Book Club Ed

To be added

• Readers found the book an easy comfort-read that didn’t challenge them but offered some enjoyable moments.
• Some people found the central mysteries to be quite silly and criticised the lack of depth and ambition.

• Readers were fascinated by the questions posed by Childhood’s End, including the inversion of the value of childhood.
• The easy prose and short length were praised.
• Some readers didn’t connect with the central narrative and found some of the language antiquated.

• Readers enjoyed the story of Intermezzo and found the central conflict between the brothers engaging.
• Some readers found it some of Rooney’s strongest work, while others preferred her earlier efforts.
• Some criticism was directed towards the implausibility of the ending and some of the characterisation of the protagonists.

• Readers generally enjoyed the Welsh bildungsroman of the book.
• Praise was aimed at the language of the novel and the exploration of growing up in changing times.
• Some readers found the book too long and had concerns about historical accuracy.

• Readers enjoyed the themes of alienation and feminism in South Korean society.
• Many people found the book confusing and confronting.
• Some readers didn’t find that the book landed successfully for them.

• Our readers loved Steinbeck’s exploration of the horrors of the Great Depression.
• The strong themes of solidarity and perseverance through oppression were appreciated by our readers.
• Some did find the book quite long and slow to get into.

• Our readers enjoyed Vonnegut’s absurdist satire on religion, the Cold War and modern society.
• Vonnegut’s exploration of religion through Bokononist thought was highlighted by our readers as an area of strength.
• Some readers found his absurd satire difficult to connect with.

• Our readers really enjoyed Tara Westover’s memoir and exploration of the value of education.
• Particular praise was aimed at the writing style, her family dynamics, and the thesis of the book.
• Some criticised the believability of the story, the pacing, and the shift away from her personal story in the second half of the book.

• Most of our readers really enjoyed the dystopian questions posed by The Chrysalids.
• The worldbuilding and ethical questions were singled out for praise.
• There was widespread criticism of the ending, with many finding it quite abrupt and unsatisfying from a character perspective.

• Readers were not a fan of the social commentary of ‘Yellowface’.
• Criticism was aimed at the weak commentary, lack of nuance, poor characterisation, and incoherent ending.
• The characterisation of the protagonist came under particular fire from our readers.

• Readers enjoyed the mystery and commentary of ‘Rosemary’s Baby’.
• Praise was aimed at the narrative, effective characterisation, and undercurrent of feminist themes.
• Some didn’t find the suspense of the book grabbed them.

To be added

• An exploration of the meaning of identity and place in society.
• Some readers found Sam’s story to be heart-breaking and poignant.
• Others found the ending of the novel incredulous and took away from the message of the novel.

• An interesting meta-textual exploration on the nature of reading that divided our readers.
• Some loved the meta exploration on the nature of reading and what it means to be a reader.
• Others found the lack of closure frustrating and did not enjoy the prose or themes of the novel.

• A gripping exploration of the Congo.
• Readers enjoyed the rich descriptions and strong characterisation of the book, finding each narrative voice compelling and distinct.
• We liked the messaging of anti-colonialism, although some found it a touch overt.
• Mixed feelings towards the ending and length of the novel.

• A highly-regarded snowy exploration of gender.
• Our readers found the questions posed by the book intriguing, and that the relationship between characters was compelling.
• Some found it started slow, but that from the mid-way point the book gained steam.

• Our first non-fiction exploration of Australian feminism.
• Many readers were disappointed by this book, finding it unfocused, disjointed and poorly edited.
• Many found the message either contradictory or too obvious to be worth noting.
• The personal anecdotes were appreciated by our readers.

• An action-packed Nazi thriller.
• Readers found the plot captivating, but were let down by the characters, prose, depth, and structure.
• The dialogue and romance was singled out as being particularly poor.
• Many readers did say the book still held their attention throughout.

• A ‘what-if’ exploration of Shakespeare’s child.
• Readers found the prose purple and distracting, with sentences a chore.
• The emotional arc of the book concluded prematurely, which disappointed some readers.
• Some found the book disappointing compared to their expectations.

• A tale of trauma and loss from Australia to America.
• Our readers found the story nuanced and engaging, and were particularly heartbroken by the trials and tribulations of the protagonist.
• The ending of the book was disappointing to many of our readers, who found it anti-climactic and stretched credulity.

• A complicated and mysterious tale of cats, music and loss.
• Many of our readers found the book perplexing, but in an involving and engaging way.
• Some readers were turned off by the author’s depiction and description of women, particularly the protagonist’s sister.