Before we begin our discussion of the first Cornflower Book Group book - "All Passion Spent" - tomorrow, I wanted to choose the title we'll read over the next few weeks. All the excellent and varied suggestions you made were put into a hat and one was drawn out by the blindfolded (but totally unbiased anyway) Mr. C.
Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace
will be our second book, and the first of her fiction for me, so I'm looking forward to it. Here's what it says on the back cover: "Around the true story of one of the most enigmatic and notorious women of the 1840s, Margaret Atwood has created an extraordinarily potent tale of sexuality, cruelty and mystery". Hilary Mantel in the Literary Review writes "Brilliant.... Atwood's prose is searching. So intimate it seems to be written on the skin", while Julie Myerson in the Independent on Sunday says, "A sensuous, perplexing book, at once sinister and dignified....I don't think I have ever been so thrilled." There are many other rave reviews on the book's Amazon page (follow the link above).
I suggest we allow five weeks to read this, given the demands on everyone's time just now, so we should aim to talk about it on Saturday, 19th. January. Meanwhile, I'll put all the other suggested titles in a special section of the sidebar for easy reference and we can add to them as ideas occur.
Book's read
Cat's fed...
(I don't have a cat but never mind...)
I'm ready for your Bookgroup Launch.
But something is niggling. Do I not recall some talk of tea and cake? Ah-ha! "I wish I could offer tea and cake to sustain us in our discussions..." [Nov 16th post]. I might just have time to make the Toffee Apple Cake!
Posted by: Barbara MacLeod | 14 December 2007 at 12:42 PM
Indeed, Barbara is quite right about the cake, and I had not forgotten it. If all goes according to plan it will appear tomorrow!!
Posted by: Cornflower | 14 December 2007 at 12:51 PM
Fantastic! Read this when it came out and look forward very much to reading again.
Posted by: adele geras | 15 December 2007 at 09:39 AM
I also read this a while ago and loved it so look forward very much to a re-read. A good choice for your first Atwood, too, I think.
Posted by: Harriet | 15 December 2007 at 10:02 AM
I'm looking forward to it. I have read other Atwoods, but not this.
Posted by: Angela Young | 15 December 2007 at 10:09 AM
I read this last year and was totally gripped and fascinated by it and the conundrum that is Grace. I shall enjoy reading it again. However, a snage - I gave my copy to my daughter to read so now it would appear I need another copy...
Posted by: Elaine | 21 December 2007 at 11:42 AM
Sorry to say, I won't be reading this one. Not my "cuppa" as they say. But also, if you happened to glance over at my sidebar lately, I have signed up for book challenges and have four books each month to read. Being the slow reader I am, this will indeed be a challenge. Maybe a book will be chosen for this group that happens to be on one of my lists, and I'll be able to participate.
Posted by: Nan | 23 December 2007 at 01:50 PM