Nevermore: Zhivago Affair, Tales From the White Hart, Assassination of Margaret Thatcher

A long novel and two collections of short stories were under discussion in Nevermore.  More accurately, the first was a non-fiction book about the history of Doctor Zhivago rather than the book itself.   The Zhivago Affair by Peter Finn and Petra Couvee tells the fascinating story behind the famous novel which was unpublishable in Russia at the time.  Poet Boris Pasternak gave a copy of his novel to a contact who was working for an Italian publisher.  The book was smuggled out of the country and published to great acclaim in the West and to great upset in the Soviet Union.  The book’s depiction of the Russian Revolution and the individualistic themes did not set well with the regime.  The CIA, however, decided the book could be used as a wonderful piece of propaganda and printed thousands of copies in handy sizes for smuggling into the U.S.S. R.   The authors used some newly released classified documents to reconstruct some of the covert events as well as present a fascinating look at Pasternak himself.  Our reader found it a compelling book.

Arthur C. Clarke was a master storyteller.  Although best known for novels such as 2001:  A Space Odyssey, he wrote wonderful short stories as well. Tales from the White Hart is a collection of these stories, bound together by the place where they are told:  a bar named The White Hart. There a motley assortment of scientists, writers, and interested bystanders gather to swap stories.  The main teller is Harry Purvis, an obnoxious man who may or may not be telling the truth.  The Nevermore readers says the tales are great fun, and very humorous.  

Another set of short stories was up next.  The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel is a collection of short stories set in contemporary England.  Jud said there is “quite a range of subject matter,” and that some of the stories are rather bleak. However, the characters are complex and the writing is very fine.  The title story has an IRA agent  trying to gain access to a good position for a shot at then Prime Minister Thatcher dealing with an upper class homeowner who believes the agent to be a plumber. This is a bit of a change of pace for Mantel, who is best known for historical novels such as Wolf Hall.

The Nevermore Book Club meets every Tuesday at the Bristol Public Library in the Frances E. Kegley Conference Room.  Members bring the book they're currently reading or just want to recommend to others.  Doughnuts are provided by The Blackbird Bakery! Everyone is welcome to attend.

Nevermore: Enchantments, Bring Up the Bodies, Assassination Vacation, and Home

Reported by Kristin

Jud kicked off the book club discussion with Enchantments, novel of Rasputin’s daughter and the Romanovs by Kathryn Harrison.  This fictionalized version of events begins after the killing of Rasputin,when his daughter Masha is taken in by the Romanovs as the czarina hopes that Masha will have the same healing effects on the czarevitch Alexei.  This particular work of fiction portrays Rasputin in a positive manner alongside the royal family.  Jud said that it was interesting to see the use of modern technology so soon after the beginning of the 20th century—the wealthy Romanov family had a telephone, electric lights and an electrical generator.  This book was declared a quick read, especially for a novel based on Russian history.

Next up was Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel.  Thomas Cromwell, chief minister to Henry VIII, is again the main character in this second part of the Wolf Hall trilogy.  Set at the beginning of Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn, this installment continues to show the royals as all powerful and amoral, not particularly caring how their actions affect others.  The vicious political maneuvering of the era is plainly described in this trilogy.  The time period covered here is short, only nine months, as opposed to the several years covered in Wolf Hall.

Talk of historical violence brought the group back to a book discussed previously: Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell.  While the author wrote of trips to visit historically significant sites related to the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley, the book club discussion quickly turned to questioning why individuals wanted to see places and things bordering on the macabre.  In addition, the discussion included the role of gallows humor as a coping mechanism in difficult situations.  The author describes her family interactions alongside the trip in a very dynamic and compelling manner.  A humorous ten year old nephew breaks up the serious and tragic bits.

Home by Marilynne Robinson rounded out the week’s selections.  The author visited King College a couple of years ago and was remembered by some of the readers.  In this book, Jack is the son who never quite fit in with the family, although his family loves him very much.  His sister Glory has come home to care for their dying father, and Jack ends up back at home as well.  Jack has always been manipulative, and the plot is based around the family interactions during the difficult time of the father’s decline.  Our reader said that it was a bit heavy, but worth reading.

Nevermore Historical Fiction Picks

Historical fiction has remained popular, and some Nevermore members had some books to recommend.  Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is the widely acclaimed novel about Thomas Cromwell, advisor to King Henry VIII.  Henry is desperate for a male heir, afraid that England will sink into war again without a clear line of succession.  He wants to end his marriage and marry Anne Boleyn, and Thomas may be just the man to help him do it. Mantel’s equally brilliant sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, picks up the story just as Henry is growing tired of Anne and the political intrigue and conspiracies flourish.

James McBride’s novel  Miracle at St. Anna is set in Italy during World War II when four black soldiers befriend a small boy who has become mute after some terrible trauma. They become cut off from the rest of their division and are trapped in a mountain village as winter sets in and the enemy is on the move. The book is loosely based on a true incident. McBride is best known for his nonfiction book, The Color of Water:  A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother.

Another blend of historical fact and fiction is found in The Empty Glass by J. I. Baker, in which  deputy coroner Ben Fitzgerald is called to investigate the death of Marilyn Monroe.  From the start, he isn’t convinced that the narrative of accidental suicide he’s been given is the correct one, and that a number of powerful entities are out to cover up a murder.  Readers were divided about this book, which skips about in time a bit, but those who like noir fiction felt it was well done. Our reviewer loved it!

Freeman by Leonard Pitts, Jr. takes place right after the Civil War has ended. Sam, a former slave, returns from Philadelphia to Mississippi in search of his wife, Tilda, determined to find her no matter the risk.  Prudence, a white woman from Boston, is going to Mississippi to set up a school for blacks.  Pitts’ book has been praised for its strong characters, emotional depth, and for its sensitive and perceptive evocation of an era.