Operation TBR: Week 2

This week's reading was dominated by How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall, which I revisited for my museum bookgroup.   I originally read and reviewed it back in early 2010 so I won't witter on too much, only to say that the book lived up to my expectations on returning to it.  It was just as gorgeous, provocative and lively the second time around.  The response from the group was very positive too, with just one or two clashes with Hall's prose style (overblown, one reader thought) and the lack of a 'point' to the plot (too postmodern, said another).  This led to some very interesting discussion about whether a novelist has a responsibility to tell the reader exactly what is happening in their book, or rather to provide a canvas we can interpret for ourselves.   How to Paint a Dead Man is full of vagueries, uncertainties, dead-ends and possible connections, and so is the perfect book to ground a discussion of this question.   

The group met in the still-life gallery of the city Art Gallery.  It felt very fitting, as the central theme of Hall's book is 'to what extent can art mirror life?'.  It has made me determined to look properly at still-life in the future.  How many times have I hurried past all those dark oil canvases of fruit and fish and fowl in search of more interesting subjects?  Now I am keen to experience it as her characters do, to 'feel the temperature of the bream, the death-shroud of seas over it, and the crackling of garlic skin as it is peeled...the melon's seeds dripping from the orange flesh.'    It was a little difficult to get the discussion moving at first - other gallery visitors gawping at you isn't conducive to articulate thought.  But once we got into the heart of the book, it flowed very well and several people wandered over to listen with interest.  Perhaps it will increase participation all over again, although we can't get much bigger.  From a dedicated band of 5 last year we've now grown to a healthy group of 10+, and last month we had 16 people.   I'm enjoying it more and more as I come to know the characters and interests of everyone; it's a very diverse bunch.  Next month we're back with traditional linear historical fiction in the social history museum at York Castle: Maria McCann's civil war saga, As Meat Loves Salt.  You may remember that I didn't like McCann's most recent novel, The Wilding, but this one comes highly praised and I have hopes.

Book group out of the way I was able to get back to Mount TBR and choose my first backlogged book of 2012.  It wasn't much of a choice really, as I have been eyeing To Kill a Mockingbird for weeks in anticipation.   It has the distinction of being the longest unread book on the TBR and I know exactly when I bought it: 9 years ago, in Quarto's bookshop in St. Andrews.  The shop isn't there any more, but the book has sat resolutely on my shelves for years.  Now I'm 50 pages in and predictably wondering what took me so long.  I have a day off work tomorrow when I intend to curl up with it and perhaps polish it off. 

Week 2 Statistics

Books completed: 1 - How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall

Books bought: 0 

Books acquired: 1 - Why be Happy when you can be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson.  Is it cheating if your partner happens to buy a book that you really, really, really wanted? 

Books added to Amazon wishlist: 6 (oops. Bloggers and work's copy of The Bookseller are to blame for this!)

~~Victoria~~ 

Comments

[Laura T]

I also loved 'How To Paint A Dead Man' - my review is here http://laurareadingbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/skull-beneath-skin.html. Would also be interested to hear your thoughts on 'As Meat Loves Salt' - I did enjoy 'The Wildling', but thought this one was immensely superior.

[Helen]

Quartos! I loved that place! I think it's now golf shop number 342.

[Victoria]

Laura - I'm glad you liked it too. I think it's a lovely example of a self-consciously literary novel that succeeds. And I'm happy to hear that As Meat Loves Salt is the better book. I am quite looking forward to it, despite misgivings. :-)

Helen - I know, wasn't it wonderful? I used to love the little basement room where the classics and women's studies books hung out. I couldn't believe it was gone when I went back to St. A a couple of years ago. So sad. :-(

[Rebecca H.]

I'm so curious about the Jeannette Winterson book -- and jealous that you have a copy!

[Stefanie]

I think you are doing really well. No purchases of chutney and jame! It isn't cheating if your partner buys a book you also want. I hope you enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird!