A Lit Lover's Dream

We had the first meeting of our very elite book club last night.  The woman behind it all is this one.  I say 'elite' because right now it's just the two of us.  There are others we could invite but for some reason that hasn't happened yet.  G calls us Frasier and Niles.  (If you haven't seen the show Frasier, go watch all the seasons immediately).

One reason it is, let's say, selective, is that we want to actually talk about the book.  Most of the book clubs I've been in have been 75% wine drinking, 20% gabbing, 5% book talk (even though most people who showed up didn't read it).  That's cool and all, but sometimes the literature lovers need to talk about the book, the plot, the characters, the literary devices.  Not the wine.  That's what Supper Club is for.

So when Nat King Cole proposed the idea of starting our own club I immediately knew it was the best idea ever.

The book we read/discussed is Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.

On a snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born and quickly dies.  On a snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born and lives.  As she grows up in the English countryside, she realizes she can die and come back, and that through these reincarnations, as it were, she can change the events of her life (and the lives of those around her).  This is significant, as she lives through both WWI and WWII.

The book is based on the premise, what if?  As in, what if Hitler had been killed before he rose to power?  What if he had been kidnapped as a child?  How would the world be different now?  Although it was based on this premise, it is not actually about killing Hitler, per se.  It's more about Ursula's struggles during her young life and later, during the war.

Although Atkinson is a talented writer, it took me 125+ pages to get into the story.  If I hadn't been reading it for book club, I may not have persevered (100 pages is usually my limit).  But I have to say I'm very glad I continued.  The story eventually gained momentum and flew along.  Atkinson's writing, and her characters, are very English (which was the point).  We agreed that her descriptions of English (and German) life during WWII were fascinating; the air raids go on so long you start to want to take cover.  After a while, it feels like you're there.

Perhaps what I found most intriguing about the story is how she presents her characters, in the midst of extraordinary circumstances, as ordinary people.  They talk about literature and squabble with each other and work long hours and watch the kids play together.  I couldn't help but think of how C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers and others used to meet in pubs - during the war - and review literature for hours on end.  Some things are just worth living for, even if you may get caught in an air raid.  What better way to go than with a pint and a good book??

If the idea intrigues you, the book is worth a read.  I would definitely consider reading another of her books (she has published several).

Do you have book recommendations for us?