The next meeting of the Mill book club takes place at 7 pm on Tuesday 21 of August, where we hope to discuss The Birthday Letters, a collection of poems by Ted Hughes, alongside Sylvia Plath’s The Bel Jar. The writers were married so this should hopefully provide us with great context for a thoughtful discussion.
The following meeting will take place at 7 pm on Tues 18 September, where we will discuss science fiction novel Flowers For Algernon.
September also marks the year anniversary of The Mill book club, so we hope to find a fitting way to celebrate 12 months of non-stop reading and great discussion.
July’s book was F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night
In the last book club we discussed F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night. It was definitely one of the largest books that we have read so far.
The novel follows the lives of Nicole and Dick, a couple who have more money than they would ever need. Set in the 1920s it tells a story of the Nouveau Riche and their excesses. Much like the characters in the world of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the lives of the character’s seem at first glance frivolous and carefree. However, not is all as it seems as we learn that the central figures have dark and troubled pasts, that they cannot seem to escape.
The book dealt with themes of mental illness and depression and abuse, painting a world where money and power masks trauma and depression. Many members remarked upon the language of the the text, finding it far too eloquent at times and often proving too heavy a read for a daily commute.
Much to the relief of the group as a whole, one member – a secondary school teacher – even admitted there were some words which they didn’t know. Though Fitzgerald’s novel was a challenge, after much reflection, the group agreed upon the beauty of the language used, and the structure of the tale as a whole.
Find out more about the Mill book club.