And so earlier this week, the final book club session of the year was held. Still going strong into its third year now, I'm still enjoying it and every time the mix of people, the range of opinions and the chance to chat with good company and share ideas make it a great experience. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the concept, but I really like it. Even if I feel pretty stupid at times compared to some of the fantastic minds brought to bear on the subject at hand. And I still like the fact it throws up things that I'd not usually choose for myself.
Such as E.M. Forster's A Room with a View. Never read any Forster before now but did rather like it. It was short (a bonus for both book club and this challenge) and amusing, being a satire on English pretensions and values, a social comedy if you will and definitely reminded me of Evelyn Waugh. Which is a good thing, by the way. It did take me a while to get into and I preferred the second part in England more than the opening in Italy, but it was wittily observed and cleverly written. Indeed, stylistically, I'd not have guessed it's now over a century old. Which is also intended as a compliment.
And with a lot of chat about the film adaptation, a viewing of which occurred straight after the discussion, it was certainly very faithful to the book. I liked the way it was put together, even if some of the characters weren't quite how I imagined them and it kept the humour of the story very well. My companion felt it lacked the energy of the book and was, I sense, slightly disappointed by it, but perhaps the more so because she really liked the book. Some cast though and I was glad to have seen it.
Book number: 96
Title: A Room with a View
Author: E.M. Forster
Category: Book club/recommendations
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