Jamaica Inn — the film

This 1939 Alfred Hitchcock film bears little resemblance to du Maurier's book. Mary played by Maureen O'Hara, who is noted as coming from Ireland, was yet to become a Hollywood Star. Charles Laughton, as co-producer of the film, threw his not inconsiderable weight around.insisting on taking the role of the Squire. He can well be described as 'lording' it over everyone — the albino, villainous vicar being an impossible character to include in 1930's Hollywood. Leslie Banks who played Joss, Mary's uncle has a suitably wonky eye, heavy features and a menacing stance but isn't half as bad as in the book. Patience, his wife, is perhaps the most uninspiring of the characters — rather like the book.

However, the wild seas — how very wet the actors must have got — the bleak moors and the coldness of the Inn came over well. Jem, the romantic interest in the book, is changed into an undercover customs/police man, Traherne. The story line diverges dramatically towards the end.

Considering that Daphne was alive at the time of its production it seems she had little influence over the script.

We have to remember of course that 1939 was a very different time from now and also from Cornwall of the early 19th century. Hollywood films had to conform to strict production codes and audiences' expectations were different too, and of course war was looming.

The book
We were pretty critical of the film but everyone enjoyed the book. It is a good read, a page turner, as they say with good characterisation. Patience irritated me but also personified all those women, particularly in days when opting out of a marriage was very difficult, who stayed with abusive men who have holds over their women. Just a kind word infrequently reminds them of the love they once had and is sufficient. How Mary put up with it all was rather pathetic, why she cared so much is beyond me. She could perfectly well have gone back to her farm which her mother had been running on her own before she died and Mary seems like a sensible woman with the guts to do it herself. We wonder if her relationship with Jem would have ended up the same way as the older couple?
Du Maurier is a master of atmosphere and description and it is a good story.
It is surely time for it to be refilmed and we could all come up with suitable actors for the main parts. Remembering Charles Dance in Rebecca left a few swooning.

12 Books That Changed the World

Melvyn Bragg's book took 12 diverse books and dedicated a chapter to each of them. There was a strong reaction to the book; were these the right ones, why did he miss out this one and include that one, Bragg was saying more about the authors than the books and as a consequence s0me felt the writing lacked a degree of depth producing a shallow representation of the originals.

However as is often the case when there is dissention in the group it produced a very long, lively and spirited discussion leaving us to have to be very patient before reaching the coffee and cake stage of the evening.

Several themes were noted; many of the authors came from wealth backgrounds leaving them to dedicate their entire lives to their passions, several came from a similar time in history and religion was an important aspect of some of the writings and beliefs. The book, even prior to the meeting had stimulated enough interest for further reading to have taken place, adding to the discussion and at times diverting us.

A few of the authors and subjects were more familiar than others. We learnt about the influencial Marie Stopes whose book on Married Love was deemed so controversial that its publication had to be delayed until after ww1 as it was believed it would be so unsettling to both men and women such were her revolutionary ideas. We were reminded of the importance of the Magna Carta beyond the boundaries of this country and that Adam Smith's ideas on free trade and how they would assist the world are still relevant and quoted today. Language and its use in the past and todays world were a big talking point when it came to the King James Bible and Shakespeare. Our modern ways of expressions taking from these mighty tomes. Wilberforce did much throughout his life to abolish the slave trade and we admired his perseverence, despite his failing health to keep presenting his bills to parliament. When the Abolition of Slavery Act was finally passed in 1883, he was 3 days away from this death.

The FA rules were thought to be a controversial inclusion and whilst we felt they were significant we did not accept that they were the only reason why football has become such a global phenomenom. Although having seen, predominently boys play football it is a good thing that someone knows the rules as, mayhem could quite easily breakoutif left entirely to their own devices. Mary Wollstonecraft was a rather controversial figure in many ways but did very strongly believe that education was essential to ensure true freedom for women. There was absolutely no argument with this!

We liked some of the individuals more than others and warmed to Faraday who came from very humble beginnings as did Arkwright whom we liked less. The latter brought employment to many and the factory system of working enable many to find employment but it also saw the shift of people from the country to the towns to find work. Darwin made some marvellous discoveries and wrote of them in The Origin of the Species, but like many of the others mentioned in the book Bragg made little reference to those who had gone before whose research and discoveries probably made it possible for him to be so influential.

This is however true of us all, that we benefit from those that blazed the trail before us.

Much has been left out of the analysis of the book so if the gaps are very

Three Men in a Boat

5th July 2011

It was generally agreed that the story told in the book was quite "laddish". The 'pranks' of three young men in the late 1800s were comically told and made for relatively easy reading. It was noted that it is impossible to accurately provide a chronology to the story. There is a great deal of digression and many non sequiturs in the recounting of this journey down the Thames. The book suffers from the author's indecision regarding the genre of the book - whether it is a treatise on the British countryside, a comedy or a serious reflection on the mores of the period. Many of the reflections on the British countryside are maudlin and the social commentary is erratic and sits jarringly amidst the narrative. The characterisation of the three young men is poorly fleshed-out and the three merge seamlessly into a single person. Nonetheless, the book provides an insight into the period, albeit, from a very limited perspective.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Be warned, Beloved is not an easy read and you need to stick with it! It is really two different stories , one being told through flashbacks to the 1850s and the days of slavery, the other taking place in the novel's present, 1873. Thus the story unfolds in an elliptical way, as allusions are made in the narrative to events which are only developed and clarified later on in the book.

The main character is Sethe, who escapes from slavery by fleeing across the Ohio River, then kills her older daughter in an attempt to keep her being taken back to the South by her cruel old master, the Schoolteacher. This story is taken from the real story of Margaret Garner, who like Sethe, escaped from slavery in Kentucky and murdered her child when slave catchers caught up with her in Ohio.

A ghost then haunts the house, 124 Bluestone Road, where Sethe lives with her younger daughter, Denver. Paul D, who knows Sethe from their past, moves into the house and chases the ghost away. A mysterious figure, calling herself by the name on the dead daughter's tombstone, Beloved, appears at the house shortly after that. It is generally believed by all the characters in the book that Beloved is the embodied spirit of the dead girl.

Paul D and Beloved hate each other, and he is finally driven out of the house by her, and by the revelation that Sethe murdered her baby. Thereafter the relationship between Sethe and Beloved becomes more intense and exclusive, with Beloved growing increasingly manipulative and parasitic, and Sethe more obsessed with satisfying her demands. Denver is worried about the way her mother is wasting away, and seeks the help of the community to exorcise Beloved from 124. Beloved does eventually disappear in the ensuing confusion. Afterwards Paul D comes back to Sethe, and the story thus ends on a hopeful note, Paul saying that he and Sethe "got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow."

The book does not mince its words. Apparently when Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's cabin she had to tone down the facts to make the novel publishable - this book really brings home to the reader the spiritual, emotional and physical devastation wrought by the horrors of slavery. The book is also a commentary on the legacy of slavery, which affects not only the identities of its black victims, but also those of its perpetrators, and which leads to everyone suffering a loss of humanity and compassion. Morrison suggests that, like Sethe, contemporary readers must confront the history of slavery in order to address this legacy which reveals itself in on-going racial discrimination and discord.

One final point: this is a complex, non-linear story, and there are, at least in this edition (World Book Night 2011), no numbered chapters, which means that it is very difficult to find your way around it when you need to refer back to a relevant point.

The man who never was

We had all read Operation Mincemeat by Ben McIntyre who had the wonderful good fortune of first finding Montague's son and then with him discovering the the proverbial tin trunk ful of material relating to this marvellously eccentric operation. Most had also seen the BBC docudrama of the same name. The original film while being a period piece from the 1950s though set in the 1940s reminded us of the way in which people spoke, smoked and generally related to each other. There is a major departure from the 'real' story with the inclusion of Riley who is supposed to be Irish yet talks with a rather odd German accent and is supposed to be a German spy. The truth was in fact much more complicated with agents and consuls/vice-consuls and various other personages in Spain either working for or against their own countries and a clear head is needed to remember who is who and who is betraying whom. The film is preceded by a waiver that the name of the "man" is not revealed and he is given a father while in fact the man's name was known and his parentage was unknown but we have to keep remembering that society was different in the 1950s. This is also particularly relevant with regard to Montague who was, if not in love with Pam then at least much taken by her and wined and dined her frequently. When the film was made of course he was still alive as was his wife so it could not have been revealed. There was another very fifties deference to current mores when the body is being dressed for the operation - we never see how they get the clothes on or indeed his face. The final scenes show the grave as it was - William Martin's real name has now been added to the gravestone. We all enjoyed it and no one went to sleep - which has happened before - we think that the original was in black and white and that the film has been coloured up.

Roald Dahl – Going Solo

Going Solo is a sequel to Boy, Dahl’s autobiography of his early life. Going Solo begins with Dahl leaving England and travelling to Mombassa in 1938 to work for Shell. He was then 22yrs old. When war breaks out he joins the RAF and is sent as a fighter pilot to Greece.

There was some debate about the authenticity of episodes in the book, especially in the first part when Dahl is in Africa. The story of the lion taking the cook’s wife is one such which was a familiar apocryphal story with some members. Never-the-less this did not take anything away from the flow of the story telling.

We realised that Dahl used some of these early experiences in his childrens' stories, for instance comparing Dahl’s cabin mate, Mr U.N. Savory (?) who wears a wig, with The Witches where “witches have no hair, and must therefore wear wigs directly on their naked scalps, resulting in a condition they call "wig-rash.”

The eccentricity of characters especially the naked joggers running round the deck of SS Mantola prompted much discussion about colonial isolation, eccentricity in general and nudist experiences (Marion’s life-drawing class in particular).

The second part of the book about Dahl’s experiences as an RAF Hurricane pilot in North Africa and Greece is a complete contrast to the light hearted beginning in Africa. Dahl joins his squadron in Greece and realises there are only 15 Hurricanes and 2 Bleinhem bombers protecting the whole of Greece. The men are outnumbered 50:1 and as a result are uncommunicative. The mortality rate is so high the pilots have nothing left but concentrate on their own self preservation.

Dahl details the incompetence of the RAF command to which the pilots are sacrificed and emphasises their vulnerability against the unstoppable momentum of the huge German army machine. There doesn’t look to be any hope.

Remembering that Dahl was only 22/23 at the time we wondered whether his sense of duty, respect for authority and innocence protected him through these horrific experiences. It took me back to reading John Buchan and tales of daring do - really a different time altogether. We wondered how young people today, with a more questioning approach, would behave in such circumstances.

In all the message of the book is anti war and anti authority. There was an underlying suggestion of unsaid questions. Questions for instance prompted by Dahl seeing a German pilot flying past in his cockpit: “Why are we here?” “What on earth are we doing?”

I enjoyed the book very much - it gave a very vivid description of the life of a young man during this time, and is told with good humour and compassion.

The Music Room

Having heard an extract of this biography some time ago and Broughton Castle being so close by it seemed a good choice. It has three strands; William Feinnes childhood in the family home a 700 year old moated castle, the sad deterioration of his brother as his epilepsy progresses and the medical details of the development in medical treatment for the illness.
William Feinnes describes what for him was a wonderful childhood. He grew up in a house owned by the family for centuries, which they shared with film crews, theatre groups, musicians and faithful staff as well as a possible 'ghost', but if there was one it was a friendly one, as Mrs Fiennes told people 'as it did not give then any trouble'. The author says as a child he never asked 'why the house was open to the public and that thousands of strangers walked past our bedrooms and peered into the kitchen window each year'. He did however understand that the staff had to be paid.
This theme of duty to care ran through the entire book. The parents dedication to caring for the house as part of the country's heritage and therefore to leave it in good order for future generations. The family's care for each other and especially Rich, the son and heir who at a young age developed epilepsy that was to destroy his life, challenge the family and as his behaviour changes as his illness progressed see many of their expectations challenged. What came across very strongly was the family's 'ordinariness' despite these things. They seem to be self contained, a real paradox when we appreciate how much they needed the outside world to keep their own physically, and practically afloat. We felt a real warmth for the parents, both who gave unceasingly.
The book is very visual, the writing drawing very clear pictures. There are wonderful descriptions of the father taking Richard and William tree felling, clearing the moat and doing ordinary things even though at times the reader gets the impression that these are extraordinary people in difficult circumstances. Mother oils the suits of armour with WD40 to keep the hinges working and touches up the wall paper with a fine paint brush where it is beginning to fade. The author himself draws a wonderful picture of his discovery of the house and its contents and talks about how parts, for him seem to be beyond where it is safe to explore.
But the main trust is the about the author's older brother, told from his perspective. He seems to have no difficulty in accepting that Rich is different, that he can fluctuate from gentle giant to unpredictably aggressive in seconds. That he behaves in a way that might terrify others and that his behaviour becomes so unmanageable at home that he has to go to a special centre; sent away but not as in so many case to be hidden from sight but to enable the family to go on loving him and offering him at weekends and for holidays as much love and caring as they can.
We wondered why it was called the Music Room, but it seems that in this room there were many happy memories including mother playing her viola, practising her scales, the author's fascination for the instruments, the metronome and the lavish furnishings. But also of the family gathered there together and Rich singing. He held the attention of them all, dressed in his suit and waistcoat, holding his score out like a professional he sang out of tune and seemingly beguiled them all. Sadly Rich dies at 41.

Behind the Scenes at the Museum, by Kate Atkinson

Throughout the story of Ruby Lennox there are some objects that keep appearing at different moments of her family's history, like the glass button and the rabbit's paw. Such objects seem to be the only references that conjure up the slightest notion of a museum, because mainly this is a serious tale of life's ups and downs; those that we bring upon ourselves (such as running off with door-to-door photographer in an attempt to escape the drudgery of motherhood), and those that are beyond our control, such as fire, war and traffic accidents.
I admit I got halfway through the book and had to start again as I had lost track of the characters - Ruby does leap about a bit in her retelling of the family history which can be confusing and requires the reader to assemble the story rather like a jigsaw. In fact, once you have created the whole picture, you need to go back to the beginning to discover all the details that you have missed, such as the references to Ruby's twin sister.
Ruby's role as first person narrator is somewhat voyeuristic as she recounts family events through photos, places and objects. It is her narrator's omniscience that gives you the sense of looking at a museum archive and watching a soap opera at the same time. Finally Ruby has to escape the clutches of her family ties (rather like her great grandmother) and she launches off into a life where she does have some control over her ups and downs.
Now, have a look at your own possessions and family heirlooms. How many of them have been passed on to you by a relative? What historical dramas have they witnessed? How do they link you to your ancestry and to the eras before you were born? What's behind the scenes of your museum?

Sea Room by Adam Nicolson

Lynne chose this book as a result of having heard it reviewed by Mariella Frostrup on Radio 4's Book Club. This book has received some exceedingly positive reviews, see:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2004/may/16/travel.features

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2002/jun/30/features.review

It is one distinction of this book that there was (for once) unanimous agreement amongst the members of the book club regarding their opinion of it. Everyone agreed that this book was:

• over long;
• unnecessarily verbose;
• of limited interest to anyone other than the author and his family;
• lacking in narrative structure;
• poorly edited;
• self-indulgent;
• and perhaps most damning of all - boring!

It is heartening how the unanimity of opinion in the group made for a warm, lively, friendly discussion.

Lynne's cheesecake was enjoyed by all.

The laurels for best marmalade are still up for grabs!