Anyway, what a super-dooper book club it was. We actually talked about the book: the author, the socio-political context, the characterisation, etc. Fab.
The last 'book club' I went to was more of a drink-and-gossip venue, where discussing the text was dismissed as being a bit swotty. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the previous 'book club' back in the UK, but the title of the evening was a bit of a misnomer. I haven't had the chance to really talk about a book like this for about twenty-odd years (a sobering reminder of how my life is ebbing away, which was kind-of the theme of the book in question: story of a nobody by Checkov).
Of course, reading great literature makes me realise that my writing is to the literary tradition what, I don't know, Pot Noodles are to Delia Smith, or something. However, at least my book will have a happy ending, which is more than I can say for the poor old characters in Checkov's book, who all come to a hapless end. Nobody had a good time of it: the choice seemed to be either a life of dissolution and futility, suicide or TB, best as I could tell. It made me quite glad I didn't live in pre-revolutionary Russia. Although the two Nepali women in the group commented that pre-revolutionary Russia had striking similarities with pre-revolutionary Nepal (ie ten years ago out here).
But despite realising that I will never be a Checkov (or even Jilly Cooper, in all likelihood), I have decided to plough on with my novel as soon as the kids are back at school. Not planning on playing with the idea of the futility of human existence, though. I just want them all to live happily ever after (maybe I've been watching too many Disney princess films with the Twins)...
ps. have you ever tried chocolate coated dried kiwi fruit? I can heartily recommend!
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