The New DISUK Book Club List - Reading Persuasion by Jane Austen

[natalielongstaff]

im taking my copy on the plane

 

[irongirlof12]

I have made a start on October's book, but I just can't get my head into it, anyone started reading it yet?

 

[Ware Bears]

I'm half way through. I am finding it very easy reading and am enjoying it immensely. When we went to look round Winchester uni for DD last week, I was seeing the cathedral through new eyes!

Can any Mother help me? by Jenna Bailey – to read in October – discuss from 1st November

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - to read in November – discuss from 1st December

ETA: Andrea, I've probably totally confused you! I've got a bit ahead of myself, I've just realised I've started reading November's book a month early!!

At least I won't have any excuse to have not finished it in time!

 

[suzycute]

I'd love to join you! I've never belonged to a reading club before but really want to read something than the things I usually read. I've just ordered the first 2 books from Amazon so look forward to discussing them with you!

 

[irongirlof12]

I'm half way through. I am finding it very easy reading and am enjoying it immensely. When we went to look round Winchester uni for DD last week, I was seeing the cathedral through new eyes!




ETA: Andrea, I've probably totally confused you! I've got a bit ahead of myself, I've just realised I've started reading November's book a month early!!

At least I won't have any excuse to have not finished it in time!

I was confused - but that is easily done! I have started on Nov too and am really into it. It's a mega thing to read tho.

 

[irongirlof12]

I'd love to join you! I've never belonged to a reading club before but really want to read something than the things I usually read. I've just ordered the first 2 books from Amazon so look forward to discussing them with you!

Neither have I and it's fun, I am reading books that I would not have picked out by myself.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I am having a little trouble to get hold of the book that we are discussing in November. I was going to order this from Amazon, but with the ongoing postal strikes and the delays that this causes, this appeared to be a little risky. I have Thursday off and hope that Waterstones will have it. I might just have to join in a little late. At least I have the book that we are discussing in December already.

Corinna

 

[Dimplenose]

A little early, and I know not everyone has read this book, but I thought I'd kick off the discussion.

This was an unusual book, and certainly one I wouldn't have picked for myself. When I first read the blurb I thought, "Oh, an early form of the Community Boards." and was eager to read. But I did find it very hard going and emotionally draining in places.

The introduction was partcularly long and not very interesting. However it was very necessary to read this to understand the rest of the book.

I found this very difficult as there was so much emotion in the letters and every explaination seemed to include a story that nowadays we'd consider hardship or injustice but before the war was just a matter of fact.

I'm not sure how this book would appeal to women without children as so much of the early book focusses on childbirth and babies.

Towards the end of the book the descriptions of the elderly ladies moving into nursing homes and ultimately passing away actually had me crying.

On the whole, I felt like I was prying into the conversations of old ladies and I also found myself feeling very mortal and very vunerable.

 

[joolz1910]

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I put the title forward because my friend's book group raved about it and all went to see the stage play after reading the book. I also thought it was similar to an early community board, so from that perspective it was an interesting choice.

I found it difficult to empathise with the women in some letters as their experiences were so far removed from my own. Then, in other letters, I felt incredibly moved. I wouldn't rush to recommend this to anyone, but I'm glad that I've read it.

 

[suzycute]

I've just finished reading this today and, like jools1910, I liked the book but didn't love it. It's not something I would have picked up in a book shop so am glad it was on the reading list as I like to try new authors - it also got very good reviews from Amazon.

Some of the letters were very moving, especially when writing about their losses, yet others I found quite dry and I skimmed read those. I think we forget, in the days of the internet, when we can be part of communities like this , how isolating it could be for women who were not allowed to work because they were married and what a lifeline CCC must have been.

I did enjoy that it transported me back to how women used to live - many of the women who contributed were my grandmothers age and it gave me a better insight in to how it must have been for her. I was also fascinated by some of the beliefs of the time - for example, how to conceive a girl rather than a boy.

I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in women's history (and by chance, my DD is doing her dissertation in 20th century women's history at Sussex Uni where the CCC letters were stored in the Mass Observation Archive) - I'm sure she'd love this book.

So - just off to get stuck in to Pillars of the Earth! See you next month

 

[dolphingirl47]

I am still reading at the moment and I am about to start the 3rd chapter. It is tempting to just share my impression so far, but I am worried that if I do, I won't ever finish the book. So I will carry on reading and comment when I am finished.

Corinna

 

[webb-rileys6-60]

I'd love to join you! I've never belonged to a reading club before but read the last 2 months books and have started to read The Pillars of the Earth.
i thoroughly enjoyed 'Can Any Mother Help Me?' but was surprised when the librarian led me over to the non-fiction section of the library I borrowed it from. I wasn't expecting it to be a non-fiction book.
I agree that it probably appeals to 'mothers' more than those without children, and being a midwife I found the letters regarding childbirth practices fascinating.
I too was moved and saddened by some of the last letters as the women aged and passed on.
I have recommended it to some of the girls I work with as I think they'll find the letters regarding childbirth experiences interesting too.

 

[irongirlof12]

I tried really hard with this book but have only managed half of it. I was expecting a fiction and so it took a while for me to get into it anyway.

The letters were really interesting and I liked to get an insight into a past time,but I just didn't click with it. It was quite apparent how much work and research had gone into producing this book and I feel a little sorry that I didn't read it all. I think I will keep it handy and read a little every now and then!

I found that i could not relate to the ladies at all - as I would have been in a different part of society to them, the class divide came across quite well. i suspect many women in the poorer society has no time to write even if they could.

 

[joolz1910]

I tried really hard with this book but have only managed half of it. I was expecting a fiction and so it took a while for me to get into it anyway.

The letters were really interesting and I liked to get an insight into a past time,but I just didn't click with it. It was quite apparent how much work and research had gone into producing this book and I feel a little sorry that I didn't read it all. I think I will keep it handy and read a little every now and then!

I found that i could not relate to the ladies at all - as I would have been in a different part of society to them, the class divide came across quite well. i suspect many women in the poorer society has no time to write even if they could.

That's exactly how I felt. I might have found it more engaging if it had been about working class mothers.

 

[irongirlof12]

[/B]

That's exactly how I felt. I might have found it more engaging if it had been about working class mothers.

I felt quite bad about thinking this, but at the same time I could realate to all of the mothers that had no voice, let alone a secret club that they could belong to. All i can say is 'thank goodness for contraceptives' as they have changed the lives of so many women,regardeless of class, as this book has proven

 

[joolz1910]

I felt quite bad about thinking this, but at the same time I could realate to all of the mothers that had no voice, let alone a secret club that they could belong to. All i can say is 'thank goodness for contraceptives' as they have changed the lives of so many women,regardeless of class, as this book has proven

I quite agree. I think women's rights have improved only if they benefit men or the economy. The difficulties facing women haven't really changed - we are still discussing the same issues on here!

I wonder whether anyone will gather together our ramblings and at the end of one of my inane posts will write:

Joolz1910 is now 89 years old and still willing to travel to bag a bargain. She still writes on the Dis and has now reached 1000,000 posts - a milestone of which she is incredibly proud. She is still saving for her first trip to WDW and hopes to book before her centenary.

 

[Dimplenose]

I quite agree. I think women's rights have improved only if they benefit men or the economy. The difficulties facing women haven't really changed - we are still discussing the same issues on here!

I wonder whether anyone will gather together our ramblings and at the end of one of my inane posts will write:

Joolz1910 is now 89 years old and still willing to travel to bag a bargain. She still writes on the Dis and has now reached 1000,000 posts - a milestone of which she is incredibly proud. She is still saving for her first trip to WDW and hopes to book before her centenary.

I wonder how much of an introduction/explaination would be needed to describe us!

 

[natalielongstaff]

I loved this book !!! i wasn't expecting to like it at all, yet i found the insight into the womens lives to be just as much of a page turner as a thriller novel.

I kept commenting aloud as i was reading it as well... as i found myself caring about what happened in their lives.

And yes to me it felt like we were reading about a community much the same as our virtual one

great choice of book, thanks

 

[dolphingirl47]

I have now finished "Can Any Mother Help Me?". I was really struggling with this book and the reason for that I think were basically two-fold. The first is that I do not have any kids and have no wish to have any either, even though I love children. So a lot of what the first half of the book is about went straight over my head. The second and probably more important reason is that I was dabbling with social history both a college and then again at university. I loved the subject, but because I have read a lot of primary texts that were not dissimilar to "Can Any Mother Help Me?", for me it was just another text book and not something that I would read for enjoyment.

I cannot say that I disliked the book. I found it interesting from an academic point of view. The only part that I just enjoyed reading for its own sake, were the letters from Isis. They very much reminded me of Jane Austen or the Bronte both in style and as far as the subject matter is concerned.

The only chapters that I could really relate to were the last two and I found those very moving.

What irritated me a bit, is that Ubique never featured in the book other than in the introduction. She is not even featured in the biography section. I understand that there is only a limited amount of material that survived, but I was constantly waiting to find out something about the person who started it all and I was bitterly disappointed when I never did.

Corinna

 

[Dimplenose]

After a very quick start, I now find myself plodding my way through "Pillars of the Earth". Discussions open on Tuesday (my contribution will be a bit later. LOL!!)