Together in Spirit

An online reading group ('TIS a reading group!) to bring together friends, and friends of friends, who aren't able to be in a conventional reading group due to constraints of time or geography.

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Another Word on ASB

I enjoyed ASB as an entertaining novel that held my attention to the end. This depended on the fluent writing, the structure and the characters. As a bonus, I felt I had a much better understanding of the many strands of the religion and politics of the culture of the subcontinent. I have enjoyed two Salman Rushdie novels but found them rather more difficult to understand fully. V.S.Naipaul’s ‘India. A Million Mutinies Now’ led to deeper understanding of the more recent situation of the population, but is not a novel. The Raj Quartet by Paul Scott made such a good TV series (The Jewel in the Crown), I felt I did not want to read the books. I thought my enjoyment of the series would be devalued. Does anyone else feel this about reading the book of the film?

I rather agree about comfort reading, Val. Now I only read the books I mentioned if I find myself without a book I have planned or for discussion. But I did enjoy Bill Bryson, read on a TGV up from the South of France much to the embarrassment of my husband.An out-loud laugh!