Gail Honeyman's award-winning debut was a hit with members The Tyneside Book Club came through the July evening sun to discuss one of the most successful recent novels.
Gail Honeyman's debut has won prizes, acclaim and achieved huge sales, but of course the most vital verdict was that of our members!
The good news for Gail is that the response was overwhelmingly positive. Even those who felt resistant to its apparent popularity found themselves succumbing to its page-turning charms.
Readers liked Eleanor's character and her eccentricities and found themselves rooting for her. There was though some need to suspend disbelief at just how naive and sheltered she appeared to be - her ignorance of smartphones and McDonalds particularly stretching credulity.
But members appreciated its exploration of the phenomenon of loneliness - the isolation of a character that spoke to nobody between leaving work on a Friday and returning on a Monday. Most felt the themes of abuse and mental health were handled well.
Many also welcomed how it championed the power of friendship and compassion - a rare quality in many books. Raymond and his mother were particularly appreciated, and the novel also resisted an easy romantic conclusion.
There were though doubts about the "twist" in the novel. Some saw it coming, others didn't, but a good few members thought it was unnecessary and even felt annoyed by it. There was also a sense that Eleanor may have overcome her problems rather rapidly given the dark nature of her background, but this wasn't a book looking to really delve into the depths of mental illness.
Members were impressed though that this was a debut novel, and felt Gail Honeyman clearly had more to offer in the future.
Gail Honeyman's debut has won prizes, acclaim and achieved huge sales, but of course the most vital verdict was that of our members!
The good news for Gail is that the response was overwhelmingly positive. Even those who felt resistant to its apparent popularity found themselves succumbing to its page-turning charms.
Readers liked Eleanor's character and her eccentricities and found themselves rooting for her. There was though some need to suspend disbelief at just how naive and sheltered she appeared to be - her ignorance of smartphones and McDonalds particularly stretching credulity.
But members appreciated its exploration of the phenomenon of loneliness - the isolation of a character that spoke to nobody between leaving work on a Friday and returning on a Monday. Most felt the themes of abuse and mental health were handled well.
Many also welcomed how it championed the power of friendship and compassion - a rare quality in many books. Raymond and his mother were particularly appreciated, and the novel also resisted an easy romantic conclusion.
There were though doubts about the "twist" in the novel. Some saw it coming, others didn't, but a good few members thought it was unnecessary and even felt annoyed by it. There was also a sense that Eleanor may have overcome her problems rather rapidly given the dark nature of her background, but this wasn't a book looking to really delve into the depths of mental illness.
Members were impressed though that this was a debut novel, and felt Gail Honeyman clearly had more to offer in the future.
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