A Time of Gifts

We had various reactions to Patrick Leigh Fermor's famous travel diary.  Overall we felt that it was heavily over written and rather indigestible, although the descriptions were lushly vivid and the date of his walk (1933) fascinating, given that he was walking across Europe.  there was some mystification expressed that this purported to be a diary, although it was written up from his notes some 30 years after the event.  He was apparently resist any descriptive or narrative detour that may have proposed itself to him; digressions often last for many pages, delving into ever more esoteric historical and social details that some of us felt were superfluous to his tale.

Some members of the group had read this before, and found the return was a disappointment.  Readers who were new to PLF felt that it was a curate's egg - good in parts.

Not a strong recommendation, sadly.

Other recommended reads we had included:

• Longbourne - Pride and Prejudice from behind the green baize door
• The Snow Child
• Anne Cleve's Shetland detective stories (author of Vera, the TV adapted crime novels)
• Ken Mclure's Dust to Dust
• Susan Hills'detective novels
• Peter May's Hebrides-set 3 novels, including  The Black House  and the Lewis Men 

There was clearly a theme of crime and detectives coming throug this  month!

However, we didn't pick up on this trend for our next choice, opting instead for Pat Barker's 1980s Booker Prize winning novel Regeneration*, the first in her trilogy set during and after WW1.

We shall be meeting on Wed 12 November at WBS at 1230.

*  Sept 2014 there is a superb stage adaptation of the novel touring the UK at the moment.  Highly recommended by a Reading Group member who has seen it.