The Reading Group Reads...
Michel Faber's Under the Skin
ON Wednesday May 4th the Swaffham Prior Book Group met in Meryl Moore's
cosy house on Cage Hill. to discuss the merits, or otherwise, of Michel
Faber's first novel and Whitbread Prize nominee, "Under the
skin". This group of people increases in numbers, each month, it would
seem, and, at this occasion, now included another man, much to my delight! With
tongues loosened by plentiful wine, complemented by thirst-inducing
"nibbles", the evening proved highly engaging all round, with much
discussion, at many intellectual levels.
Clearly, here was a first-time novelist showing off his credentials; leading the reader down carefully-crafted blind alleys whilst, at the same time, dotting the landscape with subtle clues that would quietly hint towards the true meaning of the gripping story-line. It would be invidious to give away, to those who have not yet read this utterly engrossing, though disturbing, book, any of the underlying, intriguing plot, suffice to say that it inspired the Book Group to upwards of two hours of fascinating argument upon such topics as intensive farming, the management of livestock, the carnivorous nature of mankind, what it is to be "human" as opposed to being "inhuman" or "animal-like", mankind's relationship with other, sentient creatures, and even whether all men were inherently attracted to large breasts, a topic which is, actually, most pertinent of the novel!
Even the novel's true literary genre was not as simple as its opening
chapters should have led one to determine, and prompted many of us to disagree
amongst ourselves about this, and ponder on people's varied perceptions of
the same book, all of which goes to show that reading a book really can open
the mind, and even question the very nature of the words in front on one.
And, last but not least, the Book Group has enabled me, and many others, to get to know other people in the village, through conversation relating to something beyond the village environs, and through conviviality. Do come along to the next meeting, on Wednesday June 1st, Kent House at 8pm, when the chosen book is to be "The No.1 Women's Detective Agency" by McCall Smith. New members will be given priority over choosing future novels to be discussed.