Online Book Club Session 6

12 members joined the Online Book Club to discuss the third book in the Buckinghams series. We finally found the Long Passage towards the end of the story, after much wandering and wondering whether it would ever turn up!

There was a mixed bag of reviews with regard to plot, the number of coincidences and the balance between countryside and city - plus a controversial north/south split (don't worry, it didn't come to blows!). 

Juliet, as ever, came out well, alongside the usual fondness for Simon. Charles had begun to irritate some. Americans gave a touch of glamour and the exotic. Red lipstick - how forward is that!

There's not many of us rushing to have a holiday in ‘Discovery’, the caravan borrowed by the family that was towed by ‘The Vehicle’, though one of the Joint Chairs of the Society might elbow everyone else out of the way!

Some of those present were disappointed that their editions of the book did not include maps - the original Evans hardback editions have a map of the area around Steyning inside the front cover and a street plan of Saville’s Brighton inside the back cover. The coordinator offered to email photocopies to everyone for their records. Participants had enjoyed following the Buckinghams’ journey from Leasend, near Ludlow, to the South Downs, via Stratford on Avon, Oxford and more - we always enjoy maps! However not everyone enjoyed Alice Bush's illustrations.

There was unanimous agreement that Saville’s fondness for the area came through very strongly and, once again, his skill in describing place was noteworthy, both of the Downs and the town, with its Pavilion. The fact that this area was his home territory, and linked to his own birthplace, was evident. 

We confirmed future reading: 

March   Sea Witch Comes Hone (Lone Pine)

April      Jane’s Country Year

May        Redshank’s Warning (Jillies)

June     Treasure at the Mill

July       All Summer Through (Nettleford)

Copies of some of these are available through the Society's website. Log in as a member and click on the title of the book, in the BOOKS pages to find out what's available. 

Looking ahead to the Annual Gathering ...for those attending we will be holding a quick face to face get together - probably around the bookstall - details to follow. 

Our next  meeting will be 19 March at 19:30.

Please emailevents@witchend.com if you would like to be involved, or for more information.  

The Acksherley! Library pages in the Members section of this website provide a rich source of information about this book - and many others - it's definitely worth taking a look back at issues that have been published over all the years this Society has been in existence!