SALLY FLINT
  • Blog
    • Books
    • Education
    • Family
    • Modern World
    • Self Musings
    • Travel
  • About
  • Books
  • SHOP

Best Book Club Questions and Reviews

Matthew Perry - Friends Lovers, and the Terrible Big Thing

22/12/2022

Comments

 

Book Review on Matthew Perry's Friends, Lovers, and the Terrible Big Thing

 The title of Matthew Perry's autobiography, is a little deceving as the focus on his friends and the show Friends doesn't dominate - rather, it takes second stage to Perry's honest and frank sharing of his addiction to drugs and alcohol. Perry leaves no stone unturned and doesn't shirk away from the truth, when he describes how he really has no right to be alive.

Numerous stints in rehab centers, and life threatening surgery, have failed to cure Perry of his addiciton. He claims the only reason he doesn't drink and take drugs any more, is because he simply cannot get enough of them to make a difference! We learn about huge highs, lows, detoxes and the reasons that, Perry claims, led to his addiction - a sense of abandonment, a difficult upbringing and a feeling of never quite being good enough. Perry explains that consequently runnning away from important relationships have  also shaped his life.

In many ways, Perry presents as not so dissimilar to how Chandler himself is depicted on the stage. Perry speaks generously of pasts loves, and disparagingly of himself and his achievements. He would give up all his wealth and. fame to have a hold over his addiction to drugs and alcohol. The book is full of what readers will recognise as Chandler wit, but pain is never far from the surface. 

Book Club Questions on Matthew Perry's Friends, Lovers, and the Terrible Big Thing

Picture
  • Perry shares a lot of highs and lows of life in Friends, Lovers and the Terrible Big Thing. Discuss what you found the most poignant moment in the book. Why did you think this mattered so much?
  • What similarities did you find between between the characters of Matthew Perry and Chandler?
  • What did you learn about rehab from reading Matthew Perry's book? Do you think Perry's representation of rehabilitation is accurate and fair?
  • At one point in the text, Perry is involved, relatively seriously, with two women at the same time. How, if at all, did this affect your opinion of Matthew Perry?
  • The foreward of the book was written by Lisa Kudrow, but yet she wasn't in the Friends cast photo that was shared at the end of the book? Did you attach any signficance to this? And if so what?

Book Club Questions on Matthew Perry's Friends Lovers, and the Terrible Big Thing (If you haven't read the book!)

  • How important do you think personal photographs are in a celebrity autobiography?
  • What do you think motivates celebrities to write their autobiographies, or is it impossible to generalize?
  • Matthew Perry's life was changed forever when he was cast as Chandler. Has anything (not in a show-biz way, but more everyday) changed your life forever? Discuss.
  • ​Discuss what you know about addiction. If you'd like to share any stories of how addiction has affected your own life, or that of yourself, family and friends go ahead and do so. ​

Personal Response to Matthew Perry's Friends Lovers, and the Terrible Big Thing

This is the most honest, raw and interesting autobiography that I've read. I was fascinated with how open and frank Matthew Perry was. It intrigues me that he said the only reason he no longer partakes in drink and drugs is because he couldn't get enough of either to have an effect on him. There was absolutely no sugar-coating of the trauma, embarrassment and pain, suffering and loss that Perry's addiction brought him. Far more effectively than anything else I've ever read, was his presentation on the power that addiction has over an individual.

For lovers of Friends, the T.V, series, the book presents a fascinating itinerary and timeline of how Chandler's appearance parallels his dependency on drugs. The more hooked he was the thinner he appeared! 

​
Despite Perry's honesty, I couldn't quite bring myself to fully empathise with him. Whether it was how how Perry repeatedly said that he'd give up his wealth and fame to be cured, or whether it was his constant reference to being lonely, while still cheating on his partners, I felt a tad of irritation. Perhaps it was just the realisation that Matthew Perry, and thus, in my eyes, Chandler, was just a flawed human like all of us. Having said that Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing was a well-written book and a good read. I would definitely recommend it, especially to anyone who is trying to understand the complexities of addiction.
Comments

JoJo Moyes - The Giver of Stars

24/11/2022

Comments

 

Book Review on JoJo Moyes' The Giver of Stars

The Giver of Stars book cover
What a dreamy environment for a librarian to work in! I would love to be the recipient and Giver of Stars!
 Set in the Appalachian Mountains, Alice Wright leaves behind the humdrum of small town life in England by marrying handsome Bennet Van Cleve and moving to Baileyville, Kentucky. Life is quick to disappoint, and Alice seems as trapped as she'd ever been.

Bennett seems content to share their honeymoon cabin, with his ever-present vile father, and once at home becomes distant and aloof, unable or unchoosing of intimacy. The 'special book' kept hidden in the library had no effect in solving Bennett's problems! 

Upon arrival in Baileyville, Alice is treated with caution and suspicion by the locals; women her own age feel she has stolen Bennett from them as a potential suitor. There's no wonder then, that Alice jumps at the chance to join Margery O'Hare, a strong, independent woman, as a travelling librarian. This gives Bennett's father further fuel to disapprove of Alice as Margery, Alice learns, is of a disreputable family going back generations. In addition, Margery is unwilling to conform to societal expectations or to be the expected submissive female and wife. The judgemental Van Cleve's are inevitably going to disapprove.

An unlikely friendship is formed between Alice and Margery. As the events of the story unfold they learn to support each other and women across Kentucky. Sisterhood prevails as the librarians grow in numbers, strength and commitment to their role, each another and their values. 

The novel begins with a single chapter outlining a key event that occurs three months from the beginning of the story proper. It is this event around which the whole story, The Giver of Stars,  is based as we explore weath, class, hardship, abuse and feminism.

Hefty themes are presented with the lightest of touches, Marriage, abuse and of course romance! The story is funny yet sad; full of warmth whilst exposing cruelty. Above all it is a great page-turner.

Book Club Questions on JoJo Moyes' The Giver of Stars

  • JoJo Moyes completed research for The Giver of Stars story by visiting Kentucky and riding the trails by horse. How convincing did you find her portrayal of people living out in the countryside? Did anything shock you?
  • Alice isn’t looking forward to going back to England, but for a while sees no alternative. Did she fall in love with her new home or just with Fred?
  • What events in The Giver of Stars make you realise that it is set in 1930s Kentucky, rather than in the present day?
  • Who was your favourite of the Packhorse librarians and why? Which do you most identify with and why? Do you think any of the librarians remind you of anyone else in the bookclub?
  • Did you think that any of the Packhorse librarians made mistakes? If so what were they? What could they have done differently?
  • How is the issue of class inequality explored in the novel The Giver of Stars?
  • How would you sum up Margery’s character? Do you think she did the right thing in getting married?
  • JoJo Moyes is sometimes accused of being ‘easy chic-lit’ reading. Do you agree? Discuss.
  • There is a lot of violence in the book. Alice has an overbearing, abusive father-in-law. Margery was brought up in fear of her own father. Sarah’s husband was murdered simply for being black. Is it possible to say that The Giver of Stars is a hopeful book?
  • JoJo Moyes shows, rather than tells us some of the consequences of segregation through the inclusion of Sarah’s character. Do you think her exploration of racism was well executed?  
  • Many of the characters lives seemed changed through the power of books. Did you find this completely believable or do you think it was somewhat idealised?

Book Club Questions on JoJo Moyes' The Giver of Stars (If you haven't read the book!)

  • Alice’s life in the Appalachians couldn’t be more different to her life in England. Have you ever moved to somewhere completely unfamiliar? Did you find settling in difficult?
  • There are several examples in the story where the Packhorse librarians have to be brave. Are you a brave person?
  • The book is named after this Amy Lovell poem which Fred reads to Alice. Discuss the poem. Do you enjoy reading poetry? Why or why not?
 
The Giver of Stars
Hold your soul open for my welcoming.
Let the quiet of your spirit bathe me
With its clear and rippled coolness,
That, loose-limbed and weary, I find rest,
Outstretched upon your peace, as on a bed of ivory.
 
Let the flickering flame of your soul play all about me,
That into my limbs may come the keenness of fire,
The life and joy of tongues of flame,
And, going out from you, tightly strung and in tune,
I may rouse the blear-eyed world,
And pour into it the beauty which you have begotten.
Amy Lowell - 1874-1925
JoJo Moyes
I was thrilled to learn that JoJo Moyes has her own website. She looks a great person to chat with.

Personal Response to JoJo Moyes' The Giver of Stars

 particularly enjoyed The Giver of Stars because, for many years, I was a librarian and continue to work as a library consultant. It is a book that I'd definitely like to add to my collection of first editions. I'm ever optimistic that my husband might go hunting on Amazon / Abebooks / whatever and decide to treat me to some more scrumptious books!

​The idea of taking to the trails and making a difference to people's lives struck me as so romantic! Of course, being faced with an aggressive drunk a little less so! I had to smile though that it was the book Little Women that was presented as a murder weapon! Less of the little! You can't go far wrong with JoJo Moyes if you want some escapism and a well-written book. I've no doubt that if E. Roosevelt was here today, she would be proud of this fictionalized of her real-life introduction of Packhorse librarians. 
Comments

Martin Amis' London Fields

23/10/2022

Comments

 

Book Review on Martin Amis' London Fields

London Fields Book Cover
Martin Amis' book, London Fields, set in the 1990s and written in the 1980s is a tour de force. Set in Amis' home town London, it traverses class, wealth, status and profession, as the femme fatale Nicola Six, manipulates the men in the story.
​
Something of a soothsayer, Nicola has predicted her death will find her, upon her turning thirty.

The narrator tells us this at the outset of the novel and describes how the story is about a murderee; this murderee is Nicola. The three men with whom Nicola flirts and engages in affairs are the likely suspects, for murder, and the story progresses as a whodunnit, combined with why they might have done it! A further twist, adding to the complexity of the story and its structure, is that the narrator himself is a character within it. A troubled writer, who is terminally ill, he outlines that this real life story, is a gift that he has been given to record. His long-term writer's block is solved.

As a character Nicola is an enigma, taking on mulitple roles and personalities. To Guy, a hapless millionaire, she plays the role of virginal victim. She wins his heart and eventually they have sex, but only after Guy has lost his wife and child, due to his obsession with Nicola.

Nicola's relationship with Keith is completely different. A wife-beating, misogynistic, small-time crook/con-man and pornograpy addict, his relationship with Nicola is sexually intense, abrasive and arguably controlling. Nicola dresses seductively and dominates the relationship. She is a trophy with whom Keith enjoys being seen and it she who Keith takes to his T.V interview rather than his actual wife. Nicola takes pleasure in bringing Guy and Keith together and taunts them both with her flirting. Guy finds himself embroiled in low life encounters, far from his own wealthy, entitled life and even becomes a darts coach to Keith, who goes on to find moderate fame and sporting success. The intensity of Keith's unpleasantness and abuse towards his wife and child, leaves the reader reeling as to why she doesn't escape the relationship. She is presented by the narrator as returning again and again for more abuse.

It so happens that Keith, in the guise of taxi driver, takes the American narrator, Samson Young  to the apartment where he will be stay in London, (having swapped apartments with a wealthy and successful writer. He thus becomes part of the action, living in the same apartment block as Nicola. Of course he too succumbs to her wiles.

Nicola is presented as manipulative, controlling, sexy and dishonest, yet I question whether we even begin to get to know her, as despite the dominance of her presence, we don't get to view the book from her perspective. I can see how this has led so many critics to view the text as pure misogny.

Book Club Questions on Martin Amis' London Fields

Martin Amis said in a Goodreads interview with John McNaughtie that he adores all of his characters. He also mentioned that when he was a younger man he was to some extent involved in the lives of people like his characters. How does this make you feel about the book?
 
Guy has all the wealth, class and status. He met his wife at university and they have one toddler who is ‘challenging’. Is Guy just a romantic fool? Discuss.
 
Keith is a despicable  misogynist, liar, cheat, abuser, bully and more besides. Despite this he has numerous girlfriends as well as his abused wife. Why does he continue to have success with women? What is Martin Amis saying about relationships?
 
Martin Amis says that the book is potentially based on real London people. Do you think the world he creates exists? Could this world exist somewhere like a small village or town?
 
Nicola Six manipulates all the men in the story. In addition she achieves her prediction of death at 30. Is Nicola the hero of the story? Why or why not?
 
The book is written in the late eighties, but projects forward ten years to the 1990s. Did you think it was a realistic presentation of this era?
 
The New York Times called London "a virtuoso depiction of a wild and lustful society." Do you agree?
 
When American novelist Samson Young discovers Nicola's story, it feels like an instant cure for his writer's block. He becomes embroiled in his own story and ultimately ends up being the murderer, before dying himself. Mark Asprey benefits from this and publishes the book under his own name. Would you ever steal someone else’s creative work?
 

So, just supposing there were only three men left on earth, Samson (a dying author), Keith (a low life gangster) and Guy (a wealthy businessman) and you had to save humankind by procreating with one of them,  who would you pick and why? (You can have fun exploring the different types of partners even if you haven't read the book.)

Keith is a gifted darts player. He also is able to commentate in detail on all sports, imitating a media style, yet he isn’t mocking the media. It is just how he thinks about the events. What is Amis saying?
 
Amis says in an interview that he can do without politicized readers, stating that they are not interested in the story or character, but immediately have made a judgement on the book, the second they hear the word ‘rape’. How does the comment make you feel about him as a writer and the book?
 
Martin and Kinglsey Amis
Father and son - two famous and very succesful authors!

Book Club Questions on Martin Amis' London Fields (If you haven't read the book)

The narrator of London Fields  starts the book by saying this is the story of a murder and he knows who the murderee is. This means it isn’t so much a whodunnit as why they’ve done it. The twist is that although the narrator knows, the reader doesn’t know, so for them it is a kind of whodunnit. The structure in essence is quite complicated and clever. Do you enjoy reading books that challenge traditional narrative styles and conventions?

​Nicola claims to be a clairvoyant and knows when she will be killed but she doesn’t know who by. Samson had read books where she claimed to know about her parents' and sister’s death. Is she a clairvoyant or has she manipulated her own death? Do you believe in clairvoyancy?

​In the reviews of London Fields Guy’s marriage is often described as loveless. Is it? What makes a successful marriage?

Personal Response to Martin Amis' London Fields

Nicola is presented as manipulative, controlling, sexy and dishonest, yet I question whether we even begin to get to know her, as despite the dominance of her presence, we don't get to view the book from her perspective. I can see how this has led so many critics to view the text as pure misogny.

There is no doubt that Amis is hugely clever. The ability to pull the story together to a cohesive whole, within such a complex structure is exceptional. Amis, claims in an interview, and the book itself, that, perhaps with the exception of Larkin, authors don't address the issues that are explored in this text - violence, violent sex, abuse, and unspoken and unwelcome fantasies and desires. He is probably right, but I find this unpleasant. I don't overly want to enter that world! You could claim then that Amis has achieved his aim in challenging the reader's sensibilties and being drawn into a world that they are uncomfortable with. It is certainly not the realm of the politicized reader that Amis disdains.


I found this book impossible to read as a written text, yet I was able to listen to it. This leaves me with a personal question of whether distatesful and disturbing accounts are more palatable presented in a media other than written form. If so I'm left wondering what this says about the preconceived ideas and values associated with the sanctity of the written word. 
Comments

Lisa Jewell's The Family Upstairs

17/9/2022

Comments

 
Lisa Jewell Official author photo
Lisa Jewell's The Family Upstairs is a great read with more twists and turns than a remote country lane.
I hadn't come across Lisa Jewell’s fiction until I read Then She Was Gone, for which I had a grudging admiration. Psychological thrillers are a genre about which I know little; they've never been my thing. That is, until now. The Family Upstairs is an engrossing page turner that gripped me from beginning to end.
 
The Family Upstairs tells the story of the Lamb family. Mr. Lamb, a coarse and brutish figure, and his socialite German wife seem to have it all. Ensconced in their Chelsea residence, full of dark furniture and stuffed animals, they live a privileged life.  Mr. Lamb is delighted to have made good from his humble beginnings. Though cold and reserved, their life is relatively sweet until the one-time pop success, Birdie arrives on the scene. This is closely followed by the arrival of David Thomsen along with his family - Phinn, Clemency and his wife. David is a manipulative and domineering bully and the dynamics of the house change. The reader watches David expand his authority and power, stealing the family’s wealth, under the guise of spiritualism and giving. In essence a cult has developed under the nose of Mr. Lamb, who after suffering a stroke is powerless to stop events unfolding.
 
The story is told by various narrators. The person who gives us the most background is Henry Lamb, the teenage son, who the reader has great empathy with. However, as with all good thrillers things are not completely as they seem.
 
We also follow the life of Lucy, mother of two children, and a homeless victim of domestic abuse, living in France. It takes the reader a while to realize that Henry’s sister is also called Lucy.
 
Finally, we explore events from the viewpoint of Libby, an ordinary young woman who was adopted at birth, and finds that at twenty-five, she has inherited the Chelsea house. How that comes to be, is the backdrop of the story, which enables the writer to explore and develop the complex characters who have suffered at the hands of David Thomsen.
 
But what is the story about… ? Well, we learn early on that three murders and the abandonment of a baby in a cot that took place in the house twenty-five years previously has been uncovered. Who they all were is what needs unearthing; who is the baby and who does she belong to? You’ll have to read The Family Upstairs to find out what happens.

Book Club Questions on Lisa Jewell's The Family Upstairs

Clemency said that Henry had a pure twist of evil running through him. To what extent do you think this is true and and if it is the case, can't he be blamed?
 
In the story, The Family Upstairs, David had a charismatic power whereby all the female characters, even Lucy, seemed enthralled by him. Discuss why you think David could wield such authority over the household?
 
Henry was besotted with Phinn, to the extent that he scrawled 'I am Phinn' over the furniture. As an adult, when discovered, he told Libby that he was Phinn; He also, as an adult, had cosmetic sur
gery to appear more like Phinn. Discuss and analyze Henry's character.
 
The sequel to The Family Upstairs called The Family Remains has recently been released. Predict what you think will happen in it.
 
How believable did you find the events leading up to and following the deaths of the three adults? When reading a psychological thriller is it important to you for the storyline to be completely credible?
 
Which of the plot twists in the novel surprised you the most? Which did you see coming?
 
Which character in the novel do you have the most sympathy for and why?
 
Libby’s real family is clearly extremely dysfunctional. Do you think it would be better if she had never learned of her background?
 
Libby becomes emotionally involved with Miller even though he is not her type at all. Miller’s obsession with the case of the Lambs' had led to him losing two years of his life and his wife leaving him. Do you think the relationship will be a happy one? Discuss.

Book Club Questions on Lisa Jewell's The Family Upstairs (if you haven't read the book!)

Libby goes from working as a kitchen designer to becoming the owner of a house in Chelsea, worth several million pounds. Despite this she continues to go to work. How would you react if you came into a great fortune?
 
Libby's life is completely upturned as she learns who her real mother is and that she has two half siblings. As an adoptee she'd been reasonably happy, but she seems very keen to develop a positive relationship with her biological family. Discuss the importance of family, be it an adopted or biological one.
 
As children, Lucy and Clemency had been inseparable. How important were childhood friendships in your own life? Discuss.
 
Although Lucy and Clemency return to their friendship they avoid discussing the childhood trauma they went through. This is counter to many modern counselling practices that suggests it is better to discuss trauma openly. What is your viewpoint about counselling and talking openly about difficult scenarios and situations?

Personal Response to Lisa Jewell's The Family Upstairs

 
It’s impossible to write too much about thrillers without giving far too many spoilers! The characters invite sympathy though and despite, I felt, some aspects of the storyline being unbelievable, Jewell creates great tension.
 

As I reached the end of The Family Upstairs, I said to myself I'd love to know what happened next. It was then with delight that I turned the page to see that a sequel, The Family Remains, is in the making. I'm intrigued to know what happens next.

Comments

Adam Kay's This is Going  to  Hurt

1/5/2022

Comments

 

Book Review of Adam Kay's This is Going to Hurt

This is Going to Hurt book cover
Adam Kay's This Is Going to Hurt is both sad, funny and wise.
AdamKay's  This is Going to Hurt describes his life as a junior doctor during the years leading up to his resignation. Written in a dry satirical tone, Adam doesn't hold back and shows the NHS in its raw state. The staff are overworked, underpaid and lacking in sleep. Humorous and heartbreaking in equal measures, Adam Kay's This is Going to Hurt shows that there is nothing glamorous about being a junior doctor. There are however, enough feel good moments to remind him and the reader of the value of being a doctor, until there aren't ....

As a memoir, it has proven hugely popular, perhaps because it validates from within the institution, what  the public have thought and feared for a long time. 

Book Club Questions on Adam Kay's This is Going to Hurt

  • ​At the opening of the book, the scriptwriter says of Adam Kay’s self portrayal on the TV show: “And it’s brave of you, making your character so dislikeable throughout.” What was your opinion of Adam? How would you sum him up? Is he dislikeable?
  • Adam says “I went to a school that was essentially a sausage factory, designed to churn out medics, lawyers and cabinet members, and as my dad was a doctor, it was written on the walls.” How likely is it for a young person to follow in their parents' footsteps careerwise?
  • How would you describe Adam Kay’s humour throughout the book?
  • What was your emotional response to the book?
  • Adam Kay describes the nights as akin to sailing a ship alone. “A ship that’s enormous and on fire, that no one has really taught you how to sail.” How does this description make you feel, both in terms of understanding Adam’s role as a junior doctor, but also as someone who is likely to recevie treatment from the NHS?
  • Adam Kay describes how the medics trade “stories about nonsense symptoms that people have presented us with.” These include itchy teeth, sudden improvement in hearing, and arm pain during urination. What is the most ridiculous symptom you can imagine anyone feeling?
  • The book reveals lots of errors that doctors make, such as the inadequate measuring of pulse. Would you sue the NHS for mistakes made?
  • Simon is depressive and relies on Adam as a kind of mentor/samaritan figure. Discuss the relationship between them?
  • When Adam visits his friend Ron’s dying dad, the dad makes lots of jokes. Adam had been dreading the visit but soon feels at ease. How much burden do you think falls on  terminally sick people to make their visitors feel better?
  • In the final chapter, Adam Kay says “Your time in hospital may hurt them (the doctor) a lot more than it does you.” Discuss whether you have ever viewed a doctor’s role from this perspective.
  • Monday 11th April 2005 - Adam describes how good a registrar is at  explaining to a mum about her son’s appendix problem. He describes how her pride and joy is wheeled away, while she cries, and her son remains dry eyed. What might this show about mother/son relationships?
  • What key messages is Adam Kay sharing about the current situation of the NHS? Discuss.
  • Having read This is Going to Hurt, would you try to put off a friend or family member from becoming a doctor?
  • Adam Kay has to speak to someone about the need to do exercise and suggests a gym. She replies I’m a member of one already but I haven’t been in about 3000 pounds. Does this resonate with you in any way?
  • Kay says that ‘while you become an expert at prioritising at work you generally become even worse at prioritising real life.” Discuss.
  • How would you sum up Kay’s narrative style?
  • What is the purpose of the book This is Going to Hurt? Do you believe what Adam Kay has written?
  • The book reveals some of the tension between private and free health care provision. For example, Adam delivers a baby, even though he is told not to as the private doctor who was scheduled to perform the delivery was en route. In effect he saves the baby's life. How much faith do you have in private health care?​
  • Was there any one incident, event or episode in the book that particularly stood out to you. Discuss why it was significant to you? 

Book Club Questions on This is Going to Hurt (if you haven't read the book!)

Ex doctor Adam Kay who wrote this is Going to Hurt
Adam Kay has made a bit of a career for himself in T.V since quitting his role as a doctor.
  • ​In 2010 after 12 years in the medical profession Adam resigns from his job as a junior doctor. He claims “my parents still haven’t forgiven me.” How much do you think we live our lives to please our families and parents? 
  • “I chose which medical school to go to at the age of eighteen – and even that was because I was impressed with the curly fries in the student union.” Discuss how many life changing decisions are based on illogical and insignificant events. Do you have any personal stories that you would like to share? 
  • Did you know what a haemophiliac was (a person that has both ovarian and testicular tissue.) Discuss your attitudes to transgender issues and consider how open minded you are.
  • Dr Kay was told he ought not to go to his favourite patient’s funeral. This was perhaps, due to a belief that the doctors would be seen as failing because the patient had died. He went anyway. Was he right to do so? 
  • Dr. Kay describes how medics seldom get a ‘well done’. How important is positive affirmation in any profession?
  • Sunday December 25th 2005 - Adam Kaye didn’t go home on Christmas Eve as he fell asleep in his car. He had to work ChristmasDay. If you were his partner how would you react?
  • Not all of you will have watched the TV show. I haven’t. But, generally speaking would you say it is always better to read the book before watching the TV show? Why, or why not?
  • Adam Kay sends a congratulatory text to his sister on successfully getting into medical school. He says that had he heard her news at the end of his shift he’d have said “Run like The f…ing wind.” Have you ever felt desperate to give someone some advice that goes against their hopes and dreams?
  • At a dinner party, the doctor gives away the gender of the baby of his partner's friend. Have you ever dropped any major clangers, perhaps regarding a secret you should have been keeping? 
  • Adam says "A patient named her baby after me today." Has anything like that happened to you or to someone you know?
  • “Yes Madam, you will shit during labour … there’s nothing you can do about it… though I’d have suggested the massive curry you ate to induce labour wasn’t going to help.” What is your attitude to childbirth? Is it something you think is embarrassing? Discuss.
  • In February 2001 Adam Kay is overwhelmed to receive a thank you card and a mont blanc pen. He wasn’t used to receiving gifts. When have you felt overwhelmed by a kind gesture?

Personal Response to Adam Kay's This Is Going to Hurt

I have heard that the TV show of This is Going to Hurt, is pitched as a comedy set on a labour ward. This suprised me, as ultimately the book is looking at the good in humanity, but how, at times, we seem to do everything we can, institutionally and personally to wreck that goodness. Overall, depite its wit I found this book to be fundamentally sad. It reminded me a little of Christopher Button's The Secret Diary of a Student Nurse.
Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Author

    Sally Flint

    Categories

    All
    Books
    Commercial
    Education
    Family
    Modern World
    Self Musings
    Travel

    Archives

    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    April 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017

      Sign up for updates!

    Subscribe
    Picture
    Picture

Get In Touch!

©Sally Flint 2019
  • Blog
    • Books
    • Education
    • Family
    • Modern World
    • Self Musings
    • Travel
  • About
  • Books
  • SHOP