A tiny but, as usual, perfectly-formed group gathered for November 2013’s discussion which was rather shorter than usual due to the convener’s
appalling time (mis)management for which profuse apologies are offered.
Those of us who had read this beautifully written book before the meeting thoroughly enjoyed its rich
texture and vivid evocation of 18th century Enlightenment Paris just before the
onset of Revolution. It is fiction but
sounds extremely plausible, telling the extraordinary story the naive inexperienced engineer Jean Baptiste Barratte who comes to Paris from Normandy and is hired to supervise the excavation of
the cemetery of Les Innocents. With the disinterment of centuries-worth of bodies from
the ground and vaults, at times the book
takes on a gothic air of shivery horror – the sensory descriptions are all too
realistic but not unbearable. However Miller creates some memorable characters and there are
some lovely passages of writing.
It is a beautifully written book, clever and engaging with intense research never allowed to impose itself on the
story of the unsophisticated Jean-Baptiste and his grisly
task. There are some very funny incidents and always the impending feeling of what the next few years will bring to France.
Some readers were reminded of Perfume (not least because of the shared inevitable emphasis on the
olfactory) but Pure is a much more appealing
and pleasant read - clever, intricate
and accessible.
Highly recommended!
And read the associated blog by Jim Naughtie
Our next Meeting will be at 12.30 pm Tuesday 14 January 2014 to set us off into the New Year. We will meet in the Staff Lounge at WBS Scarman Road, but do let Emily know if you want to vary the venue.
We shall be reading Lives
Through Letters - A portrait of the
Waller family 1796-1856.
This book is from the Warwickshire Library’s Book
Group collection. Emily has copies for anyone who wishes to read this but please
note borrowed books will have to be returned by Thursday 12 December unless someone can volunteer to return the collection to Kenilworth or another Warwickshire library by 24 December latest.
