Elizabeth Bowen group read – and my first reading challenge for 2015

There’s a small but growing group over on Facebook that I am very glad to be a member of – Undervalued Mid-20th Century British Women Writers – it does what it says on the tin really. Another place where I can celebrate the writers I love and find out about ones I have yet to read. Recently – Nick – who started the group suggested that we hold a group read in November. After some discussion we hit upon Elizabeth Bowen’s The Hotel – Bowen is an author many of us want to read more of, and The Hotel being her first novel it seemed a good place to start. Our read of The Hotel will begin on November 10th – and naturally anyone is welcome to join us. Elizabeth Bowen is probably not really undervalued – however she is exactly the kind of author members of the group love.

 

 

From the back cover:

These were the balmy days of the 1920s. The English, liberated from one long war and not yet faced with the next had – at least when well-off- a confident kind of vitality. The Hotel was a comfortable hotel on the Italian Riviera, run for prosperous English visitors. It was a closed world of wealth and a setting for the inexhaustible comedy of casual personal relationships among a variety of ‘nice’ people, all English, all wittily reflected with characteristic vivacity. Elizabeth Bowen’s wit, and her exact eye for social detail has often been compared to that of Jane Austen, and the similarity is perfectly captured in this, Elizabeth Bowen’s first novel.

I am looking forward to discussing the novel with the other group members, and of course I will review the novel here too.

 

That brings me onto my next reading challenge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year I undertook two main reading challenges: The Great War theme read – with members of the Librarything Virago group ( I have run out of steam a bit, but intend to pick it up again next month) and the 12 novel sequence of Dance to the Music of Time. So having just finished book ten of that twelve I already have my sights set on a new challenge for next year. Karen (from Kaggsy’s bookish ramblings) and I have decided to read the entire nine novels that make up The Forsyte Saga Chronicles.

The Forsyte Saga complete nine novels are available in three volumes:

Volume 1

The Man of Property
In Chancery
To Let

Volume 2

The White Monkey
The Silver Spoon
Swan Song

Volume 3

Maid in Waiting
Flowering Wilderness
Over the River

I recklessly ordered the three volumes from ebay – and I am all set For January. I know January sounds like a long way off but time flies – and it will soon be here. If anyone would like to keep Karen and I company we would love you join us.
Oh and while I have your attention – don’t forget Willa Cather reading week December 7th – 14th – phew!