2008: A Year in Reading Group Books

January Germaine Greer’s Shakespeare’s Wife

February Ian McEwan’s Saturday

March Jonathan Trigell’s Boy A

April Indra Sinha’s Animal’s People

May Maggie O’Farrell’s The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox

June Sebastian Barry’s A Long Long Way

July Marisha Pessl’s Special Topics in Calamity Physics

September Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black

October Diana Evans’ 26a

November Andrea Levy’s Small Island


2008 has been a year of mixed opinions, diverse perspectives and almost entirely good reading. A shame then, that the year began with a strong consensus that Germaine Greer’s Shakespeare’s Wife was a noble yet over-written effort to champion the life of a woman who has undoubtedly been treated unfairly by poor historical writing in the past. Where Greer succeeded in establishing the shortcomings of Shakespeare biographers, her recovery of the life of Anne Hathaway is essentially a compilation of facts and figures. Though the historical accuracy of the research is unquestionable, the results were not felt to be entirely coherent.

From one literary giant to another: I was personally surprised that many of the reading group’s members had not read much – in most cases none – of the works of Ian McEwan. I was glad to hear – though I was absent from February’s meeting – that the circadian Saturday was met with approval by the group, particularly as the novel can justifiably be criticized both aesthetic and political grounds. Similarities emerge between February and March’s books. In the month it won a poll vote for its discursive richness, we read Boy A. Jonathan Trigell’s story follows a young offender vilified in the tabloid press for a horrific crime let out into the world as an adult after an institutionalized adolescence. Boy A was a wellspring of discussion, as well as the time-old nature/nurture debate, we discussed the various well-drawn characters in the novel. Though the open-ending was interpreted in various ways, it was agreed that the blunt realism of Trigell’s debut was a triumph.

For April, the Booker shortlisted Animal’s People was read. The second novel by Indra Sinha was our first foray out of England in 2008 and resulted in many different avenues of praise. The novel’s themes of the injustices of economic and political imperialism, community and India itself were all debated. Indeed, the discussion spilled over into the following months’ meeting. Sinha’s sympathetic and unflinching portrayal of a poisoned community was appreciated greatly by us all.


In May, we read the third novel by former Independent journalist Maggie O’Farrell, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. Our attention was drawn more to the eponymous character’s niece, the narrator, and her position in a love triangle involving her step-brother. O’Farrell tackles two contemporary themes with a succinct tenacity, including the central subject matter of a woman institutionalized for her differences. The story of how Esme is eventually released and begins her efforts to recover her life is told with great flare and appreciated as such. Incidentally, a psychiatric institutions is also the backdrop for the latest work by Irish playwright and novelist Sebastian Barry, The Secret Scripture. In a year where his second novel followed his first into Booker shortlist history, we read his debut, A Long Long Way. I was personally gripped from the first page and everyone agreed that an expert balance was achieved between the impending doom of both political history surrounding the boy soldier Willie Dunne and his personal history, a thoroughly good read.

I rallied quite heavily to get the group to read Marisha Pessl’s Special Topics in Calamity Physics and my efforts paid off when it was chosen for our July book. It is with some regret, then, that I convey the group’s collective disappointment in the novel. Refraining from outright judgement, it must be said that most did not finish the book in time for the meeting. Even so, a number of factors were found to be either intimidating or off-putting. The story follows Blue van Meer, a precocious teenage girl – guided by her erudite father – into a new town and a small group of students led by a charismatic teacher. A breakdown of sorts ensues from the murder of the teacher but the consensus amongst the group was that far too many narrative strands are left open, more mystery than murder. The inconclusive denouement had everyone scratching their heads in varying degrees. My own personal view was that Special Topics is a novel for “smart-arses” (myself included) and that not everybody would find it enjoyable.

From a fresh new talent from the States to an unsung British vintage. Hilary Mantel’s Beyond Black was flagged up by many literary luminaries as a choice pick from the books of 2006. Unfortunately, I was not present for the groups meeting; furthermore I got the overall impression that the self-conflicted, indecisive kitchen-sink style characters: the psychic medium Allison and her divorcee sidekick Colette were far from endearing. Endearing in the extreme was the very touching novel 26a written by Neasdenese author Diana Evans, the story of identical twins of mixed-race struggling to gain a balance between one another in their search for a sense of self. Like the Mantel novel, 26a is story with supernatural elements told with the plainest realism. The resulting effect of this style is the full weight of the tragedy of the novel’s concluding event.

It is with particular ruefulness that I state my final absence of 2008, for November the group read Andrea Levy’s Small Island. Another Black British tale, Levy tells the story of a West Indian family arriving in Britain on the SS Empire Windrush in the late 1940s. A famous story re-told for the 2000s – those interested should look to the likes of Sam Selvon for a first-hand fictional account of this generation. Small Island was considered an enjoyable read by all in attendance.