The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
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
The Hut Builder – Laurence Fearnley
READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Jo
Set in NZ’s deep south, a man at sorts with life finds himself on a mountain with Sir Ed Hillary. 2011 NZ Book Awards winner.
◉ “Getting to know Boden Black is a slow process – he turns out to be a quiet, reflective person with some poignant insights. His mother’s consuming depression casts a dark shadow over his early life and a strange parental surrogacy ensues as a way for Boden to escape into a warmer brighter family life.
“Boden experiences an epiphany on encountering the incredible Mackenzie basin which leads to a lifetime of poetry juxtaposed with a living as a butcher. His appreciation of nature is expertly expressed – I especially loved the hut scene on Mt Cook. Although not a hugely memorable book to me and Boden didn’t seem particularly strong or well defined it was a comforting interesting story.” – Jo
◉ “Like Laurence Fernley and her protagonist Boden Black, I too have an affinity with the Mackenzie district. I have not climbed any mountains but I have spent a lot of time there and I appreciate its arid beauty. Which, I guess, is why I enjoy Fearnley’s books so. She uses the contemplative calm of the environment to build her characters and so everything in the novel is harmonious.
“Like Mt Cook, Boden is a solitary figure, a loner, though not out of touch with reality. Ultimately the book is his life story, about his search for identity. Occurrences such as an accidental mountain climb with Sir Ed, unknown relatives popping out of the woodwork, and of course his assistance with hut building on snowy slopes, help him discover who he really is, in this lifeless environment full of solitary things that fit in.
“It is not a book full of action or surprises, more a steady trek through one man’s life and challenges, that leaves you with a wee smile on your face at the conclusion.” – Rachel
—–
Published 2010
Penguin Random House
246 pages
Kafka On The Shore – Haruki Murakami
READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Rachel
A teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, runs away from home to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy and search for his long-missing mother and sister.
◉ “One day in 2006 I bought this book new off the shelves in an Auckland bookshop. And, it changed my life. I immediately went about securing and reading every work of Murakami’s fiction. He became my obsession!
“So I was excited about re-reading this, my foray into the strange world of Murakami. And I certainly appreciated it much more on the second reading, with the understanding of how and why Murakami writes. It was like reading it for the first time again.
“Like all Murakami’s books, comprehending the layers of death and construction which can keep bookclubs talking for hours is not instrumental to enjoying and loving Kafka On The Shore. In 2006 it was a surface read. I recognised the obvious metaphors, but mainly just loved the weird and wonderful journey. Whereas this time I examined every page for it’s meaning and depth and revelled in it.
“In this book it rains fish, children fall unconscious in the forest, an evil spirit takes many forms including Johnny Walker and Colonel Sanders, and lost soldiers from WWII guard the entrance to another world where spirits wait in limbo, yet somehow it all seems very real, with the touching story of a boy who feels separated from his reality and longs to know why his mother took his sister and abandoned him years ago.
“There’s nothing else to say except Murakami is a genius.” – Rachel
◉ “The skill and imagination of Haruki is breathtaking. His writing style is simple but profound with characters so expertly distinct and a story that’s weird and engaging.
“I savoured each and every part of this amazing book and really didn’t want it to end. The strange parts of his magical realism story were woven in so that you didn’t end up thinking it was ridiculous.
“I’m still in love with a few of these characters and I really wish I could talk to cats!” – Jo
—–
Published in Japanese 2002
Translated into English by Philip Gabriel 2006
Vintage
480 pages
2017 Bookerthon
There is a line in Ali Smith’s Autumn which sums up all the shortlisted books this year:
“Passing the house with the “GO HOME” graffiti, Elisabeth sees that the words “WE ARE ALREADY HOME THANK YOU” have been painted right underneath”.
Migration, immigration and connections to the land are common threads, each novel exploring what it means to be in the place we stand, how we interact with the environment and who deserves to be in a place the most. Autumn even declares itself as the first ‘post-Brexit’ novel. In the others, the migrant theme not only manifests in the traditional sense, but as passage to the afterlife, as migrants of time and of childhood.
The list will certainly be remembered as representative of the time.
So, a nicely packaged lot, thematically and representatively apt, that ticks the boxes of scope. But are they the six best books of the year? We’re not sure we’d agree on that. Especially when in years past we have strongly felt we had read just that.
Elmet is a book of beautiful language and captivating interplay between power and powerlessness. But compared with the others, its lack of character depth let it down, with the setting almost acting as the main character.
In an interview, the author of History of Wolves revealed how she’d been told: ‘if you know something is going to happen, you might as well spend it or say it and then see what happens’. We felt she took this advice too literally as the book’s let down was the reveal of information. However, the voice of the teenager, her naivety and passivity, was authentic and the moody atmosphere of the wooded location a real scene setter.
Autumn is certainly the most literary of all the shortlisters. Sometimes it’s hard to grasp all the nuances in a Ali Smith book but this is definitely one of her more accessible novels.
As neither of us had finished 4 3 2 1 it was difficult to comment on the entire 866 pages. Funnily enough both of us had nothing but enjoyable experiences to report from what we had read but couldn’t rave it about it when taking the others into consideration. Reviews read today are disparaging about the ending and how the four lives end up rather the same.
It’s not every year we agree on our favourite, but this year we did. Exit West topped the table for us both. Nadia and Saeed are highly developed characters designed to be relatable to everyone, irrespective of their locality. The cross genre construction is believable and builds the foundation for the author’s view on immigration. He shows us a future where immigration is normalised; there will be no such thing a migrant or a native. His vision for the world is peaceful and hopeful. It was this desire to look to the future of immigration rather than report on what has been, that made it stand above the other shortlisters this year.
That brings us to Lincoln In The Bardo. We both acknowledge we found this a bit of a difficult read because it broke the traditional structure of a novel that we had adapt to. But at the same time we appreciated its genius and its combination of historical context, fact and fiction. Everyone sees or recalls historical events differently and Saunders reflects that in a compassionate and honest way.
So, if we were picking our favourite read, we’d choose Exit West, but if we were asked to chose the most original book, the one that will have the biggest effect on the literary world, we both agree the nod should go to Lincoln in the Bardo.
Suzy’s favourites 1st-6th
Exit West
Elmet
Autumn
The History of Wolves
4 3 2 1
Lincoln In The Bardo
Rachel’s favourites 1st-6th
Exit West
Autumn
Lincoln In The Bardo
4 3 2 1
Elmet
The History of Wolves
4 3 2 1 – Paul Auster
READ FOR BOOKERTHON
The adolescent story of one boy, an American of immigrant parents, is told four times, showing how simple choices can set our lives on a new path.
◉ “I was instantly drawn to the premise of this book, as this is something I wonder about myself. How does each particular choice I make change the future? And from page 1, it is totally captivating.
“Ferguson and his family are painted in a lifelike manner and every detail is covered so that discovering Ferguson’s life is like recalling your own. The four re-tellings are interspersed, not told one after the other, so the shock of events, such as someone dying is quickly resolved when they re-appear alive and well in the next chapter!
“Despite this multiple narrative style and the structural complexity, it is actually simply read. It’s quite nostalgic too, not that I was alive for Ferguson’s youth or young adulthood, but there is a sense of the book encapsulating a generation. There is a lot of literature, music and historical moments referenced, adding to the sense of time.
“I know authors despair when readers comment on the length of their brick-like novels, but … this book is massive! 866 pages of tightly packed text. And while I do enjoy totally immersing myself in epic tomes, I knew I was never going to get through this before the winner is announced. I could have rushed it just to say I’d finished it, but I am enjoying it too much and so have decided to continue on at my leisurely pace, well past the moment of decision making.” – Rachel
◉ “Sooooo I didn’t quite get through the extremely long 4321. I felt defeated by the 866 pages right from the start and put off even starting it despite the timing of my reading of the Man Booker shortlisters being my best yet! However, as soon as I started it I enjoyed it and really regretted not getting underway earlier.
“Family backgrounds and the immigrant’s arrival in America has been done many times in novels and while I initially thought ‘oh wow, how original …’, I was quickly immersed in the quirky stories and swift pacing of the writing.
“Just my luck it’ll be Paul Auster for the win and I’ll be exiled from my two-person Man Booker shortlister bookclub for life.
“Previous Man Booker shortlister this book most reminded me of: The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. Attempted 3 times and yet still unfinished.” – Suzy
—–
Published 2017
Henry Holt & Co
866 pages
Elmet – Fiona Mozley
READ FOR BOOKERTHON
A man, who lives in an isolated community with his son and daughter, uses bare-fist fighting as his currency.
◉ “I was about three-quarters of the way through Elmet when I thought to myself, ‘there have only been about two things happen in this book’ but somehow it was still a compelling read. It’s very slow moving and the sense of impending doom that is flagged right from the beginning becomes almost unbearable.
“I enjoyed how the simplicity of the character’s existence was conveyed, and it was heartbreaking to see how this simplicity also contributed to their downfall. I read a review (thanks Stella from Volume) that called Elmet ‘rural noir’ and that is a perfect description.
“Previous Man Booker shortlister this book reminded me most of: Lila by Marilynne Robinson (ok yes this was actually a longlister…)” – Suzy
◉ “Elmet is a very primal book; everything is back to basics, back to the land. A man and his children live in a rural community in a house he has built himself on land he does not own. He fights bare-knuckled to make money and to please his landlord and employer. Potatoes are taken to the pot from the land, blood drips from fighting wounds back into the dirt, the heat curls up from the earth.
“This moodiness extends to the drip-feed of information too. It’s a simple storyline, without complex subtext, yet there was always enough to keep me turning the pages.
“I wondered if the father, with his freakish bulk and strength was representative of someone in history, or some kind of past. I guess this book’s themes are universal: the life-force of the land, love and protection, the superhuman.
“All-in-all, I enjoyed the ride that was Elmet, but tbh, I wasn’t blown away by it.” – Rachel
—–
Published 2017
JM Originals
311 pages
History of Wolves – Emily Fridlund
READ FOR BOOKERTHON
14-year-old outcast Madeline becomes caught up in a scandal with her neighbours across the lake.
◉ “Reading a straight-forward story was a welcome relief after the complex Lincoln in the Bardo. I enjoyed the contrasting worlds that Linda existed in and how these different settings and cultures impacted on each other and the decisions she made. The weird in-between stage of adolescence where you are still a child but also an adult was convincingly conveyed. I felt that being this age meant the main character was not held to account by me as a reader for her unpredictable and odd behaviour.
“However in spite of the unusual events in this novel, there was still a feeling of predictability to the storyline.
◉ “In her debut novel, Fridlund has created a moody, suspenseful book that accurately depicts the angst of a teenager’s life, especially one who is the remnant of a disbanded hippie commune. Madeline’s observations and her queer take on situations was convincing. Her obsession with power was nicely portrayed and reiterated in various sub-plots.
“However, what didn’t work for me was the release of information. We know from page 2 that a boy called Paul dies and there is a trial. Perfect set up: death of a boy, socially inept girl from a hippie commune involved some how – yes I struggled to put the book down.
“But the provision of plot details was such that by the time the trial actually takes place we know well enough what actually happened and there is no great twist that leaves you wanting to re-read the book immediately, as I expected.
“Odd girl as a passive observer – yes, great, read it. Psychological thriller – no, sorry, don’t get your hopes up. Still a good read and a full of atmosphere, but I’ve read many better books this year.” – Rachel
—–
Published 2018
Grove Atlantic
288 pages
Exit West – Mohsin Hamid
READ FOR BOOKERTHON
In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young lovers hear whispers about doors that can whisk people far away, albeit perilously and for a price.
◉ “If I had to pigeonhole Exit West I would call it a romance, but it also felt dystopian and weirdly like science fiction. It was enough of a love story to elicit tears from me and my cold cynical heart so that’s saying something!
“The absolutely unbelievable aspects of the storyline were completely believable and the challenges the characters faced were so vividly portrayed I felt like I have gained real insight into many modern day crises society is facing (I don’t, but kudos to the author for making me feel like I do).
“Many times when reading this book I reflected on how the hell I got so lucky being born in a country that is politically stable and very safe and where I can believe in whatever I want with no fear of repercussions. The incremental way in which the characters’ freedom slowly disappeared left me feeling very uncomfortable and this was conveyed so simply and matter-of-factly it has genuinely made me more alert for ways in which this is happening in my own life.
“The previous Man Booker shortlister this book reminded me most of: Atonement by Ian McEwan.” – Suzy
◉ “This line in Exit West that sums up the book for me: ‘Everyone migrates, even if we stay in the same houses our whole lives … we are all migrants through time.’ At a time when nationalism and immigration seems to be on the news and on people’s minds worldwide this book is exceptionally well timed. I think it will go down as a text that encapsulates a moment in history.
“Exit West is about movement and belonging and really showcases the point that we are all migrants, that we should not be excluding one another from any land because we are all visitors; who is to say who deserves to be here the most? This is reinforced with the use of descriptors such as natives, refugees, migrants, militants, words used so much we forget who is the native, who is the migrant, until they are all everything. Also, sadly Exit West shows that wherever you go there is conflict of some kind and often people are just resigned to it, which is incredibly sad.
“Mohsin Hamid puts all of this across in an emotionally charged novel that feels like it’s set in a WWII kind of environment, yet the characters have mobile phones and social media, plus they have doors through which they escape and appear in new countries. In new conflicts. The amalgamation of these three contexts is seamless so that as a reader, this reality is acceptable; unquestionable. Plus it is all mimicked in the tested romance that Hamid also manages to integrate! I’m totally in love with this book.” – Rachel
—–
Published 2017
Riverhead
231 pages
Autumn – Ali Smith
READ FOR BOOKERTHON
A young girl forges an unlikely – but life long –friendship with her elderly neighbour in post-Brexit England.
◉ “It is hard to describe this novel. It is a study of time and of place, as well as ageing and art and death. A Tale Of Two Cities and Brave New World are notably referenced a handful of times.
“Autumn is engaging and balanced, with a wonderful relationship built between the young Elisabeth and the elderly Daniel. And while it is readable and beautiful, it still has an element that makes it a little unobtainable –I’m not sure what that is. Definitely the most enjoyable Ali Smith book I have read, however.” – Rachel
◉ “I am celebrating the fact that I have read an Ali Smith book and almost been able to follow the storyline! I’ve come to the conclusion that she writes for people with a higher intellect than me and, with the exception of Hotel World, I have really struggled through her books in the past.
“The theme of this year’s Man Booker shortlist seems to be displacement/immigration and Autumn certainly fits the bill. Seeing how the main character’s mother in Autumn goes from being disinterested and ‘mumsy’ to a political vigilante when faced with the heavily patrolled border fences shows how even the most mild-mannered people can be pushed out of their comfort zone when faced with such immense change and upheaval.
“Like Exit West this book is ultimately a love story but Autumn’s characters are a little less orthodox. I enjoyed the core of this story, but the Ali Smithification of the writing distracted me too much from it.
“Previous Man-Booker shortlister this book reminded me most of: hmmm I guess another too-hard-to-read Ali Smith.” – Suzy
——
Published 2016
Hamish Hamilton
264 pages
Lincoln In The Bardo – George Saunders
READ FOR BOOKERTHON
Abraham Lincoln spends a night in his son’s tomb, a place populated by ghosts of the recently passed and the long dead.
◉ “Told through footnoted attribution derived from various texts, speeches or dialogue, Lincoln In The Bardo can be difficult to follow. It requires a type of surrender from the reader, to trust in the author. Because of this narrative style this is unlike any book I’ve read. Saunders has created his own style and this innovation combines with his innate sense for emotional storytelling that is never glib.
“I attended a session with George Saunders at this year’s Auckland Writer’s Festival, and I was blown away by his intelligence and creativity and by how he combined historical context and the supernatural so seamlessly. It was clear he had injected a range of constructions into every word of this book. Someone who paves their own way instead of following in the footsteps of others certainly receives my respect.” – Rachel
◉ “I read the first few chapters of Lincoln in the Bardo and increasingly lost patience with the author as I struggled to understand what the hell was going on. Had this not been a Man Booker shortlister I wouldn’t have persevered.
“I’ve never experienced full grief (other than my cats dying; RIP Jackie, Ben & Watson) so cannot pass judgement on how well this was portrayed, but I found it gut-wrenching and the feeling of the loss and devastation experienced by Lincoln has stayed with me for weeks.
“However I would much rather have read a book that had explored this in a more conventional way, rather than the author trying to be clever and funny with his different writing styles and approaches. The previous Man Booker shortlister this book reminded me most of: Darkmans by Nicola Barker.” – Suzy
—–
Published 2017
Random House
343 pages
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