The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
Salt Picnic – Patrick Evans
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS
Mimicking Janet Frame’s travels, a young woman arrives on the island of Ibiza in 1956 and falls into a relationship with an American photographer.
➽ “Patrick Evans is an accomplished writer and obviously has a lot of intelligent thoughts swirling around in his head and just as many different ways available to him of offering that information. Unfortunately not all his readers share his intellect. By that I mean me.
“Salt Picnic is his ‘imaginative response’ to the time Janet Frame spent in Ibiza in 1956-57. The protagonist is not Frame, he is at pains to point out, but perhaps she should have been, for Iola Farmer is bland and unconvincing imo. The book wants for plot lines and unfortunately this is not countered with any type of character study.
“What the book does offer is a history lesson, with the Island’s status post-war heavily referred to, and intensely detailed commentary about things and places and ideas and historical occurrences. There were some wonderful monologues, but there were also periods of time where I had no idea what was happening. It certainly lacks Evans’ dry humour I enjoyed in The Back Of His Head.
“This is not a book for everybody, and in fact I would say it has a limited audience.” – Rachel
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Published 2017
Victoria University Press
351 pages
The New Animals – Pip Adam
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS
Current and last generation fashion designers compete for fame on the streets of Auckland.
➽ “Ugh this book made me hate myself quite frankly, but once I moved past my self-loathing I was able to enjoy it in all of its glory. It was the Gen Xers working alongside the Millennials that felt awfully recognisable to me and this part especially was a killer:
‘She was wearing the same type of clothes as them, she listened to the same music, she knew exactly what they were talking about, but right now she knew she was old. Not cute, cool old, just very old…‘
“Anyway I am determined not to turn this review into an introspective psychological assessment so let’s move on.
“This novel started as a superficial, typically Auckland novel and I was not having it, but once I was into the rhythm of the characters’ lives I felt deeply invested in what was happening.
“The last part of the novel is stunning, confusing, beautiful, weird and in marked contrast to everything else prior. Is Pip Adam a genius? Perhaps.
“However, while this is a must-read novel of 2018 but I’m not sure if it’ll take out the Ockhams.” – Suzy
➽ “At first I was put off this book because of its superficiality. The narrative seemed merely observational and didn’t delve deeper into the real issues it mentioned in passing.
“As with Baby this was a book aimed at Millenials and I wondered: is this what that generation want to read about? Sex. Porn. Bodily Functions. Masturbation. Superficiality. Garishly presented without meaning or subtly? Pip Adam was losing me.
“Then the last third of the book arrived. Amongst what I took as references to Maori myth was a truly emotional and beautiful psychological awakening. Though I’m still unsure if it was metaphorical or literal, it was easily the highlight of the novel and I actually couldn’t tell what the connection was between that and the rest of the book.
“My recommendation – read Kirsten McDougall’s Tess off the longlist instead.” – Rachel
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Published by 2017
Victoria University Press
224 pages
Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Truman Capote
READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Sonya
The unnamed narrator writes of his experiences with Manhattan socialite Holly Golightly. A famous American Classic.
➽ “Breakfast At Tiffany’s was a fun, easy read. It had plenty of depth and character and I enjoyed dipping into post-war America and the the life of what other reviewers had described as “An American Geisha”. I loved Holly Golightly, her character, her clothes!, her quirkiness and unapologetic lifestyle. Unfortunately, however, I have seen the movie more than once, and so I struggled to shake that adaptation, the characters and their portrayls from my mind. As such, it didn’t feel like an honest read on my behalf. I felt like I probably missed some of the metaphors, messages and meanings behind characters and events that you get when you read a book and absorb it in the way that is intended.” – Sonya
➽ “The American classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s remains a favourite of mine. Its depth despite its simplicity is a drawcard as is the construction of the enigmatic Holiday Golightly, a country girl turned New York cafe society girl and part time escort. Set during the post war sexual revolution it is highly readable, more so for the beautifully flawed protagonist. Her manner with men is appropriate for a person with her past and I enjoy the narrator’s relationship with her, like a standoffish friend who knows so much he almost knows nothing. I loved her cat-like nature, sidling up to people from whom she can see herself gaining advantages, and her unbreakable resolve. A wonderful book.” – Rachel
➽ “It’s hard for me to understand how Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a classic. It’s an interesting story and Holly Golightly is quite a piece of work however I was left thinking ‘is that it?’ A bit underwhelmed I’m afraid by this one.” – Jo
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Published 1958
Random House
142 pages
Baby – Annaleese Jochems
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS
In this debut novel, young lovers run away, stealing money to buy a boat but inciting disaster wherever they turn.
➽ “I think we are all capable of horrible acts, depending on circumstances and surely we all sometimes wonder how far we would go given the situation. Baby explores this idea beautifully and looks at what happens when two regular people are placed slightly out of their comfort zones. I felt I was in no position to judge the characters’ actions as what would I have done if faced with their options (or lack thereof)? I absolutely loved the dark humour of this novel, but I never quite decided whether I really liked the whole thing. The glowing recommendations on the cover from Eleanor Cotton and Emily Perkins tell me maybe I could do with a re-read and reassessment. As a small aside, this is the second Ockham shortlisted novel I have read with a dog as a minor character and I am hoping for a strong showing from cats in 2019.” – Suzy
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Published 2017
Victoria University Press
219 pages
Sodden Downstream – Brannavan Gnanalingam
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS
A refugee walks through a Wellington storm to get to work but must rely on the kindness of strangers to get there.
➽ “A journey or expedition is a staple in fictional themes, however here this is turned on its head with the protagonist’s trek being through a storm in order to get to her cleaning job. Without it she cannot feed her family, it’s as simple as that, yet her story is told with the same power as some of the more well known odyssean stories.
“The completeness of the NZ themes are what sets this book apart. The Kiwi colloquialisms are raw and true, albeit a bit cringeworthy and the author paints a detailed picture of his interpretation of our current social climate, especially for immigrant refugees.
“I did think all of this was beautifully and fully done, but did find it a bit preachy. But it certainly details a moment in history that will be referred back to in time, I’m sure, and deserves its place on the Ockham’s shortlist.” – Rachel
➽ “I read this book a while ago now and I still think about it every day. Sita attempting to reach central Wellington has to be one of literature’s great journeys, right up there with The Hobbit, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn etc.
—–
Published 2017
Lawrence & Gibson
178 pages
Oryx & Crake – Margaret Atwood
READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Jo
An unforgettable story of love, friendship and biologically modified humans in an alternative reality where pharmaceutical companies rule.
➽ “Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake is another one of her chilling dystopian novels which kept me gripped right to the end. The exaggerated play on current technologies and lack of regard for our world and the environment give an unnerving sense that this future is entirely possible and therein lies Atwood’s creative brilliance. She is darkly clever with the names, brands and themes throughout and there’s so much complexity in this book that I’ll need to re read it to fully appreciate the content. I couldn’t leave Jimmy and his weird world alone and rushed out to the library and read the next book in the series – if you know me then you’ll know this means this book is an absolute hit. My mind is still whirling!” – Jo
➽ “After struggling a bit to get into recent reads, Oryx & Crake was a wonderful, interesting and exciting read. I found myself looking forward to the evening read before bed. I was in awe of Atwood’s brilliance in painting her depressing yet fascinating picture of future earth. Like watching a disturbing movie scene, I was both repelled and hooked at the same. I loved the way she blew out all of the controversial trends of our time, like our obsession with sex, youth, immortality, genetic modification, climate change and drug culture, into their future extremes, although in this respect I found the book rather depressing. Definitely keen to read more from this trilogy and I can’t wait for the movie to be made.” – Sonya
➽ “This was my fourth re-read of Oryx & Crake and though nothing will ever replace the first read, I still find reasons to re-read it. What appeals to me is Atwood’s innate ability to combine real life characters with speculation on the state of the world if current experimental biological modification trends are pushed to the nth degree. There are no inventions in Atwood’s fiction, rather an intelligent mind bending about things that actually existed at the time she penned the book. As time passes, it is interesting to see how many of her prophesies are coming true! Jimmy, Oryx and Crake are the perfect personalities to carry and ‘normalise’ the crazy story, covering the roles of crazed creator, passive caregiver and questioning observer between them. Jimmy in particular voices the reader’s concerns and therefore is the connection between our reality and Atwood’s. I can’t recommend this book highly enough, as well as the two sequels.” – Rachel
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Published 2003
Anchor Books
400 pages
On The Road – Jack Kerouac
READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Becks
On the Road is an early example of the stream of consciousness style and chronicles Kerouac’s years traveling through North American with his friend Neal Cassidy.
➽ “I love stories about people’s travels and adventures so I was excited about reading this, especially because it is considered a classic American novel. However, this was completely different to anything I have ever read before. Kerouac apparently wrote this in 3 weeks on a continuous scroll of paper in a new writing style known as a stream of consciousness. This transposed as rambling at times and made for a challenging read. I did enjoy the glimpse into the Beat movement though. Sal & Dean embodied a carefree spirit, they rejected conformity and believed in spontaneity which are typical characteristics of the Beat generation. With these beliefs they travelled America on a drink and drug fuelled roadie always in search of the next big thrill. Their friendship was based on hero-worship, in which neither Sal nor Dean acted morally responsible for their actions. Their behaviour at times made me want to cringe but in the end their carefree attitude to life is something to admire.” – Jodie
➽ “Although On The Road is a renowned famous book written in just three weeks (which is amazing), to me it is essentially a long debaucherous rant. Sal’s various trips for ‘kicks’ begin to run into each other with all his and friends’ sordid tales of drunken drug taking and sleazy sexual encounters. Sal and Dean are thoroughly unlikeable and the story in general became tedious as it went on.” – Jo
➽ “Context is important when reading On The Road. Set in the 1950s, with post-war freedoms creating a distaste for rules and regulations, the story would be hard to fathom in the current social climate. Dean is reportedly the antagonist and Sal’s opposite, but really Sal was using Dean, going along for the ride, for ‘kicks’, to see what adventure might occur. No one pulls Dean up on his misbehaviour, rather they revel in the opportunity to rebel and take advantage of people and situations. I disliked Dean immensely during the book but ended up pitying him instead, and thus enjoying him as a character. (Though, disturbing to know he was a real person!) Representative of a time in history and with poetry like prose, On The Road is an important work, that I sometimes struggled with and sometimes loved, but which I am glad to have read.” – Rachel
—–
Published 1957
Viking Press
307 pages
2018 – Setting the scene
Sometimes you put a book down late at night after a long reading session and you can still “see” it, see the landscape or the building or the room so clearly in your mind. And it’s then that you know the setting has received the perfect amount of consideration and construction by the author.
Yes, setting is as important to a novel as the characters. Whether a subtle backdrop or vivid as if part of the cast it supports and enhances the plot; it allows the characters’ strengths and flaws to take centre stage.
We discovered this last year when locations from our year’s reading seemed imprinted on our brains as if memories. The Bulgaria of East of the West, its lush countryside, flowing rivers and ancient architecture won’t leave us and the many and varied concepts of Venice in Invisible Cities is etched like artwork in our recall.
2018 is brimming with equally enticing fictional settings that intrigued us before we even started reading: the fictional reality of Oryx & Crake, the mountain villages of Nepal, and Jack Kerouac’s many visited locales.
How will they influence our opinion of said books once read? This varied assemblage of settings and locations, ready to delve into, to consider as an alternative reality to our own as we traverse across our own varied and breathtaking region to attend bookclub meets. No, we are not neighbourhood pals in the Free Range Bookclub, we are scattered throughout the Nelson/Tasman region, inciting travel and change of location for every meet. We must become accustomed to changes in our own settings to delve into the mystery of fictional ones!
This year there will be an added setting for bookclub meets as we welcome a new freeranger, the lovely Jodie. Another avid reader, another home, another place in which to assemble, where the scene has been set to encourage our eager and fruitful discussions about setting, location and personalities as we embrace our own.
2018 Schedule
On The Road – Jack Kerouac
Oryx & Crake – Margaret Atwood
Breakfast At Tiffany’s – Truman Capote
When I Hit You: Or A Portrait Of The Writer As A Young Wife – Meena Kandasamy
Five Sons & A Hundred Muri of Rice – Sharyn Steel & Zoe Dryden
I, Capture The Castle – Dodie Smith
The Paying Guests – Sarah Waters
The Nine-Chambered Heart – Janice Pariat
The Bridge of San Luis Rey – Thornton Wilder
Pachinko – Min Jin Lee
Back Booker 2004
It’s as if there was a prerequisite for darkness and literary grim in 2004. The shortlist certainly leant itself to depths that despite their brilliance were sometimes difficult to read.
Rape, incest and murder abound in Bitter Fruit, the story of a South African family living in a post-apartheid climate.
Drink was the central theme of I’ll Go To Bed At Noon. Despite the grimness of pubs and alcoholic misadventures, the book is a compelling study of human nature.
The Master is a retelling of Henry James’ life over a busy and melancholic four years. An important story, told with literary freedom, the book is perhaps best suited for those intellectuals with a more learned understanding of James’ life and literature.
The Electric Michangelo is about tattooing but more so about pain. There is much pain endured by the characters, in a book that offers an acute awareness of world events that also inflicted much pain.
Then we come to Cloud Atlas. On the positive side, it is about lives brought together in time and significance by convergent fates and features NZ Maori, but conversely its six stories covering nineteenth century South Pacific to a post-apocalyptic reality took it out of the enjoyable realm for these freerangers.
Then, pitted against these dark books, is The Line of Beauty. Set against the backdrop of Thaterism and the 1987 UK general election, The Line of Beauty is ultimately a human story. Nick, a homosexual man who lives with a politician and his family, is at the centre of the plot. Hollinghurst manages the relationships, the political history and the thrill-a-minute plot with skill and leaves the reader with an optimal amount of emotional investment but also uncertainty about it all. A thoroughly enjoyable and beautiful novel that certainly deserved the win in our eyes.
2017 – End Of Year Thoughts
Either the freerangers read a list of descriptive masterpieces this year or we have developed heightened senses for the understanding of people and places in fiction.
Such was the enthusiasm with which we have analysed the make up of our reading this year. Did we inadvertently pick books full of delicious descriptors, of people, time and place? Or did we immerse ourselves more fully and latch onto the beautifulness, whether apparent or layered?
Perhaps both were relevant as we kicked off the year with our long-awaited ten year bookclub reunion. Eight minds deliberating Coetzee and Plath masterpieces – what else could result but dissection of every hint of activity.
The depth and emotional pull continued through the year: Offred’s lonely plight; the lush, romantic landscapes of Bulgaria; the bewilderment of Simon and David; a looming island prison; a vulnerable conversation during a mountaintop storm; the honesty of troubled school boys.
The NZ Book Awards shortlisters also had a breadth of character development that was beguiling and the Bookers crossed every continent, imagined and real, with its focus on migration and belonging.
We loathed – but secretly loved – the characters for being vindictive and flawed; we rubbished them for being weak and ineffectual; we praised them for being perfectly and imperfectly real. We connected with the settings as if they had come to rest vividly in us, formed as if a memory.
Yes, there was much to discuss at our end of year get together, this year at Hopgood’s Restaurant on a stifling summer’s evening. Here are the highlights of our musings:
Book of the year:
Rachel: The Childhood of Jesus
Becks: The Handmaid’s Tale
Jo: Kafka On The Shore
Sonya: East Of The West
Runner up:
Rachel: The Handmaid’s Tale
Becks: East Of The West
Jo: The Handmaid’s Tale
Sonya: As The Earth Turns Silver
Best character:
Rachel: Simon from The Childhood of Jesus
Becks: Offred from The Handmaid’s Tale
Jo: Nakata from Kafka On The Shore
Sonya: Walter from The Hut Builder
Best revelation:
Rachel: That the story of The Childhood of Jesus can be viewed as a
harbinger for the end of the world
Becks: That all the cities in Invisible Cities are Venice and depict
architectural ideas and concepts
Jo: That Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar was autobiographical
Sonya: That the author of The Hut Builder, Laurence Fearnley, is a woman
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