What we’re about
This group aims to read the best in literature, mainly novels, and and then to discuss and share your thoughts and opinions with others. We're fun and we don't take it too seriously!
We will hold discussion groups based on one book at a time where members will be encouraged to share their experience and opinions.
Do join if you are interested in literature, have an open mind, and want to learn from other people and other moments in time. You don't need to be an expert, just someone who likes reading!
If you want notification of events and polls to chose each month's book, do check to make sure you are subscribed to the group's 'announcements'.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- The Return of the Native - Thomas HardyThe Castle Inn, Cambridge
Second event for this book.
Please join us for The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy.
Book descriptions (take care, may contain spoilers): Goodreads; Wikipedia.
Published in 1878, Return of the Native tells the story of Eustacia Vye, a restless woman who seeks escape from her life on Egdon Heath, and her disastrous marriage to Clym Yeobright, a "native" returning from Paris who aims to live a simple life. Hardy originally struggled to find a publisher for this work owing to its controversial themes.
Born in 1840 in Upper Bockhampton, Dorset, Hardy was a prominent English novelist and poet, particularly known for his novels set in the fictional region of Wessex, based in Dorset. Hardy initially pursued architecture in London before turning to writing where his early work included poetry, but achieved fame with his novels, notably Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
He was a realist and naturalistic writer, often exploring themes of rural life, social injustice, and the impact of destiny on individuals. His work often featured strong female protagonists and a sense of fatalism, reflecting his observations of the harsh realities of rural life. Hardy also wrote a significant body of poetry, which he considered his primary form of expression. He died of a pleurisy in 1928 after dictating a final poem to his wife.
Parking is free in the car park next door after 7pm. Each event costs £2 per person to cover Meet Up platform fees only. Please pay by:
cash
OR
paypal to gkmlong@gmail.com
OR
BACS details available on request - Fahrenheit 451 - Ray BradburyThe Castle Inn, Cambridge
Please join us for Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.
Book descriptions (take care, may contain spoilers): Goodreads; Wikipedia.
Published in 1953, in this dystopian novel, Guy Montag is a fireman whose job is to burn books, all of which have been outlawed. Upon meeting a new neighbour, Clarisse, Montag becomes disillusioned with his role in censoring knowledge and sees the emptiness of his life and leading to his rebellion.
Bradbury later described how the book was inspired by book burnings in Nazi Germany, and McCarthyism in the US throughout the 1940s.
Bradbury was an American author born in 1920 in Illinois, a son of a Swedish immigrant and an American father of English ancestry. He grew up later in Tucson, Arizona, then Los Angeles from the age of 14. An avid reader, Bradbury began writing stories aged 12 influenced by Jules Verne and HG Wells, and later joined a local science fiction society. He was rejected from enrolling in military service in World War II because of his eyesight, and started publishing science fiction instead from age 18. Bradbury wrote 451 from UCLA's Powell Library, hiring the typewriter at ten cents an hour, costing him $9.80 in sum. Bradbury suffered a stroke in 199*, and died in 2012 from a long illness.
Parking is free in the car park next door after 7pm. Each event costs £2 per person to cover Meet Up platform fees only. Please pay by:
cash
OR
paypal to gkmlong@gmail.com
OR
BACS details available on request - Solenoid - Mircea CărtărescuThe Castle Inn, Cambridge
Please join us for Solenoid by Mircea Cărtărescu .
Book descriptions (take care, may contain spoilers): Goodreads; Wikipedia.
Published in 2015, and drawing on Cărtărescu's own role as a high school teacher, Solenoid begins with the mundane details of a diarist's life and quickly spirals into a philosophical account of life, history, philosophy, and mathematics. On a broad scale, the novel investigates other universes, dimensions, and the realms of life and art. Grounded in the reality of late 1970s/early 1980s Communist Romania, including long lines for groceries, the absurdities of the education system, and the misery of family life, the text includes sequences in a tuberculosis sanatorium, an encounter with an anti-death protest movement, a society of dream investigators, and an extended visit to the minuscule world of dust mites living on a microscope slide.
Combining fiction with autobiography and history Solenoid explores life and art, as various, monstrous dimensions erupt within the Communist present.
Cărtărescu is a Romanian novellist, author, essayist and literary critic, born in Bucharest in 1956. His works blend autobiography, history, and surrealism, often exploring themes of memory, identity, and the human condition. Cărtărescu's works, translated into numerous languages, have garnered him international recognition and prestigious awards. He's also a prominent literary figure in Romania, serving as a professor at the University of Bucharest and a member of various literary organizations.
Cărtărescu's literary career began with poetry in the 1970s, with his first book, Faruri, vitrine, fotografii, published in 1980. He gained wider recognition with "Nostalgia" (1989), a collection of five novellas. His later works, including Solenoid, have solidified his reputation as an international literary figure. Cărtărescu's writing style is characterized by its vivid imagery, intricate narratives, and exploration of the human condition through both the mundane and the fantastic. He remains a prolific writer, translator, and literary critic, contributing significantly to the cultural landscape of Romania and beyond.
Parking is free in the car park next door after 7pm. Each event costs £2 per person to cover Meet Up platform fees only. Please pay by:
cash
OR
paypal to gkmlong@gmail.com
OR
BACS details available on request
