Thanks to all who attended last week's discussion of Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry - a large group and a great, fast moving discussion, as always when there are dissenting opinions around the table. While everyone acknowledged the very difficult subject matter, for most the prose style and structure won the day in the debate. Perhaps our most unreliable narrator ever... I'm trying to remember Remains of the Day or Motherless Brooklyn. Several asked about exploring his other work and I did a quick survey and came back with 3 recommendations:
Days Without End (2016) – Often regarded as his masterpiece; Costa Book of the Year, a brutal and tender US Civil War–era love story that showcases his style at its best.
A Long Long Way (2005) – Haunting First World War novel, beautifully written and central to his ongoing project of revisiting Irish history from the margins.
The Secret Scripture (2008, McNulty cycle) – Major award-winner, set in a psychiatric hospital; a keystone novel for his long-running family constellation.
Our next book is The Art Thief by Michael Finkel and should offer a propulsive, true crime (non-fiction) palate cleanser for our next discussion. We are meeting on Wednesday, April 22nd. Hope to see you all there.
Before I go, I wanted to highlight that we will be hosting Joe Moldover's book launch on on Thursday April 30 at Wellesley Books with food, drinks, and his friend Edwin Hill. I am planning for Joe's book to be the selection for our May BBGG meeting so I hope many of you will attend the launch. You can register for the event here. There is a $5 ticket fee that can be applied to the purchase of the book. To make it even easier, if you buy a ticket to Joe's event, I will forgo the usual $10 ticket for the May group meeting. What a deal! Sign up now so we can get an early handle on numbers and show Joe out support!
"There is so much to love about this page turning mystery. Moldover, as always, is picture perfect in capturing the beauty, charm, and quirks of small town life in the Northeast. In this case, he layers on one of the finest depictions of a father/son relationship I’ve ever read. The ongoing repartee between Richard and Lukas, their mutual love for and exasperation with each other, is the real backbone of the story. I hated to see it end."
- Bill Kohli, owner, Wellesley Books
