Book group 24th June: The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

sophie · May 2014

The next book group book was chosen by a NEW MEMBER, who says it's really really good, so I went along with it.<br><b><br><i>The End of the Affair</i> by Graham Greene</b> is set in London during and just after WWII. The novel examines the obsessions, jealousy and discernments within the relationships between three central characters etc etc.<br><br>We will meet at 8pm in the Noble on <b><u>Tuesday</u> 24th June. </b>Hope that date is ok with those who weren't there to decide...<b><br><br></b>Even newer members are welcome as always.<b><br></b>

Charlo · May 2014

I probably won't make it as it's likely I'll be working. I have read this and really liked it. Hope to see you the following month! Meeting on a Wednesday would be great!

sophie · May 2014

bumping this to the top to inspire everyone to read this book and come and talk about it!<br><br>sorry we didn't do a wednesday @charlo, i missed your message before the meeting.. next time!<br>

Luirette · May 2014

This one isn't available on audio in the UK, which is a shame because it looks really interesting and Colin Firth reads it on the American release! No matter though, because I'm thinking of going away that week in June. I'll definitely be around for book club at the end of July though so can I put in a request for an audio-friendly choice for then?

sophie · June 2014

@luirette oh gosh i'm so sorry, i looked it up and saw the colin firth version and assumed it would be fine. i didn't realise there were boundaries imposed on these things. it won best audiobook of the year in 2013 for goodness' sake!<br>

sophie · June 2014

@luirette it seems they have copies on CD at the library (in the London Libraries Consortium at least): http://www.londonlibraries.gov.uk/Hackney/02_Catalogue/02_005_TitleInformation.aspx?searchTerm=&searchTerm2=end+of+the+affair&searchTerm3=&searchTerm4=&searchType=98&Page=2&media=&branch=&authority=&language=&junior=&rcn=1405671149&fr=tl<br><br>and also as an 'e-audio' thing but I can't quite work out what that is.. http://www.londonlibraries.gov.uk/Hackney/02_Catalogue/02_005_TitleInformation.aspx?searchTerm=&searchTerm2=end+of+the+affair&searchTerm3=&searchTerm4=&searchType=98&Page=2&media=&branch=&authority=&language=&junior=&rcn=1408436264&fr=tl<br><br>don't know if that's really helpful, sorry!<br><br>

Luirette · June 2014

Thanks Sophie - I'll see if I can get hold of a copy.

Jenny · June 2014

<div>I already have the book and have started it so determined to come along this month. </div><div>Have read quite a few GGs but not this one. </div><div>Look forward to seeing you all. </div>

Mirandola · June 2014

I do love this book, & Ethan Frome too, but Dear Lord you're going for misery. Suggest Pursuit of Love or Cold Comfort Farm next to counterbalance.

miss annie · June 2014

Oh yes! I adore both of those. Do you like Mapp & Lucia @Mirandola?

sophie · June 2014

@Mirandola funnily enough we have done both of those! i love them so much.<br>i didn't know this one was miserable at all. oops. any other suggestions for some jollity next?<br>

Mirandola · June 2014

Sorry.<div><br></div><div>End of Affair is spectacularly wretched. It's very good though. And there's nothing wrong with sad novels. It's just that I've gone End of the Affair - Anna Karenina - Patrick Melrose novels and I really really really need something not harrowing to read next.</div><div><br></div><div>Dorothy L Sayers? Margaret Allingham? Raffles? No-one reads Raffles any more. </div><div><br></div><div>Do you do children's books? 101 Dalmatians works surprisingly well for adults. </div><div><br></div><div>'<span style="color: rgb(95, 95, 95); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; background-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> Not long ago, there lived in London a young married couple of Dalmatian dogs named Pongo and Missis Pongo. (Missis had added Pongo’s name to her own on their marriage, but was still called Missis by most people.) They were lucky enough to own a young married couple of humans named Mr. and Mrs. Dearly, who were gentle, obedient, and unusually intelligent—almost canine at times. They understood quite a number of barks: the barks for “Out, please!” “In, please!” “Hurry up with my dinner!” and “What about a walk?” And even when they could not understand, they could often guess—if looked at soulfully or scratched by an eager paw. Like many other much-loved humans, they believed that they owned their dogs, instead of realizing that dogs owned them. Pongo and Missis found this touching and amusing and let their pets think it was true.</span></div><br><span style="color: rgb(95, 95, 95); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; background-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"></span><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; color: rgb(95, 95, 95); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; outline: none !important; background-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> Mr. Dearly, who had an office in the City, was particularly good at arithmetic. Many people called him a wizard of finance—which is not the same thing as a wizard of magic, though sometimes fairly similar. At the time when this story starts he was rather unusually rich for a rather unusual reason. He had done the Government a great service (something to do with getting rid of the national debt) and, as a reward, had been let off his income tax for life. Also the Government had lent him a small house on the Outer Circle of Regent’s Park—just the right house for a man with a wife and dogs.'</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; color: rgb(95, 95, 95); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; outline: none !important; background-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><br></p>

ADGS · June 2014

<span style="font-style: normal;">The sequel to </span><i>101 Dalmatians, The Midnight Barking</i>, is too little known these days. Utterly bonkers.<div><br></div><div>I like Raffles, but is there much to discuss past the subtext <i>Viz</i> brought out in 'Raffles, the Gentleman Thug'?</div>

Arkady · June 2014

Apropros of nothing, have any of you read Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban? I've just read it, and it's freaked me out a bit.

ADGS · June 2014

<span style="font-style: normal;">No, but I've heard very impressive things about it, and I think its descendant </span><i>The Book of Dave</i> was probably Will Self's last really good novel.

Arkady · June 2014

Yet to read The Book if Dave, but it is now next on my list. Riddley is wonderful and disturbing. I can't recommend it enough.

Mirandola · June 2014

Yes to Midnight (though wasn't it 'Starlight'?) Barking. There's enough gay subtext in Raffles for a queer reading PhD.

conformable_kate · June 2014

Agree about Riddley Walker esp disturbing bit! Odd and interesting writer all round.

Arkady · June 2014

Any other Russell Hoban recommendations? Or indeed post-apocalyptic book recommendations?

Luirette · June 2014

I recently read 'The windup girl' by Paulo Bacigalupi, which I found vividily written and interesting as it was set exclusively in Thailand. In a similar vein, I'm just about to start 'Lagoon' by Nnedi Okorafor, set in Nigeria. Nice to get away from American-centric post-apocalyptic sci-fi. @ Sophie I reserved the one copy of End of the affair available in Haringey libraries but no word of it yet. Only hope I have time to get it a bit before the next book club!

ADGS · June 2014

<span style="font-style: normal;">Do last city stories like Arthur C Clarke's </span><i>The City and the Stars</i> or Harrison's <i>Viriconium</i> count as post-apocalyptic? Because I love those two. Not read much set in the more immediate aftermath for ages, except in comics, where <i>The Walking Dead</i> (obviously) and <i>Wasteland</i> are both pretty good.

miss annie · June 2014

Most bookshops have big dystopian (and less often utopian) fiction displays with staff recommendations these days. A lot of them are a good bridge from teen books, like Hunger Games, into adult novels.

Mirandola · June 2014

Not fiction, but am reading Judith Schalansky's 'Pocket Atlas of Remote Islands' and it has that dystopia/SF kick. Reminds me of the line from Buffy I wanted to use for a paper 'I never thought I'd need to know the plural of apocalypse'.

vetski · June 2014

I love that line, one of Riley's best.

ADGS · June 2014

"One of Riley's best" is damning with faint praise, surely? We had to take him out of the Top Trumps deck in the end, we were all too outraged at his allegedly being smarter than Willow or Giles, when really the only category where he should have scored highly is 'Dreary Oaf Factor'.

vetski · June 2014

Riley smarter than Willow or Giles? Was this deck from an alternate dimension?!

Arkady · June 2014

That guy was dufus. And no-one is smarter than Willow. Especially vampire willow. And when I say smarter, I mean hotter.

ADGS · June 2014

This also. The deck...yeah, we wondered that. Probably a trap set up by some minor demon who feeds on the energy of nerd rage.

sophie · June 2014

Just to confirm I will be there tonight at 8!<br>

Luirette · June 2014

Me too - I've done a third of the book and finished off the rest of the rest via the film. Hope that'll do!

Patso · June 2014

<P>Hi</P> <P>Very keen to join albeit given kids work etc need as much notice as poss re: the next reading.</P> <P>How do you choose it and how long do readers get before the next meet?</P> <P>Thank you.</P> <P> </P>

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Book group 24th June: The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

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