as the Smalleys in Staying On

What do you think about the movie casting? Are they the way you pictured them in the book? Why or why not?

If you were in charge of central casting - who would you cast in the part of Mrs. Smalley and who would be Tusker for example and why?

Please also feel free to discuss any aspect of Chapter Four of Staying On.

Having Sarah mentioned here certainly ties this book in with the Raj Quartet and makes it feel like it should be a part of that series.

How does everyone feel about this quote from this week's reading:

"...but because a hierarchy was a hierarchy and a society without a clear stratification of duties and responsibilities and privileges was no society at all" (Chapter 7, p. 79)

I am not sure. I am trying to remember the context in which it was written.

Unless from what I recall was that the new India was still struggling to right itself and to find its way but didn't realize that with freedom and a democracy came great responsibilities, hard work, tasks which might not be fun or enjoyable but also in the end privileges...but that India was still in the process of setting up its society.

With the British there was order but there was also a hierarchy.

Now I could be all wet on the above because I read Staying On right after the last book of the quartet and I would have to know more about the context of the quote itself or look it up myself in the copy.

I too like learning about the characters that we had known and grew to admire, love or loathe as we read the series - finding out more is like reading some hidden correspondence between some famous people which someone has just unearthed. It felt good continuing the "reading relationship" like a soap opera.

I was thinking who would I cast as Tusker - maybe Michael Caine (lol) and for Mrs. Smalley - that might be tough - maybe the woman who played Mrs. Hughes in Downton Abbey - can't remember her name.

Phyllis Logan.

I'm going through Downton withdrawals.

Ah thank you - I absolutely never remembered her name - Mrs Hughes to all of us - do you think she would have made a good Mrs. Smalley or do you think we needed a skinnier person and more diminutive (you know the Smalley name)

Yes, that was a great series - fabulous really - very sad to see it all end.

I was thinking back to the Raj and who I would have cast as Sarah - I never was happy with can't remember her name who was cast in the TV version - I thought somebody like Kate Winslet would have been better and for Susan - hmmm - never liked that choice either - maybe Keira Knightley - Helen Mirren would have made a mean Mildred. I thought Barbie (Peggy Ashcroft) and Mabel were well cast and the father. Actually Art Malik was perfect as Hari and Tom Pigott-Smith was AMAZING as Ronald Merrick and Susan Woolridge was great as Daphne. Judy Parfitt was Mildred Layton - she was OK. Charles Dance was Guy Perron who Sarah married ultimately. Rosemary Leach played Aunt Fenny and she was OK. Eric Porter was Count Bronowsky. Nicholas Le Prevost was Nigel Rowen (he was pretty good in that part). Fabio Drake was Mabel - pretty good. I also liked Kamini Causal as Aunt Shalini and Lady Manners was played by Rachel Kempson (never heard of her but she did a great job). Of course - I watched it when it was already an old series - but like everything else that Masterpiece Theater does it stands the test of time.

Tim Pigott-Smith / Susan Wooldridge / Jewel In The Crown / Interview

15 year anniversary of the Masterpiece Theater viewing

https://youtu.be/xAA5uvAIrTQ

I think the casting of the film starring Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson was perfect. It reunited them from the classic 1945 British film Brief Encounter, so it had a rather sentimental appeal to a lover of old film like me.