by Anthony Doerr
A very quick response to the meeting last night. Great discussion around All the Light We Cannot See and much appreciation of Jim’s written submission. We had various degrees of engagement with the work, from Joe’s progress on his re-read to some less than full reads that hopefully will be inspired by reports last night to finish.
The was very warm reception of the novel generally all rating it a fine read 8.5-7.5. The development of characters led to genuine empathy and care for the individual experiences that were related. The tale was great, the characters believable, likeable and well developed. There were mixed feelings around the short chapters and the looping flashbacks which led to a bit of confusion and did seem to detract a bit from the delivery. Nonetheless, as a whole we seem to have all really enjoyed it – am most glad to hear we all shared in that.
I wanted to write more to the ‘Balkan Question’ 😉 I really must say – directed to Mike – I really appreciate your inquisitive nature and asking for the recommendation. I love that this guides us and encourages a broader exploration of emerging questions. I have already jumped back into ‘Black Lamb and Grey Falcon’ which I offered and read at least two decades ago. I downloaded the latest edition for the Kindle and was presented with a particularly well-written introduction by Christopher Hitchens that was not in the original edition I had read. I highly commend the intro in itself.
I also remembered that the book is a substantial one and Hitchens introduction immediately mentioned the 1100 page weight of it. That being raised and Fergal throwing that comment a few hours ago pre-empting me did draw me to poll whether we want to undertake something of this substantial size.
I will mention I do think it a superb read but as much in the broader context of the nature of authorship and the author during this period in history (slightly pre-WW2) as much as appreciating the issues that West identifies then – many of which remain serious issues today – shedding light on where we find ourselves even with regard to the larger east-west cultural issues.
So, it’s a good if not a very substantial read. I would, however, mention that Robert Kaplan’s Balkan Ghosts (coming from a rather diametrically opposed political stance) is a valuable enjoyable read dealing with similar issues and taking some guidance from West’s earlier work. It is also a more approachable read and may well be appropriate in the stead of West’s if it is desired for a more manageable but similarly illustrative read.
SO…I throw out the quick poll … what are the thoughts of our group??
1. a substantial, longer read that may also be examined on broader terms but requires a larger investment of time and possibly dinero Rebecca West’s Black Lamb and Grey Falcon; or
2. a solid, informative and very approachable look at the history and politics of the Balkans with a more contemporary feel and appreciation for more recent events in Robert Kaplan’s Balkan Ghosts.