Members’ Evening-Do lyrics have literary value?

Do lyrics have literary value? The theme for our June members’ evening was ‘Do lyrics have literary value?’  That’s the question many asked after Bob Dylan was named the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016.  He was receiving the same award previously given to literary greats like T S Eliot, Gabriel Marquez and Samuel

The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma

The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma ‘The Fishermen’ is the first novel, published in 2014, written by Chigozie Obioma, resident now in Philadelphia as a professor, author and fervent promotor of West African writing. He was born in Fulani, Nigeria and still has a home there, frequently crossing the Atlantic divide. ‘The Fishermen’ is a tragic

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

I was talking to a friend of mine who used to teach literature as I did. At first, she couldn’t remember reading it but, when I told her the plot she remembered. She is much more organised than I and had made notes and sent me the following.  ‘I read it in April 2023. Not very

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

‘Lessons in Chemistry’ by Bonnie Garmus  ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ is a novel I feel many mothers would want to recommend to their daughters and granddaughters, for while many things have changed, there are still inequalities for women today. Bonnie Garmus is not a scientist and had to learn 1950’s chemistry. Her novel is set in

Members’ Evening – All at sea

The theme for our March members’ evening was ‘All at sea.’ Whether it’s the inspiration for lyrical description, or dramatic encounters, whether purely literal, or also metaphorical, the sea in all its moods has always been a huge source of inspiration for writers and finds its way into all literary forms. Over the years LitSoc

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Published in 2021, ‘Piranesi’ is Clarke’s second novel. Her first was ‘Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell,’ which became a worldwide best seller, perhaps surprisingly since not only is it over seven hundred pages long, but it takes the reader into a time in Britain, perhaps the Regency period, when the land of faerie and magic

Medea by Euripides

‘Medea’ by Euripides Euripides’ ancient Greek tragedy ‘Medea’ is a story of passion, betrayal and revenge. Medea and Jason have been living in Ancient Corinth for ten years and have had two sons. Medea has been a traditional Greek wife, living harmoniously with husband and the community.  However, Jason has betrayed Medea by marrying Glauke, Corinth’s

The Humans by Matt Haig

A stimulating novel that spans a number of genres although it is Sci-Fi listed. The narrator is an alien who is sent from a galaxy far, far away. His mission involves taking over the physical form of a brilliant mathematician who has cracked a mathematical dilemma. Not surprisingly given his ‘perfect life’ on Vonnadoria, he

Sylvia Plath – Selected Poems

My talk focussed on nine poems by Sylvia Plath, chosen to give some sense of her variety of theme, mood and poetic style. I mainly went for poems that I thought were somewhat more accessible than others – which isn’t to say that any of them are straightforward! The first poem of the evening was

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng is a fascinating and challenging read. Set in three time periods, 1910, 1921 and 1947, it records the life of Lesley Hamlin, born in Penang (as was Tan Twan Eng), she marries a lawyer, gives up her job and settles down, producing two sons who, in true