The readers meet at 2.30pm on the first Wednesday of the month. At Bowling Green Court, Brook Street.

We are a small group and new members are always welcome.

Our next meeting is on 7th October.

At our September meeting we discussed “Land” by Maggie O’Farrell.  It is a historical novel, set in 1865, on a windswept peninsula somewhere in the West of Ireland.  It explores survival and memory in the aftermath of the Great Irish Famine (1845-1852.)  

The book was inspired by O’Farrell’s own family history, although we are assured that it is a work of historical fiction rather than a strict biography.  It is prefaced with an explanation of Irish word “seanchai” - a historian or custodian of tradition or a reciter of ancient lore / traditional storyteller, suggesting that O’ Farrell sees herself as the “seanchai” here.

The story follows a cartographer named Tomas and his ten-year-old son, Liam, as they work for the British Ordnance Survey, charting the territory left devastated by the famine.  Tomas finds himself in an uncharted area of woodland in which he experiences a strange transformation which has a profound impact upon the entire family.  We found the family story to be relentlessly dark and difficult, although the main characters were very resilient.  We discussed the impact on the family of living under rules imposed by a “foreign” government, the status of the women of the time and the concept that we never truly “own” land; we are simply temporary custodians who look after the land according to the prevailing customs and beliefs of the time.

As with last month’s read, our feelings and opinions about this book were divided.  Some members scored the book at 4/10, others at 8/10. Most of us described the author’s writing style as “descriptive and atmospheric.”  She built clear pictures of the landscape and the events that were happening.  Others felt that the book was just too long and that parts of it were completely unnecessary. Our next book is “Mother Tongue” by the American author Bill Bryson, which describes the development of the English language

New members always welcome.

For further details please contact David Adams