DECEMBER BOOK ANNOUNCED....READ ALL ABOUT IT!

The Book Stripped Bare is going to mid nineteenth century France for December 2010.

The scandalous Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.  I am open to suggestions at which translation.  Perhaps if we just choose whatever one we want we can have a more varied discussion.

I quote from the back of my Penguin Popular Classics edition "Emma Bovary has become one of the greatest, and least conventional, heroines of fiction". Bring it on I say.

Date TBC- most likely around the middle weekend of December, so get reading.

November 2010: The Finkler...What???

The Finkler Question, written by 'British Philip Roth' Howard Jacobson, was an obvious choice for the book group, after it won the Man Booker Prize in October.  The Book Stripped Bare was probably not alone in picking it as the book to read this Winter.

A quick synopsis without too many spoilers is probably necessary if I am to continue.  The book centres on three men: the elderly Czech Jew Libor, a successful journalist who boasts of his friendships with Hollywood stars such as Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe, mourning after the recent death of his perfect wife Malkie with whom he had a committed and wonderful relationship.  Samuel (Sam) Finkler another Jewish man, in his 50's  with a successful career as a "philosopher" (writer of self help books and Z list celeb), also recently widowed, but unsure about the strength of his marriage prior to his wife dying.  Finally, Julian Tresolve the non Jewish Jew wannabe (this is where it becomes complicated).  University friend to Sam; Tresolve is a former BBC radio show producer and is working as a celebrity look-a-like throughout the majority of the novel. Tresolve is unable to hold down a relationship because he is, quite frankly, INSANE.  Melancholic by nature, Julian is obsessed with Jewishness (he refers to Jews as Finklers...hence The Finkler Question), and thinks that his two friends have all that he aspires to because they are Jewish.  Hence a story about nothing but these three men living in the aftermath the two deaths.

So...what did we think...

Why on earth did this book win the Booker Prize?

As a relatively young, non Jewish and mostly female group, in hindsight, this was never going to be the book for us.  Although the main characters were well developed they were, for the most part, not likeable. Most of the good qualities of all of them had been completely hammered out by the end of the novel, so that when we finished the overwhelming opinion was 'thank God that's over'. We don't deny that the book was well written, if a little over embellished.  The author does use comedy to give a confused yet probably accurate description of the state of 'Jewishness' in Britain today.  Unfortunately the book is so long, that as 'Gentiles' the Jewish observations and arguments became a bit tedious and repetitive.  

Now let us discuss the treatment of women in this novel.  Boo Hiss Boo Mr Jacobson, we would not want to be your wife!  This is a novel about men, for men.  The female characters are mostly tools to highlight the masculinity and sexuality (or lack of) in the lead characters.  Tresolve for the most part only falls in love with woman who he can see 'dying before him' in some Shakespearian tragedy.  Sam's wife, Tyler was a converted Jew and hater of her husband, who cheated on her at every given opportunity, and she him.   The two Jewish women in the novel are strong in a sense that they understand 'Jewish' behaviour, infidelity, their place in the home and just get on with it.  We won't even get started on the WHOLE chapter dedicated to circumcision and penis obsession.  That was way too much for us to bear!

So to sum up.  Yes it is high brow, yes it probably appealed to all the middle aged men on the Booker panel, and YES it is a bit funny in a few places.  It gave us a lot to talk about and even those who hadn't read the novel soon chipped in with opinions on identity and male sexuality (maybe that was just the wine talking).  But the reality is that on the whole it was just too long and self obsessed for us to enjoy.


So far 4.5 out of 10 (Scores still being collated)

The story so far....

The Book Stripped Bare, as all of you reading this will probably know, is a forum for reading books, sharing opinions, and solving the problems of the world. OK, OK, it's just a little book group that meets once a month, at a local (cheap) pub, with a few strong views about a book of our choosing.  World domination is on the cards though...one day.  

So we have been up and running for 6 months now, survived a whole 1/2 a year, what better way to start the second half than to record our meetings on a Blog (that's where I come in).  

Here is a quick catch up on all the books we have read so far and our opinions on them...

Boy A Jonathan Trigall

This book generally got the thumbs up from all book group attendees.  It is a slightly (very) morbid story about the life of a child murderer after he is released from prison as a young adult, it is influenced by the James Bulger murder in the early 1990's.    The story is great for a book group as it polarizes opinion and lends itself to lengthy and heated discussions.  It is a breath of fresh air for those sick of reading the same things over and over again in the British media.  However, the book did fall a little too heavy on the side of sympathy for most of us. 

6.5 out of 10

Black Water Rising Attica Locke

We were expecting great things from this crime/civil rights history novel when one of the members (Emily) told us that she had heard the author speaking at Costa First Novel prize readings.  Unfortunately it didn't live up to the hype and (unsurprisingly) it didn't win the prize.  The story centres on a complex character who is defined by the racial tensions of his home town Houston and becomes embroiled in a thoroughly Texan oil dispute.  A legal thriller...well legal yes...but we were not really thrilled in the slightest.      

3 out of 10

The Bride Stripped Bare Nikki Gemmell

Bored of prize winning novels we decided to try something a little racy for the next month. 'Anonymous' Aussie author (oooh I love alliteration) Nikki Gemmell's attempt at ground breaking female insight seemed like a good place to start. Billed as the book to keep 'husbands on their toes' we struggled to see why.  We were left a bit disappointed at the lack of originality in the plot and the exploits of 'the Bride'.  The story never really got going, but the title, reworked obviously, became the new book group name...and so The Book Stripped Bare was born.  

1 out of 10

Room Emma Donaghue

Back to the prize 'nominated' novels we went.  If Boy A was morbid, this book was off the scale.  Some of us LOVED it, some of us HATED it.  A pretty equal balance making this the Marmite book of the group so far.  For anyone who doesn't know, Room is told from the point of view of 5 year old Jack, who is locked in Room with his mother (Joseph Frizl style) he thinks that Room, his mother and its contents are all that exist.  OK, so Emma Donaghue puts herself in the shoes of a 5 year old boy and assumes what he may be thinking, in the room and out of it.  Some bought the story others didn't...the choice is yours 

8 out of 10 (the score is so high as Emily can never finish a book on time)

How Far Can You Go? David Lodge

Discussing this book during a wine and cheese night where copious amounts of alcohol were consumed is making it difficult for me to remember what was said...I will try my best.  The narrative follows a group of friends from university through to middle age, the common bond is Catholicism.  Not an obvious book choice for some (me included) but on the whole the group found it interesting, funny and well written.    

6.5 out of 10

So that is the story so far....the book for November was the Booker Prize winning 'The Finkler Question' we are meeting tomorrow, so until then....