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Best Book Club Questions and Reviews

Bram Stoker - Dracula

15/1/2023

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Book Review on Bram Stoker's Dracula

Book cover of Bram Stoker's Dracula
Have you ever come across a more suspenseful opening than Johnathan Harker's journey to Transylvania?!
Dracula begins with Jonathan Harker, a young English lawyer, recounting his journey to Transylvania on a work assignment. En route, frequent travellers, hoteliers and peasants warn him from going but he pays no heed. Jonathan is relieved to find that upon arrival Dracula is both well-educated and hospitable, but he soon learns that things are not as they seem and he discovers he has become a prisoner in the castle. 

Harker realises that the count has supernatural powers and evil ambitions. He is nearly attacked by three beautiful and seductive vampires - it is clearly time to escape! 


Meanwhile, in England, Harker’s fiancée, Mina, and her friend Lucy. correspond frequently. Lucy accepts Arthur Holmwood’s proposal after reluctantly turning down two other suitors. The two get together in Whitby where they see a Russian ship wrecked upon the shore. If only they new that Dracula had shape-shifted on the boat and jumped off as a large dog, having killed the entire crew.

Things continue. Lucy sleepwalks and becomes pale and ill after being found in a cemetery ... she also has two strange marks on her throat that no one could explain. 
We now nip back to Harker who, has escaped, but has suffered brain fever and is being tended to by nuns. Mina, his fiancee goes to help him recover and Van Helsing (an eminent professor) figures out that vampire work is at play. Several garlic cloves and a few blood transfusions later, there is hope that Lucy may survive, but that hope is short lived. 

And on the book goes, with a rollicking good storyline, that J.K. Rowling would be proud of. We all know what ultimately happens to Dracula, but before then the book focuses extensively on the death of the 'undead' Lucy, who has herself become a vampire. This in fact, seems to get far more attention than the death of Dracula himself. Had Bram Stoker perhaps reached his wordcount for payment and so didn't linger over Dracula's death, or had he just run out of steam ....

The story is plot driven with great use of symbolism and motif. I've never actually seen any movie adaption, but the number out there is testament to the quality and enduring appeal of Bram Stoker's Dracula. It deserves its place as a classic in the gothic horror genre. 

Book Club Questions on Bram Stoker's Dracula

.Who is your favourite character and why? Discuss.

Discuss what you thought the most frightening event or series of events in Dracula. What made it so frightening? 

We never hear from Dracula first hand in the book, i,e. he doesn't share a diary entry or letter. Why do you think Stoker denied him his own narrator's voice? What is the effect? 

Lucky Lucy receives three marriage proposals in one day. Why do think she chose to accept Arthur and not the other two?

To what extent does Dracula conform to the tropes of vampires that you are aware of? 

The reader never learns exactly how Jonathan escaped. Discuss what you think happened? 

What stereotypical views of men and women are presented in the book? Does Stoker ever question the stereotypes? If so how and what is the effect on the reader? 

Dracula and Frankenstein's are often discussed together, yet they were published almost 80 years apart. Why do you think this is the case? What are the similarities and differences between the two books?

Dracula was based on a real historical figure called Vlad the impaler. Share what you know about the history of him and Dracula's creation.

Why did Dracula have to send Transylvanian soil to England.

Dracula came to Whitby on a Russian ship and killed the crew en route! (Who'd want to be in that boat?) Have you visited Whitby? What do you think knowing the location of where supposed fictional events occured adds to your reading of the novel? 
Portrait of Bram Stoker
Apparently, Bram Stoker never went to Transylvania, but rather did his research in the British library.

Book Club Questions on Bram Stoker's Dracula (if you haven't read the book!)

Legends of vampires have existed  for centuries? Why do you think this is the case? 

Who would you prefer to meet - a vampire, werewolf or regular ghost? Discuss who you think you could most easily befriend? (Note, this is a deliberately silly question.)

Dracula is, by and large, a novel based on diary and letter accounts, shared bewteen the characters. What are the advantages and disadvantages of writing a novel in letter form? 

You may not have read Dracula, but you will know about vampires and have the gist of the story. If you were casting Dracula in a film, who would you choose to play Dracula?

Dracula was written in 1897, so inevitably the style of writing and vocabulary is a little antiquated. Would you be more inclined to read a book that was considered a classic, or would you be put off by the time lapse between it being written and now? 

Personal Response to Bram Stoker's Dracula

I listened to Dracula, rather than reading it from the page, which I think completely changed my experience of the text. Those in my bookclub who'd read it said that they found the opening passage and the build up to Lucy's death full of suspense and horror. Listening to the text, it just felt antiquated and not so believable. Why, for example, did Jonathan keep going to Count Dracula's castle, when every single local person warned him against it. The penny seemed to drop very slowly for him!

What I did find interesting was
Dr. John Seward's role in the 'lunatic asylum'. I'd love to know more about the Victorian's attitude to mental illness and listening to this story has inspired me to investigate the topic and look at the timeline of the novel in relation to the development of humane treatments of mental health illnesses.

The other area my interest was piqued and, I guess, amused by was how sexist the language and the attitudes expressed in the book are. Lucy, many of my bookclub friends' favourite character, becomes a voluptuous temptress having been bitten by Dracula, and poor Arthur doesn't know what to do with himself - quite different to the portrayal of her before she was attacked!

Lots to think about and fascinating to see the development of character and the fascination of the Victorians with horror - did I enjoy it? Yes.



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JoJo Moyes - The Giver of Stars

24/11/2022

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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. 
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Lisa Jewell's The Family Upstairs

17/9/2022

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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.
The Family Upstairs Book Cover
Lisa Jewell's The Family Upstairs is a great page turner!

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.

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Adam Kay's This is Going  to  Hurt

1/5/2022

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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.
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Victoria Hislop's The Island

12/4/2022

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Book Review on Victoria Hislop's The Island

Book cover Victoria Hislop's The Island
Victoria Hislop's The Island is a great debut novel.
Victoria Hislop's The Island is her debut book, set on a fictional Greek island both pre-war and during the Second World War. The story begins with Alexis Fielding who, at a cross-roads in her own young life, wants to find out about her mother, Sofia's secret past. 

Before heading off to Greece, Sofia gives Alexis a letter addressed to an old friend of hers, Fontina. It is Fontina, the best friend of Alexis's grandmother, Maria, who is able to provide many of the answers to the questions that Sofia had never been willing to answer.

There follows the telling of Alexis's family history. Both Alexis's grandmother and great-grandmother had caught leprosy and had been banished to the island of Spinalonga, a colony where all leprosy sufferers were sent. The novel reveals what life was like both on the colony, and for the family members of those who have been sent. The link between the island and the mainland, is Girogis, Maria's husband, who took provisions to and from the island.

Victoria Hislop presents Spinalonga as a place of far more hope than the reader might initially expect. The island is a place of love as well as death. Entertainment and industry flourish and people prosper, especially after the arrival of the lepers sent from Athens. Spinalonga is a place that people dread to go to, but once there, don't necessarily want to leave. 

The novel heads toward a conclusion as a cure for leprosy is found and the islanders are free to leave. There is though one more dramatic twist that prevents a 'happy ever after' ending. Read more about the novel here. 

Book club questions on Victoria Hislop's The Island

  • Maria claims that Sofia is like her mother, when she stays out late and is hot-headed. How would you sum up Sofia's character? 
  • How do you think the story would have panned out if Andreas hadn't come to the village celebration? 
  • Do you think The Island captures the mood of Greece? How would you sum up the atmosphere at different points in the novel?
  • In The Island, Spinalonga is arguably seen as a better developed society than the mainland was. Discuss whether you agree with this statement. Give reasons for your opinions.
  • When Maria went to Spinalonga, Fontina was able to visit her and drink tea in her house. Maria also saw her father three times a week. How do you think the rest of the islanders would feel about this?
  • How would you sum up Giorgis's character? 
  • How convincing did you find the characterisation in the novel The Island? Discuss the reasons for you viewpoint. 
  • Is the book a tragedy? Discuss why or why not.
  • After everyone left Spinalonga events moved quickly. A lot happens and a lot of time passes in only a relatively few chapters. Do you think The Island would be a better novel if the story ended at a different point? Discuss the reasons for your viewpoint.
  • Why was Sofia so secretive about her life? What made her finally decide it was time for the truth of her past to be shared with Alexis?
  • What do you think is the most heroic event or action in The Island? Discuss.
  • What did you find the most moving aspect of The Island? Discuss.
  • ​What aspects of The Island didn't you enjoy?​
  • On Spinalonga we learn that Elina has an adversary with a grudge against her,  that is then transferred to her daughter. However, this isn't really developed. Are there any other aspects of the story that you'd like to know more details about?

Book club questions on Victoria Hislop's The Island (if you haven't read the book!)

  • One August Night is the sequel to The Island. Set in 1957 it follows the next chapter of the Petrakis family, after the island Spinalonga becomes uninhabited. What is your view of sequels? Are they ever as good as the first book in  a series?
  • Victoria Hislop is a Greek Citizen and owns a home in Crete. She is passionate about using the Greek Islands as a backdrop to her stories. If you were a novelist where would you set your novels and why? 
  • Victoria Hislop's book The Island spans several generations. A main theme that runs through it, is exposing family secrets. To what extent do you think families should be open about their histories? What are the advantages and disadvantages of keeping family secrets?
  • Anna and Maria in Victoria Hislop's The Island are, in many ways, polar oppsites of each other. To what extent do you think nurture dominates over nature, or vice versa? Discuss the reasons for your opinions.​
  • Many of the people on the mainland are prejudiced against people with leprosy. Discuss why you think it carried such a stigma. Can you make any comparisons to prejudices that people hold today?
Victoria Hislop in Greece
What a wonderful place to promote The Island from!

Personal Response to Victoria Hislop's The Island

 I wasn't sure whether I would enjoy The Island or not. Love affairs, ending in tragedy; boring, but rich husbands; unreliable lovers; wild daughter and loyal daughters - it all seemed a heady romantic mix and family saga, that I wasn't sure was my cup of tea. 

​The structure was brave and accessible so that was good. The opening of Alexis travelling, provided a good reason for telling the story of her mother. To my mind, the development of Sofia's teen years were a little rushed. And, while I didn't bother to calculate the dates it seemed odd that Fontina was still in such good health, running her cafe, when both Maria and Kyritsis had died. 


There were parts of the tale that I ddin't find completely convincing (spoiler alert), the shooting for example, was a bit too melodramatic for my stiff-upper lip British sensibilities. However, putting crimes of passion aside, I thought it was a good first novel.
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