And so begins another new year of fabulous reading with our February's first title,
The Umbrella Club by David Brooks. We enjoyed a good roll up to our meeting, even though the regular night was moved from the Wednesday to Thursday night on this one off occasion.
The first meeting of the year is always one of excitement because this is the time when club members put forward their nominations of titles for the rest of the year. For book lovers, it is always interesting to discover what will be on the menu for the rest of the year. Take a look at this year's tantalising selection on the blog site which has just recently been updated. Having the list posted on the blog allows for all book club members to plan ahead for the year's reading so you have plenty of time to secure the books ready for the month they will be discussed.
Unfortunately, not all members were able to read
The Umbrella Club before our first meeting which meant that a generalised discussion was limited to a much smaller number of members. However, the general consensus was taken from the old saying,
'you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover' because the actual story had lots of elements of surprise. Overall, everyone enjoyed the story, although it did not make the list as one of our most favourites.
The story itself was very earthy and would be a great read for anyone who has read Joseph Conrad's classic,
Heart of Darkness. There are references throughout the narrative that directly relate to Conrad's work and if you enjoy his style of writing, then you should enjoy Brooks' efforts.
The Umbrella Club begins around the time of World War I when two young fellows, Axel and Edward, meet for the first time and over the course of the events, end up on many occasions together, fulfilling their wartime duties. Their friendship grows on the battlefields of France where they are both inspired by barrage balloons and develop a mutual fascination that embarks a lifetime love of ballooning and changes the course of their lives.
At the end of the war, Axel and Edward endeavour to return to a normal life, however, it soon becomes obvious that life will never return to what they know. Axel, always a free spirit, is consumed by his passion for flight and freedom and pursues this by learning the art of ballooning and forming the
Umbrella Club, a group of passionate balloonists. Edward returns to the conventionality of earning a living and commitments to family. Axel's freedom and unconventional lifestyle fascinates him, and at times, Edward feels the pangs of envy. Though their paths are different, they always remain in contact through letters and the occasional
Umbrella Club excursions.
After many smaller flights, Axel's passion grows and he decides to try for a much longer flight where others have not dared to go before. After much preparation and letters home to Edward, who has been caring for his dying sister, Axel sets off to balloon across the highlands of New Albion, a largely unexplored island north of Australia. When he fails to return, Edward travels to the island, after the death of his sister, to solve the mystery of his friend's disappearance and retrace his final journey. What he finds there will haunt him for the rest of his life.
'
The Umbrella Club is a darkly compelling adventure into the depths of the human soul and to the frontiers of colonial exploration. In the aftermath of war, when there is nothing left to fear, sometimes the only possibility for recovery is flight.'
David Brooks
We recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good tale of the wildness of the jungle and the people who exist there.
Most of our members would be powering on, if not finished, reading our next selection for the month of March,
The Secret River by Kate Grenville. See the dates on the blog for our March meeting.
So, until next time,
happy reading...
The Secret River by Kate Grenville is the current title Novel Tea 'n Pages book clubbers are reading.
